left half Battalion cook-house was blown in, and Serjeant Growdridge of “D” Company was killed, while several others were wounded.  In Serjeant Growdridge, “D” Company lost a most capable platoon Serjeant, the leader of many a daring and successful patrol, and of the highest courage in battle.  On the 20th of January we were relieved by the 11th Division, and, after spending one night in Beuvry, marched through Bethune to Busnettes, between Chocques and Lillers, for a long rest.

We stayed at Busnettes for three weeks, training and playing games, and doing our best to recover from the ill effects of tunnels and wet trenches.  Our training was carried out on various areas round Chocques and Allouagne, and near the latter was a good rifle range, over which we practised for the Associated Rifle Association (A.R.A.) Competition.  This competition was for a platoon, and included rifle and Lewis gun shooting and bayonet fighting, fire discipline and control, and the general principles of the advance.  The platoon had to fire at various ranges, advancing from one to the other, and bayoneting sacks on the way.  There were Battalion, Brigade, and Divisional Competitions, and to the Divisional winners the A.R.A. were to present silver medals.  In the Battalion competition, No. 1 Platoon of “A” Company, under 2nd Lieut.  Roberts and Serjeant H. Beardsmore, was victorious, but the other competitions could not be held until February, after our next move.  Finally, this same platoon, beating the other Battalions in the Brigade, beat also the Staffordshires’ and Sherwood Foresters’ best platoons, and carried off the silver medals.

At this time there were several important changes in the Battalion.  First, we were very glad indeed to see Captains Tomson and Petch back again with us, the former to command “B,” the latter to “A” Company.  At the same time, Capt.  Barrowcliffe returned to the Royal Engineers.  Lieuts.  C.S.  Allen and R.W.  Edge went to England for six months, and 2nd Lieut.  Todd became Transport Officer.  We also received a large draft from the 2nd/5th Battalion.  Finding that it was impossible to obtain sufficient recruits to supply all the Battalions formed at the beginning of the war, each Brigade was now reduced to three Battalions, and we lost from our Brigade the 4th Lincolnshires.  In the 59th Division, the 2nd/5th Leicestershires were broken up and divided into drafts for the 4th Battalion and ourselves.  Capts.  J.A.  Ball and W.H.  Oliver, Lieuts.  S.G.H.  Steel and A.D.  Pierrepont, 2nd Lieuts.  A.B.  Bedford, H. Coxell, K. Ashdowne, and, later, A.E.  Hawley and Everett came to us, bringing with them 200 N.C.O.’s and men.  Amongst the latter were several Serjeants, one of them, Serjeant T. Marston, M.M., destined to add further laurels to the honours he had already won with the 2nd/5th.  There were also several “old hands” who returned to us, amongst them, Privates Garfield and Law of “D” Company, both original members of the 1914 Battalion.  These reinforcements enabled us to form again four platoons per Company, and we became once more a full Battalion.