Preceded by our billeting party, which left at 5 a.m., we marched from Hardifort at 9 a.m., and, passing through Terdeghen, reached the main road at St. Sylvestre Capel, and went along it to Caestre.  On the way we met General Smith-Dorrien, our Army Commander, and while the Battalion halted he talked to all the officers, gave us some very valuable hints, and then watched the Battalion march past, having impressed us all with his wonderful kindness and charm of manner.  At Caestre we found motor buses waiting for us, and we were glad to see them, for though no one had fallen out, we were somewhat tired after marching nine miles, carrying, in addition to full marching order, blankets, sheepskin coats and some extra warm clothing.  The buses took us through Bailleul and Nieppe to Armentieres, at that time a town infested with the most appalling stinks and very full of inhabitants, although the front line trenches ran through the eastern suburbs.  Having “debussed,” we marched to le Bizet, a little village a mile north of the town, and stayed there in billets for the night.  During the evening we stood outside our billets, gazed at the continuous line of flares and listened to the rifle fire, imagining in our innocence that there must be a terrific battle with so many lights.

The next day our instruction started, and for four days we worked hard, trying to learn all we could about trench warfare from the 12th Brigade, to whom we were attached.  While some went off to learn grenade throwing, a skilled science in those days when there was no Mills but only the “stick” grenades, others helped dig back lines of defence and learned the mysteries of revetting under the Engineers.  Each platoon spent 24 hours in the line with a platoon either of the Essex Regt., King’s Own or Lancashire Fusiliers, who were holding the sector from “Plugstreet” to Le Touquet Station.  It was a quiet sector except for rifle fire at night, and it was very bad luck that during our first few hours in trenches we lost 2nd Lieut.  G. Aked, who was killed by a stray bullet in the front line.  There was some slight shelling of back areas with “Little Willies,” German field gun shells, but these did no damage, and gave us in consequence a useful contempt for this kind of projectile.  Trench mortars were not yet invented, and we were spared all heavy shells, so that, when on the 9th we left Armentieres, we felt confident that trenches, though wet and uncomfortable, were not after all so very dreadful, and that, if at any time we should be asked to hold the line, we should acquit ourselves with credit.

Our next home was the dirty little village of Strazeele, which we reached by march route, and where we found Lieut.  E.G.  Langdale who rejoined us, having finished his disembarkation duties.  Here we occupied five large farm houses, all very scattered and very smelly, the smelliest being Battalion Headquarters, called by Major Martin “La Ferme de L’Odeur affreuse.”  The Signalling officer attempted