The 24th July was spent chiefly in consolidating the positions won. The artillery fire was mainly in support of the 77th French division on our right. Boche aeroplanes were very active during the night, and the D.A.C. were particularly unfortunate, losing 26 animals killed and 20 wounded from hostile bombs. In the two brigades about nine horses were killed, and there were several casualties among the men. Lieut. W. H. House, United States Army, who was attached to the D.A.C. as Medical Officer, was awarded the M.C. for gallantry on this occasion. A great many bombs fell in the vicinity of our headquarters, and a large ammunition dump, in the valley about a mile distant, was set on fire, and went on exploding all through the night with tremendous detonations. The spectacle as viewed from the roof of our billet was a very grand and awe-inspiring one; the loss of ammunition to the French must have been very serious.
The following letter referred to the work of these last few days:
"Le Général Serrigny, C.B., C.M.G.,
"Commandant la 77me Division d'lnfanterie.
"à Monsieur le Général Commandant
"La 62me Division Britannique.
"le 26 Juillet, 1918.
"Mon Général,
"J'ai l'honneur de vous prier de vouloir bien transmettre au Commandant de l'Artillerie Britannique placèe sur vos ordres mes remerciements pour le concours efficace qu'elle a prété à ma Division au cours des attaques sur le bois de Reims et le château de Commetreuil.
"L'enlèvement difficile de cette région boisèe avait été préparé par les actions energiques menées par la 62me D. I. Britannique pendant les journées précédentes; l'appui de I'artillerie anglaise pour les opérations des 22 et 23 Juillet a facilité grandement la tâche de la 77me D. I. francaise.
"Je vous exprime, au nom des troupes sur mes ordres, toute leur gratitude, et vous prie d'agréer l'expression de ma considération la plus distinguèe.
"Serrigny."
On the 25th and 26th July preparations were made for a further attack, and dumps at battery positions were made up to 600 rounds per 18-pounder, and 500 rounds per howitzer. The 310th Headquarters at the Ferme d'Ecueil was heavily shelled on the 26th, and had to be moved a few hundred yards. Lieut.-Colonel Sherlock on this occasion showed great personal gallantry in removing wounded men under very heavy fire. It rained heavily in the evening, and a cloudy night kept the bombers from troubling us.
At 6 a.m. on the 27th the Corps launched a fresh attack. It was completely successful, and by 11.30 a.m. we had captured the villages of Espilly and Nappe. After the attack the batteries advanced one at a time, and were all in their new positions before dark, the 310th in the Bois du petit Champ, and the 312th close to and west of Pourcy. We moved our headquarters to Nanteuil in the evening. It was raining hard, and the move was rather a cheerless one, the more so as the enemy was shelling the village hard when we entered it. Lieut. E. S. Lloyd gained the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished conduct in this day's action.