CHAPTER VI

PASSCHENDAELE (SECOND TIME)--ARMENTIÈRES--ST. HILAIRE (SECOND TIME)--ARREWAGE--FLEURBAIX

On December 16th, at 8.45 in the morning, the battalion moved off from camp to Proven Station, where we duly entrained for Boesinghe, the transport moving to Birbeck Camp, near Elverdinghe. On arrival at Boesinghe a dispute arose with the 2/5th K.L.R. as to the camp which each of us was to occupy, the orders being conflicting. Eventually we agreed to take Canal Bank Camp, and the 2/5th K.L.R. the more bleak and exposed Baboon Camp, which from our point of view was a satisfactory arrangement. As this was the second time the battalion had been in this area, there is no need to describe it further. It looked almost as inhospitable as ever, though certain traces of civilization had begun to appear. The enemy put a few shells in to the camp that night, but did no serious damage. The next day (December 17th) everyone was busy with preparations for going into the line. Gum-boots and extra water-bottles had to be drawn from Baboon Camp, and men had to be issued with "Tommy cookers," two days' preserved rations, and spare socks. The weather was now very cold, with occasional snow-storms, and offered a very poor prospect of pleasant conditions in the line. At 3.30 p.m. "D" Company moved, followed at quarter-hour intervals by "A" (support) Company, and "B" and "C" in reserve. To Battalion Headquarters the distance was about six miles, the whole route being along a duck-board track, called Clarges Street. The scene on either side of the track was the same--one unending chain of shell-holes, as usual in this part of the world. It was a long and tedious march. A whole battalion strung out on a tortuous and slippery track, with countless short twists to avoid shell-holes and greater twists to prevent accurate shelling, moves very slowly. There was also a long footbridge over the Steenbeck to be negotiated, and the various side tracks running off from the main one confused the guides.

Two companies were taken round by an alternative way along the remains of the road from Koekuit to Les Cinque Chemins, our destination. This proved our salvation, as on reaching the end of Clarges Street, near Les Cinque Chemins, the leading guide of the two companies ahead of Battalion Headquarters turned to the right along this same road, and promptly collided with "D" and "A" Companies coming up. But for this accident "B" and "C" with Battalion Headquarters, after many hours marching, might have arrived at Canal Bank Camp once more. The difficulty of finding one's way in the dark in these miserable districts baffles description. All landmarks are obliterated, and main roads are only recognizable under the most favourable conditions. Tracks lead off from the main way at frequent intervals, and there is nothing to show which is the correct way. The one thing usually certain is that one leads nowhere and the other the way you want to go. To discover which is which is rather a lengthy and tiresome business.

The sector was on the whole probably the most remarkable one ever held by the battalion. Representing as it did the high-water mark of a push, it was rather curiously organized. The front line (held by "D" Company) consisted of a number of shell-hole positions, movement along which was impossible in daylight, and three posts in the Houthulst Forest. These latter, as will appear, were mere wooden barricades of a very rough description and absolutely unbulletproof. No cover of any description, either from the weather or from the enemy, existed in any of these posts. There was one pill-box, Colombo House, in what was practically the front-line, and, as usual, with its door facing the enemy. This acted as a kind of advance headquarters for the front-line company.

The next thing in the rear of these scattered posts was a pair of pill-boxes--Ajax House, Battalion Headquarters; and an unnamed one adjoining, which was shared by the front and support company headquarters, "D" and "A" Companies. Ajax House was a magnificent pill-box with a side door; the other one was smaller, and with a door facing the Germans.

Behind Battalion Headquarters came the main line of resistance, Posts "D," "E," "H," and "J," small redoubts organized for all-round resistance; while the counter-attack party of two platoons was considerably farther back at Vee Bend. After about an hour's march back along the duck-boards you came to the reserve company at Gruytezeele, Craonne, and Montmirail Farms; while "C" Company were even more distant, at Lapin Farm. As regards the latter, who were in rear of Brigade Headquarters, it was only after great difficulty that any accommodation could be found for them at all, the fact being that we were much stronger than the 7th Buffs, whom we were relieving.

The relief march up to Battalion Headquarters passed without incident, except for a sudden burst of "whizz-bangs" at Les Cinque Chemins, where, but for the extreme muddiness of the surrounding country, we might have sustained serious casualties. In point of fact, no one was hit with anything worse than lumps of thick mud. The front line company, having now to quit the duck-boards, found their task far from easy. The only key to the situation was a tape line to the various posts, and the going in the Houthulst Forest for those destined for that point was extremely trying. In spite of the heavy shell fire, this was still a large forest; but the number of fallen trees and branches, together with deep pools of mud and water, not to mention miscellaneous stretches of unexpected barbed wire, presented in the dark obstacles to progress of no mean order. At midnight the relief was finally complete, and the 7th Buffs made their way out.

With the exception of the two days in the line in front of Langemarck, the conditions for the men in the front line were probably as unpleasant as at any time in France. The shell-hole posts were literally shell-holes, with the very minimum done to improve them as habitations for six or seven men. The exact locality of the respective British and German front lines was to either side somewhat vague, and we were anxious that the men should not give away their positions by elaborating their shell-holes to such an extent that they would be obviously artificial when examined on an aeroplane photograph. The comfort of this form of abode will be better appreciated when one realizes that the best pattern had been deepened to allow of a sump pit in the centre, across which duck-boards had been fixed to keep the inhabitants above water level. No movement was possible in daylight even in the vicinity of Battalion Headquarters. "Tommy cookers" were allowed in the front line by day, and one man at a time was allowed to smoke.

In the forest itself conditions were slightly better, though the wretched breastworks erected for the protection of the posts were only hurdles of the flimsiest description. The proximity, or the reverse, of the enemy was quite uncertain, and the surrounding mass of gloomy trees and undergrowth was calculated to produce a feeling of considerable uneasiness in the minds of the occupants, which was hardly to be wondered at.

Colombo House was a small pill-box with a large door facing the enemy. The atmosphere within baffles all description. So bad, indeed, was it that the Regimental Sergeant-Major, immediately after entering it, had hastily to withdraw for the purpose of being violently sick. Ajax, on the other hand, never reached quite such a condition. It was a large concrete erection, with walls and roof of reinforced concrete about eight feet thick, much scarred with direct hits, but quite sound. It was square, with a doorway at the side which was protected by a sand-bag wall. In the centre was a huge concrete pillar supporting the roof, and round this the occupants sat on forms. On this occasion the party consisted of the Commanding Officer, Adjutant, and the Intelligence Officer, the Regimental Sergeant-Major, a cook and a servant, six signallers, three gunner signallers, two wireless operators, and some runners. Here we sat from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There were two bunks in the corner which we shared in turn, and we had two Primus stoves for cooking purposes. The Company Headquarters next door was also a strong pill-box, but owing to the door facing the enemy it had to be entered and quitted after dark with great caution, for fear the light should shine towards the Germans.

In the early hours of the morning, after relief, it began to freeze. In a short while everything was as hard as iron, and remained so all the time we were in. Except for the acute cold, frost was perhaps not an unmixed evil; one could move about with comparative ease, and everything was hard and dry, instead of soft and sodden. Dry cold is always less insidious than damp cold, and that there was so little sickness caused by this tour was due to the frost. However, it seriously interfered with the wiring programme and the elaborate arrangements made for the improvement of the positions by the addition of small elephants, etc., which we arranged to be sent up. Salvage was abundant, thousands of pounds' worth of Lewis gun drums, machine guns, and other material being scattered in every direction, but it was frozen so hard that only a small quantity was eventually retrieved. Hot tea and stew were brought up nightly on mules to Battalion Headquarters. It was carried in petrol-tins placed in haversacks and packed round with hay. In spite of the four hours which the party took coming from the Quartermaster's stores, the system of packing stood the test, and gave the men in the line the great benefit of warm drinks and warm food. During the night everyone took the maximum amount of exercise possible to restore the circulation. Even the stuffy atmosphere of a pill-box did not keep one warm, and by day it was necessary to wear two sand-bags over each foot to prevent them being reduced to a frozen condition. Each morning, as so often happens during a sharp frost, there was a heavy white mist till the sun got well up. During this time movement about the sector was comparatively safe, though very slippery, and tours of the line by Brigade and Battalion Staffs generally took place about this time. On one occasion the Commanding Officer and Lieutenant Huntley, going round, made so much noise through merriment over the sudden fall of Captain Patteson on a frozen shell-hole, that the Germans opened rapid fire with "minnies," fortunately without any damage being done. They shelled certain spots regularly--Les Cinque Chemins, "J" Post, Battalion Headquarters, and a few other localities.

Egypt House, the 2/5th K.L.R. Headquarters, dropped in for frequent bursts; and the efforts of a siege gunner to range on the White Chateau from our Headquarters produced such violent retaliation on Egypt House that we had in common decency to request him to desist.

On December 19th "C" Company relieved "D" Company in the front line, and "B" Company relieved "A" Company in support. This movement was completed at 9.25 p.m. "A" Company had some gas casualties on the way back, the track being twice shelled; and Captain Bowring, having to put on his small box-respirator for the second time, was disgusted to find that the valve was frozen solid. He tore it off and pulled on his "P.H." helmet, only to find that he had got it back to front. Next moment he fell into a shell-hole, so, pulling off the helmet, he ran for all he was worth down the duck-boards, and escaped anything worse than a slight touch of sickness. The next afternoon a carrying party of "C" Company near Koekuit was caught in a "crash," and six men killed. The destructive area of a shell striking frozen ground is, as may be supposed, very considerable.

Lieutenant Freeman, the Transport Officer, and his mules had several experiences in their nightly visit to the line, the most amusing being the short cut over the Broembeek which he attempted one night. The mules were got over the single plank bridge without difficulty, but after the bridge had been duly crossed it was found that the party was on an island from which there was no other exit. Time had been wasted during this operation, and when the party once more reached the plank bridge dawn was not very far distant. Gladly, however, as the mules had crossed the bridge in the first instance, now they one and all refused to venture on it. Everything was tried, but without success, and Lieutenant Freeman began to see himself revealed to the attentive gunner when daylight should disclose his unlucky situation. Eventually recourse was had to one of our own batteries, and after long and arduous efforts on the part of all concerned the mules were persuaded to cross the bridge.

On December 21st the battalion was relieved by the 2/7th K.L.R. "D" Company completed their relief at twelve noon, but the handing over of the line was not effected till 9.30 p.m. The 2/7th K.L.R. took over with a new scheme of defence, the main principle of which was that the strength of the front line garrison was increased to six platoons.

It was a long and weary march back to Canal Bank, but the enemy left Clarges Street alone, confining his attention to Hunter Street, the next track, which he shelled persistently.

The next day, about 4 p.m., the Germans carried out a raid on Turenne Crossing, in the right battalion area. We were suddenly startled by the sight of the S.O.S. signals going up--two reds and a white--and next moment our guns opened. The number of S.O.S. signals covered such a front that a stand-to was ordered, but before long we discovered that it was only a raid. However, the 2/5th K.L.R. had to send up two companies, and our luck in having taken Canal Bank instead of Baboon Camp stood us in good stead.

Our stay at Canal Bank was a short one, for which no one was particularly sorry, for, if better than Baboon Camp, it was still a miserable spot. On Christmas Day we were relieved by the 2/9th K.L.R., and moved to Emile Camp, near Elverdinghe, where we found some really comfortable huts in which we happily installed ourselves. Christmas Day, from the weather point of view, proved a model of all that it should have been. Everything was covered with snow, and the sun shone in a brilliant blue sky. Owing to our anticipation that we should be in the line on Christmas Day, little preparation had been made for dinners till the very last minute, when Captain Smith, the newly arrived Quartermaster, by almost superhuman energy, succeeded at last in buying a pig. This made on Boxing Day a pleasant, if somewhat limited, addition to the rations, which, together with plum puddings, and a large quantity of cigarettes and toffee sent by the generous donors to our Comforts Fund, made quite a good Christmas dinner. Huts were decorated, and good humour abounded.

We now discovered that we were leaving Flanders again and returning to Armentières, a very unexpected piece of news. We also discovered that we were to go by road, which, in fine cold weather, appeared quite a pleasant prospect. However, a thaw, followed by a frost, rather altered our opinion, and when we moved off at 8.30 a.m. on December 29th from Canada area, close to Proven, we found it almost impossible to stand, and even more impossible to march. We moved off, therefore, with many a slip and fall; but the only serious disaster was an accident to the officers' mess-cart, resulting in a broken shaft and a very long delay to that most valuable portion, from the officers' point of view, of the transport. Our camps, which we did not find without considerable difficulty, were called Poodle and Pitchett, and were both most wretched affairs, with indifferent tents set amid a wilderness of snow. The Medical Officer, Lieutenant Gordon, a newly arrived American, reached the camp in a state of considerable exhaustion. Imagining that he was to ride, he had donned an immense fleece-lined overcoat which reached to his ankles. Riding, of course, was an impossibility, and being somewhat new to marching, he had suffered considerably, but he bore his affliction with the utmost good humour.

The next day (December 30th) we moved on again. The weather, from being bright and frosty, was now raw and damp, with a partial thaw. As our road lay over the Mont des Cats and past Meteren, the conditions were particularly trying, and everyone was thoroughly tired when we reached billets at Berthen. Here companies were widely scattered, and the billets of a very varying quality.

The next day we resumed our march, and this was the most trying of all. The road was frozen again and intensely slippery. We moved as a Brigade, and, owing to a misunderstanding, no proper halts occurred for the first two hours, which was a thoroughly bad arrangement, especially under the existing conditions. After passing through Bailleul we eventually arrived at 1.45 p.m., at Hollebeque Camp, near Steenwerck, just vacated by the Australians. It is worth recording that throughout these three trying days not a single man fell out and not a single vehicle failed to complete the journey. Hollebeque Camp, for a summer camp, would have been quite pleasant. In winter it was very far from comfortable. It was composed of one big block of Nissen huts for the men, while on the other side of the field stood a row of similar huts for the officers. A large number of the huts had been stripped of their wooden linings for firewood; they were badly put together and draughty beyond words; and there was an almost complete absence of any of the normal furniture of camps, such as lamps, tables, etc., nor were these readily procurable. However, beyond finding it extremely cold, we had little time to worry, as next evening we relieved the 36th Battalion A.I.F. in our old Houplines sector. As far as Erquinghem the route was more or less new, but from then onward it was very familiar both to officers and men. It was a queer sensation picking up the old landmarks and noting the changes. Armentières looked very strange and ghostly in the moonlight, and the silence of absolute desolation was accentuated by the deep snow. Silently we passed through the deserted streets; everything seemed uncannily quiet after the noise and excitement that had been everyday features of our last spell in this city. Not a shot was fired as we moved along that "unhealthy" stretch from Barbed Wire Square to Tissage Dump, and we felt that the enemy must be saving up for some tremendous show, as he was at the moment so inactive.

The moonlight and our knowledge of the ground together made short work of the relief, which was complete at 8.30 p.m. The company sectors were allotted as follows: "A" on the right from London Road to fifty yards beyond Timaru, "B" from there to Edmeads Avenue, inclusive. "D" Company occupied the left, and "C" was in the subsidiary line.

We found the sector in its essential features very much as we had left it, except that considerable work had been expended on the subsidiary line, which now formed a very fine trench, with really good traverses. Except for that improvement, however, the sector generally had greatly deteriorated. The principle of gaps and localities, which had always tended to the neglect of the rest of the trenches, had now reduced the latter to a lamentable state of disrepair. The number of posts in the front line was only seven, and these of a very miserable description from the defensive point of view. Such lateral connecting trenches as had existed had been allowed to fall in, and in the case of the two left posts communication even from the rear was difficult at night and precarious by day. No wire worth speaking of had been erected to defend these isolated spots, and altogether the sector presented no very satisfactory appearance. The left area between No. 7 Post and the River Lys, being frozen hard, presented a perfectly good concealed approach for the enemy, and nothing had been done to deal with this exposed flank.

The garrison of the subsidiary line consisted of three companies, two being found by the battalion in support.

Our first tour in the line proved of the quietest. A few "pineapples" from the enemy, a few 6-inch mortars from us, and an occasional shell, made up the daily round. On January 6th we received urgent demands from the authorities for an identification, and two patrols were sent out to try and effect this. Of these, Lieutenant Burton's party got right into the German wire opposite Hobbs Farm before they were spotted, when they had to beat a hasty retreat under considerable fire from machine guns and "pineapples." The other patrol was equally unlucky. In the meantime a deserter had very considerately given himself up to No. 1 Post ("A" Company). He was a Prussian, but recently transferred to the division opposite us. He was understood to have complained that he had considerable difficulty in finding anyone in the sector to whom he might surrender. As he had brought the whole of his kit with him, his solitary peregrination of our sector may well have been tiring. However, Division sent a car to take him down, which rather tactlessly ran into a ditch, nearly killing our valuable "find" and his escort as well.

On January 7th we were relieved by the 2/7th K.L.R., and the battalion, after a somewhat complicated shuffle, found themselves holding the subsidiary line--"A" and "C" in Epinette, and "B" and "D" in Houplines sectors respectively. Battalion Headquarters moved out to billets by the Armentières Level Crossing on the Erquinghem road. One interesting innovation that may be mentioned here was the Pioneer Platoon, recently started under Lieutenant J. R. Paul, and then taken over by Lieutenant Jones. This consisted of about twenty men, and included the original pioneers and a number of other skilled men. It was their business to attend to all the minor construction work that promoted the comfort of the battalion, such as improving billets, making ovens, drying rooms, etc.; and in the line to carry out any special defensive work which required something more than ordinary care and skill. They were rather a drain on our fighting strength, but they more than justified their existence in a hundred different ways.

One or two changes had recently occurred also in officers. Lieutenant Gordon had been relieved by Captain Kidston as Medical Officer; Captain Eccles had returned from England and taken over "B" Company from Acting-Captain Broad; Acting-Captain Fell had now command of "D" Company; Lieutenant Burton was Battalion Scout Officer, Lieutenant Hazell Intelligence Officer, 2nd-Lieutenant Novelle Signalling Officer; 2nd-Lieutenant Brighouse had been wounded; and Lieutenant Adam returned to the 1/6th K.L.R., in exchange for Captain Eccles.

The period spent in the subsidiary line was very quiet, except for the large wiring parties on the left, for which men were drawn from all the reserve companies. Parties were also withdrawn from the trenches for Lewis gun instruction, and others for baths. The Commanding Officer proceeded on leave on January 8th, which left Captain C. W. Wilson in command.

An amusing incident occurred while Headquarters was in billets by the level-crossing. A guard was posted there to stop anyone not in possession of a pass, and it so happened that they had red flashes behind the cap badge not dissimilar to ours. One day we received from Brigade a letter from Division complaining that the sentry at the level-crossing had not turned out the guard to the G.O.C., but merely sloped arms and tapped the sling. This amused us not a little, and we respectfully replied, first, that we had no guard at the level-crossing, and, secondly, that under no circumstances would a rifleman slope arms!

A draft consisting of 2nd-Lieutenant Hicks and twenty men arrived while we were here, most of the men being returned casualties. On January 13th the battalion was relieved by the 2/10th K.L.R., and moved back to Hollebeque Camp. The first three days in camp saw the whole battalion out on wiring and working parties, day and night, in the Houplines sector. This meant at least an hour and a half's march each way, and it simply streamed with rain. The men were required to complete an elaborate system of wiring in rear of the subsidiary line and in front of some pill-boxes, and also to finish other defences which were being constructed in Nouvel Houplines itself. The nights were of the blackest, and the organization the most inefficient; with the result that six hours were wasted nightly in the most torrential rain. Fuel was indented for and drying-rooms hastily instituted, but the men got so soaked that it was impossible to dry their garments. Fortunately, after our share of working parties was finished, we had three quiet days in which to get dry. We should have had more, only the Lys proceeded to flood the trenches, and the Liverpool Scottish had a bad time. The Scots were nearly drowned, and we were ordered in early to relieve them.

The relief was to take place on January 21st, and that morning Captain Wilson, who had been unwell for some days, was at last removed to hospital seriously ill, and the Adjutant assumed command. The route to the line was viâ Nieppe and Pont de Nieppe, as the Erquinghem Bridge was under water. The battalion moved off at 2 p.m. and proceeded on their long trek to the line. Passing up the road to Pont de Nieppe, it was rather amusing to see some "silent" 6-inch batteries lying like little islands in the sea, with their camouflage showing up beyond any possible hope of concealment. Companies halted one by one in Armentières to put on gum-boots, and an elaborate system of dumps had been arranged in the vicinity of Tissage Dump. The latter, like most complicated systems, proved a failure. Relief was complete at 8.30 p.m., and then one had an opportunity to appreciate the state of the sector. The subsidiary line was dry in the main, but immediately forward of it you got into water, which as you went forward got well over the knees, and in places where the duck-boards were not nailed down you sank up to the top of your thighs. The whole of the support line was knee-deep in water, and so was a great part of the front line; while the last stretch of communication trench in front of the front line was flooded to a considerable depth. Posts Nos. 6 and 7 were completely flooded out and had to be abandoned. The "cricket field" in front of the left company support line was converted into a very fine lake, and it was impossible to see where the Lys began and ended. Movement throughout the sector was most difficult. Many of the duck-boards were floating about, and the mud at the bottom of the water in the trenches was very difficult to negotiate.

Active steps were taken to cope with the situation. Stringent orders were issued as to care of feet, and a place for foot washing was arranged at Tissage Dump. Each man came down daily, changed his gum-boots and socks, washed his feet, and had some hot soup. Men in the front line were, as far as possible, changed daily. Extra duck-boards were taken up, so that raised platforms could be erected clear of the water; and hot food was sent up as often as feasible. So successful were our efforts, and so effective the support given to our schemes by all ranks, that only two men were affected by foot trouble. The position of companies in the line was "C," "A," "B" from the right; "D" Company was in the subsidiary line. Work on drainage was commenced with great activity, and snipers, who had been warned to be especially on the alert, claimed several hits on Germans climbing over collapsed portions of their trenches. On January 22nd the Divisional Commander visited the sector to examine conditions for himself.

The only anxiety felt in regard to the enemy arose from our temporary abandonment of our left company front. This was on the near side of a plateau of which the enemy held the farther side; and it would have seriously affected our hold on our sector if he had taken it into his head to occupy our old posts. Patrols visited their locality almost continuously at night and fired Véry lights and occasional rounds. By day our absence was more conspicuous, as No. 7 Post at this time was a regular rendezvous for wild duck, who used to swim in and out of it with great nonchalance.

One problem that was raised during this tour was the question of the holding of the brigade front when the forthcoming reduction of a brigade to three battalions took effect; and the possibility of holding the front with two companies instead of three had to be carefully investigated.

On the 24th the battalion was relieved by the 2/7th K.L.R., and moved into billets in Armentières, with Battalion Headquarters at the Convent. Colonel Fletcher, having returned from leave, resumed command of the battalion.

On February 1st the long-expected dissolution of the 2/5th K.L.R. took place simultaneously with the reduction of the number of battalions on the Western Front. A large number were posted to the 13th Battalion K.L.R., but the 2/7th K.L.R. and ourselves shared the balance, our share consisting of seven officers and 180 other ranks. This was a considerable accession of strength, though a large portion of it was paper strength and not actual. But at any rate Captain Williams, 2nd-Lieutenants Wilson, Hooper, Jacobs, and a little later Thomas, actually materialized, together with a considerable number of men, including certain specialists, in which, owing to the loss of our Headquarters Staff at Armentières, we had long been deficient. Amongst them were a sergeant-bootmaker, Sergeant Cox, of the 1st King's, and a sergeant-cook, Sergeant Austin, from the London District School of Cookery.

The presence of these two men was of very great value to the battalion, because, though an army is said to "march on its stomach," it is equally true that it marches on its boots, and both stomachs and boots were now amply provided for. Wilson, Hooper, and Jacobs were posted to "C" Company. The arrangements for the acclimatization and fitting out of the draft had to be done quickly, as the next day we once more relieved the Scottish in the front line.

This relief was duly carried out by 8.35 p.m. Two companies only were to hold the front and support lines, "C" on the right, "D" on the left; while "A" and "B" manned the subsidiary line. The sector, though still very wet, had much improved since we were last in. All the trenches forward of the subsidiary line were, it is true, to some extent under water, but not to any depth, and dry standings were available in every post.

The tour was quiet in all respects, with just the normal amount of casual shelling on either side, but nothing more. A visit from seven R.F.C. officers afforded a slight comic relief. Only one had ever been in the trenches before, and most of them were unprovided with either respirators or tin hats. One tall officer caused considerable amusement by walking the whole length of the subsidiary line doubled up, till he realized at last that inflicting such discomfort on himself was entirely unnecessary. His fears, however, were probably mild compared with those of an infantryman making a trial trip in an aeroplane over German territory.

We were relieved on February 5th by the 2/7th K.L.R., and took over new dispositions as reserve battalion to the Brigade. Two companies remained in the subsidiary line of the 2/7th and 8th K.L.R., a third being in Nouvel Houplines itself, and another at the Jute Factory in Armentières. Headquarters were at the Convent as before. On February 7th "B" Company were relieved in the subsidiary line by a company of the 2/7th K.L.R., who had just completed a successful raid on our old spot at Centaur Trench, and moved to the Jute Factory. This was a fine large building close to the wooden bridge over the Lys, with massive walls and concrete floors. In the cellars tiers of bunks had been erected, and there was excellent shell-proof cover for a whole battalion.

The next day the 2/7th K.L.R. relieved us in reserve, and we went to Pont de Nieppe in Divisional Reserve.

The main attraction at the time was a "demonstration platoon" of another regiment which was on tour. All the officers and N.C.Os. were required to go and see this performance, but the distance was great and the display not above the average. However, it fired the Commanding Officer with enthusiasm to produce something better, in order that the battalion might have ocular proof how admirably drill and similar things can be carried out if the requisite trouble is taken.

The billets in Pont de Nieppe were indescribably dirty, and a great deal of work had to be done in cleaning and improving them. The Pioneer Platoon were invaluable in making ovens and other even more necessary conveniences; and their services were also required to repair and adapt some dilapidated rifle ranges. Units of the 38th Division, too, were in Pont de Nieppe, and the band of one of the battalions used to play daily in the streets, whence it was quite audible in the front line. However, the enemy was very good to us, and never put a shell into the place, which, considering that most of the houses were cellar-less, was on the whole, perhaps, as well for us. An attempt was made at this time to force us to change our green diamond for the green square previously used by the 2/5th K.L.R., but happily we were able to prevent this.

On February 11th we relieved the 8th K.L.R. in Houplines, and occupied those trenches, so rich in memories for the battalion, for the last time. "B" Company occupied the right sector, "A" the left sector, and "C" and "D" the subsidiary line. We found the trenches much improved as regards water, but still in need of most urgent attention to prevent a complete collapse of all breastworks. Except for one or two angry bursts on Tissage Dump, the enemy was exceedingly quiet; and at 8.45 p.m. on February 14th, the first anniversary of our departure for France, we handed over to the 13th Welch and said good-bye to Houplines. Of the many men who served with the battalion, few, if any, will look back on Houplines without some feeling akin to affection. Tissage Dump, the Cemetery, Edmeads or Hobbs Farm, Cambridge, Irish or Spain Avenues--what memories these names conjure up! Some happy, some tragic, but all happily tempered now by the softening touch of years.

We spent from February 15th to March 1st in reserve at Pont de Nieppe, engaged in strengthening the defences of Armentières and the River Lys. This work the 38th Division had already commenced, and we took it up where they left off. About 260 men per day were employed in digging and wiring, and a great deal was achieved against the day when the great German offensive should commence. Unfortunately, we learnt afterwards that no men were available to hold our trenches, which in the end caused little, if any, inconvenience to the enemy, as perhaps was not unnatural. These great working parties did not end without a certain amount of friction developing with the R.E., and a memorable meeting took place at Headquarters between the Commanding Officer, the C.R.E., and the G.S.O.1. So warm grew the discussion that a considerable quantity of Benedictine had eventually to be consumed in order to restore that feeling of harmonious co-operation on which the text-books dwell so persistently.

The demonstration platoon composed of riflemen was trained during this period, and really reached a very high pitch of efficiency by the time it was called upon to exhibit its powers to the battalion.

On February 27th, about 9.30 p.m., we received a message from the 38th Division, warning us that it was understood that a German offensive was to start up north at dawn, and that a barrage was to be put down on Pont de Nieppe as a feint. This encouraging piece of information caused a considerable stir. Arrangements, of course, had to be made for the speedy evacuation of billets, should it be found necessary; and also for providing some cover for Battalion Headquarters, which would have to remain in position, bombardment or no bombardment. Fortunately, nothing happened, and the night proved as quiet as any other.

Captain Ormrod left us on the 20th for six months' home service in England, whither Lieutenant Goulding had already preceded him, and Lieutenant Royle was soon to follow. Everyone thought the war would be over before they were due to return. As a matter of fact, Royle, the last to go and the only one to return, did rejoin before the Armistice.

About 1.30 p.m., on a fine cold day, we embussed for St. Hilaire, arriving there about 4.30 p.m. All were glad to find themselves back in this pleasant area again after a good spell of trench warfare and our fair share of digging. No one anticipated much of a rest; in point of fact, everyone expected lots of work, as we were to be polished up and trained in view of the impending German offensive. The Commanding Officer was full of zeal for modern methods of training. His enthusiasm had been fired by the training theories of the Inspector-General of Training. The principle was to sustain interest by constant variety, and also to sharpen the intellect by lightning changes from (say) close order drill to bombing, or from rifle exercises to physical drill. With really efficient instructors in sufficient numbers the scheme might have had obvious advantages. For the average battalion, however, it was hardly practicable, though it certainly did inspire our men with a brisk and business-like air which they had been in danger of losing. St. Hilaire presented very reasonable training areas and ranges. Moreover, the Corps Staff Officer responsible for training combined enthusiasm with efficiency, both qualities of some rarity. Things moved apace under the personal supervision of the Commanding Officer, who spared no one, least of all himself, in his efforts to increase the efficiency of the battalion.

On March 8th General Harper, the Corps Commander, inspected the Brigade and presented decorations. Luckily, it was a very fine day, and the march past of the battalion in column of fours after the ceremony was warmly praised by the General, who was good enough to say that "he had never seen a regular battalion march better." Two days later a select party of officers and N.C.Os. were conveyed a great distance by motor lorry to Enguinegatte to see a tank demonstration, which was quite instructive, and ended in a more amusing performance in the shape of joy rides. It was arranged that the Brigade should participate the following week in a counter-attack scheme in co-operation with tanks, and a G.O.C.'s inspection was also scheduled for that week.

However, late on Sunday night--or, more accurately, early on Monday morning--March 10th, a warning "chit" arrived from Brigade intimating an early move by motor bus. Sudden moves are always tiresome; indeed, when out in "rest" that adjective is hardly strong enough. Everything conceivable had been unpacked, and in anticipation of a G.O.C.'s inspection nine-tenths of the transport was dismantled and covered with wet paint. Accordingly, word was sent round at once, and by a stroke of luck orders for an emergency move had been drawn up and circulated only the previous day, so in a short time everyone was astir. Transport men with candles in their hands were hurrying about the transport lines collecting nuts and screws; parties were streaming into the Quartermaster's stores with blankets and other gear; while others were carrying articles of various kinds to the Town Major's office.

Further orders were received during the early hours that we were to move at 8 a.m. by motor buses, the transport to proceed by road at 8.30 a.m. Looking back, one can but feel that we accomplished a very creditable performance. Everything went like clockwork; the Medical Officer, an American but recently arrived, and unused to sudden changes, alone proving not ready at the appointed time. He had forgotten to alter his watch to summer time, which started that day, and was accordingly an hour late in his movements. He was pushed into his clothes and helped into the last lorry just as the column moved off. The Brigadier then appeared on the scene, and seized upon lorries like a gentleman hailing taxis in London, with the result that all our baggage went with us, though it is to be feared that the 2/7th K.L.R. were in consequence grievously short of mechanical transport legitimately theirs.

At 11.45 a.m. the battalion debussed at Arrewage, a small hamlet in rear of Merville. The companies were widely scattered, but the billets were not bad, and the weather fine and warm. We at once received orders to be ready to move at two hours' notice. The 33⅓ per cent. battle reserve were told off, evacuation parties for civilians detailed, and we really felt that the day of the great battle was actually at hand.

The next day the G.O.C. inspected the battalion, which made a very creditable turn-out, albeit the transport was entirely coated in thick dust well embedded in what had been wet paint. In conversation with the General Staff, one learnt that a German attack was reckoned to be imminent; and arrangements for reinforcing the Portuguese, who were holding the Laventie area, were pushed forward with even more than the usual zeal. Additional Lewis guns had been issued, making the total twenty per battalion, and Major C. W. Wilson had returned from hospital.

Heavy shelling of Merville was now a daily occurrence, and the countryside, not to mention the billets, was thronged with unfortunate civilians flying for safety, surely one of the saddest sights of war. Meanwhile reconnoitring parties hurried round the Portuguese area, usually to be arrested as spies, while others went off to examine the Sailly bridgehead defences.

In spite of the prospect of early hostilities, an inter-battalion rifle competition was commenced on the miniature range in a corner of the great Forêt de Nieppe, and was finally won by No. 14 Platoon of "D" Company. A Brigade inter-platoon football competition was also started.

An amusing incident of this rather trying period occurred at XI Corps Headquarters, where our guard of riflemen relieved the old guard, which had been formed from a Line Battalion. The Corps Sergeant-Major expended considerable effort in trying to effect a formal relief between the two, but got so involved over sloping arms and fixing bayonets that he finally left the two guard commanders to come to some natural and more satisfactory arrangement.

Meanwhile officers and N.C.Os. proceeded daily to Sailly area, not only to explore the defences, but to seek out a suitable place for a training ground for a raiding party, to be composed of "A" and "C" Companies, under Captains Bowring and Williams.

On March 20th Regimental Sergeant-Major Smith left the battalion to join an Officers' Cadet Battalion, and in due course Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant Heyworth took over the appointment.

The move to the Sailly area took place on the famous March 21st. We were quite unaware of the stirring events taking place farther south, though trouble was manifestly in the air. The route was viâ Neuf Berquin and Estaires, and our main interest was whether the enemy would or would not shell the road. Fortunately, he did not. We left at 8.15 a.m., and arrived in time for dinner. The 7th Royal Sussex Regiment marched out as we marched in.

Immediately on arrival companies proceeded to occupy for instruction their various defensive positions. In addition to this, the Brigade might, as an alternative, be called upon to occupy a defensive position in rear of the 2nd Portuguese Division, or the line Cockshy House--Laventie Post, etc. Officers had to be despatched to these to learn the emergency routes.

These posts, like the Sailly bridgehead defences, were mostly incomplete, and much work would have been required from the occupants in the short time that would have elapsed before an advancing enemy had come to grips with them. The Sailly defences had a fair reserve of ammunition, but no rations or water.

The next day a working party of 100 men was digging feverishly in the neighbourhood of Fleurbaix, while "A" and "C" Companies were marking out the trace of the practice trenches for their raid.

On March 23rd we received orders that we were to take over our old Fleurbaix sector, and officers proceeded thither accordingly. In the afternoon the final of the Inter-Battalion Football Competition took place between No. 5 Platoon of "B" Company and a platoon of the 2/7th K.L.R., which the former won by three goals to nil.

On March 25th "all leave and courses cancelled" was received, and rumours of doings in the south became more persistent. The local civilians were also becoming frightened, and carts full of refugees streamed along the roads leading to the rear. The Germans shelled Sailly at night occasionally, but did no real damage.

Word now came that the 12th Division, which had taken our place in reserve, had been rushed south, and we found ourselves with the possibility before us of not only reinforcing the Portuguese, but of holding Sailly bridgehead at the same time. Nothing however, happened, and on the evening of March 26th we relieved the 1/5th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in our old Fleurbaix sector. All maps and schemes, we found, had been destroyed, and the imminence of an attack, though less acute than a day or so previously, still appeared a matter for serious consideration. Wye Farm we found transformed into a magnificent and palatial pill-box, while others were dotted about the country. The sector also extended farther north than it had done when we previously held it.

It was arranged that "A" and "C" Companies should be in front and support on the right, to enable their men to reconnoitre the area to be raided; and that we should only hold the line for three days to begin with, so as to enable the raiding party to get sufficient training. The tour was not marked by anything of particular moment. "A" Company's Headquarters were subjected to a very considerable bombardment, but luckily without casualties. The efforts of a 6-inch howitzer battery to cut our wire cost us our proposed raid headquarters, and very nearly the lives of the Forward Observation Officer and Lieutenant Hazell, our Intelligence Officer, as well. The enemy wore an air of quietness of a suspicious character, although Intelligence said that the divisions recently concentrated opposite this front had all gone down to the Somme. We had no casualties.

On March 29th the Irish took over from us, and our battalion moved out--Headquarters and "B" Company to Fleurbaix, "D" Company to Canteen Farm in reserve to the front line, and "A" and "C" to Sailly to continue their training. A special telephone was laid to the latter in case of emergency.

Battalion Headquarters and "B" Company were all congregated in a set of farm buildings, which, had the enemy attacked, would certainly have been blown to pieces at the very outset. In the absence, on leave, of Major Charles Wilson, Captain Eccles, the next senior excepting the Adjutant, was appointed O.C. Fleurbaix Defences, and included in his command certain machine guns and trench mortars.

On March 29th the raiding party was reduced from two companies to one, and the date was advanced to the 31st; and the next evening the remaining company were also told they would not be required. Two fighting patrols, under Lieutenant Burton and Corporal Corkill respectively, were sent out to try and obtain identification, but the enemy was evidently expecting a raid, as his front line was quite unoccupied. It was probably, therefore, as well that the raid had been cancelled, though we should have liked to carry it out.

Meantime all surplus stores were ordered to be sent to Estaires, and we found ourselves ready to move without the great mass of transport usually required on such occasions.

On March 31st the Second-in-Command of the 20th Middlesex Regiment arrived to look round, and told us great stories of the retreat. The next day (April 1st) they relieved us, and the battalion moved out at 10.30 p.m. on a long and weary march to Neuf Berquin. There we were joined by the men who had formed the Brigade Pioneer Company, and the battalion presented an appearance of unusual strength.