The enemy were not very active, although they were reported to be the 6th Bavarians, “Prince Rupprecht’s Specials.”  An occasional patrol was met, and our parties were sometimes bombed, but on the whole the Boche confined his energies to machine gun fire at night, scattered shelling at any time, and heavy trench mortaring, mostly by day.  Fortunately there was not much mortaring at night, and what there was we managed to avoid by carefully watching the line of flight, as betrayed by the burning fuse.  These heavy mortar shells with their terrific explosion and enormous crater were very terrifying, and few soldiers could face them with the indifference shown to other missiles.  One exception was them with the utmost scorn, and used to fire “rapid” with a rifle at them, as they came through the air.

All this time the system of holding the Brigade sector was to have two Battalions in the line, one in Brigade support, and one resting at Fouquieres.  Thus, one rested every eighteen days for six days, while one’s trench tour was broken by six days in the middle in Brigade support.  This last meant Battalion Headquarters and two Companies in Philosophe, the remainder in Curly Crescent, a support trench several hundred yards behind O.B.1.  Philosophe was a dirty place, but had the advantage of being much less shelled than the neighbouring Vermelles, and we were not much molested.

Fouquieres was always pleasant.  The Chateau and its tennis court and grounds made a delightful Battalion Headquarters, and the Companies had very comfortable billets in the village.  We played plenty of football, and were within easy reach of Bethune, at this time a very fashionable town.  The 25th Divisional Pierrots occupied the theatre which was packed nightly, and the Club, the “Union Jack” Shop, and other famous establishments, not to mention the “Oyster Shop,” provided excellent fare at wonderfully exorbitant prices.

During these three months we received many new officers, some of them staying for a few days before passing on to Tank Corps, Flying Corps, or Machine Gun Corps, others proving themselves worthy of our best traditions.  One party in particular, 2nd.  Lieuts.  F.G.  Taylor, H.C.  Davies, G.K.  Dunlop, and W.R.  Todd, provided four who came to stay, a very valuable asset, when so many merely looked in for tea and then went away.  Others who came to fight were 2nd Lieuts.  W. Norman, A.J.  Mace, J.S.  Argyle, C.D.  Boarland, J.G.  Christy, A. Asher, A.M.  Edwards, and, later, Lieut.  P. Measures, who had been with us in 1916 for a few weeks.  Col.  Trimble and Capt.  Moore each had a month’s leave, and Major Griffiths, after commanding during the Colonel’s absence, went to Aldershot for a three months’ course.  Capt.  Burnett became 2nd in Command with the acting rank of Major.  Capt.  Hills, the Adjutant, returned from England and resumed his duties, while Captain Wollaston took charge of “B” Company for a short time, and then went to the Army School, where he stayed