He joined the battalion at Gommecourt and Major
Higham immediately went down for a rest. There was very little of
outside interest during the succeeding days beyond the usual work of
consolidation and keeping the enemy under closest possible observation.
Still, the battalion was glad to be relieved on May 6th, the whole
division coming out for a good period of rest.
The 127th brigade were given camp areas around Henu, divisional
headquarters being at Pas. We made the most of these May weeks, filled
with delightful sunshine, and, as events worked out, it was as well we
did, for it was the last long rest period we were to get until after the
armistice. Important changes took place in the battalion about this
time. Major Higham and Capt. Townson, both pre-war officers of the 7th,
severed their active service connection with us by being invalided to
England, the former's place being taken by Major Rae of the Liverpool
Scottish. Amongst a draft of officers that we received from a division
that had been broken on the fifth army front was Capt. Allen, M.C.,
whose original unit was the 6th Manchesters. He was put in command of
"A" company. R.S.M. Anlezark, of the 1st battalion, was posted to us for
duty, and A/R.S.M. Clough succeeded R.Q.M.S. Ogden, who had returned to
England after a long period of hard and useful work with the 7th. It was
not many weeks after this period of rest that another long-standing and
popular officer was lost to the 7th; this was Capt.
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