The division was moved to near Abbeville, in order to rest and absorb replacements for its losses. The 61st Composite Battalion had been reduced to less than 100 men, and the other brigades were similarly weakened. On 17 April the division was moved to Villers-Châtel about north west of Arras, returning to XVIII Corps control, this time under First Army. It remained there training its replacements until the end of April. Between 1 and 3 May the division relieved the 3rd Canadian Division in the Lens-Avion sector, either side of the river Souchez, where the artillery rejoined it. The 24th Division was to the left, and from 7 May the 52nd (Lowland) Division on the right. The German defences were based along the embankment of a curving section of railway line, known as the 'Bull Ring' in the southern part of the line, the flooding of the land adjacent to the river, which was overlooked by a slag heap occupied by the Germans in the centre, and the widespread building ruins of the area strengthened with barbed wire traps all along the division's front. Beginning almost immediately the division began to patrol in 'no-mans-land' and conduct trench raids. These raids had the aim of obtaining identification of the German units in the area so that a picture could be built up of German force movements during the other sequences of their Spring Offensive and later defensive moves. One such raid during the night of 23–4 July was conducted by whole companies from the 11th K.R.R.C. and 12th King's, two platoons from the 7th D.C.L.I. and one platoon from the 7th S.L.I., also involved in many of these raids were engineers from the field companies carrying explosive charges sufficient to destroy the German's dug-outs. These raids were closely supported by the artillery, trench mortars and machine gunners. The raids met with varying degrees of success, and both sides frequently used gas in this sector.