Another batch of reinforcements, which arrived at Busnettes, contained several drummers of the 1st and 3rd Battalions.  We already had a few, and L/Cpl.  Perry was given the rank of Serjeant Drummer and formed a Corps of Drums.  With Drummer Price, an expert of many years’ service with the side drum, and L/Cpl.  Tyers, an old bandsman, to help him, he soon produced an excellent Corps, and all of them worked hard and keenly to make a good show.  Within a week they played us on route marches and appeared at guard-mounting.  Within two months they played at Mess, and the Fifes gave several very good concerts.

While in the Busnettes area, we were in Reserve for the 1st Army, and in case of attack were liable to be sent to support the Portuguese on the Neuve Chapelle-La Bassee front.  In case of this, the C.O. and Adjutant spent a day reconnoitering the Locon, le Hamel, le Touret area and its keeps and strong points, many of which we afterwards occupied when the Portuguese had been driven out.

On the 8th of February, we moved to Fiefs through Lillers, and the following day marched to Reclinghem in the Bomy training area.  The march took the form of a tactical field day, and we ended by taking up an outpost position on the river Lys at Reclinghem, where “B” and “D” Companies and Headquarters were billeted.  The other two Companies were at Vincly, a little more than a mile further South.  A fortnight later, to the great regret of all ranks, Colonel Currin had to leave us, after being only three months in command.  During this time we had become very fond of him, and there is no doubt that his never-failing cheerfulness, his reckless courage, and the atmosphere of “the fighting spirit” which always accompanied him, did more than anything else could have done to raise our “fighting spirit” to a high pitch.  His successor, Lieut.  Col.  G.B.G.  Wood, D.S.O., of the Lancashire Fusiliers, had commanded the 2nd/5th Battalion until he was wounded, and now, returning to France, was sent to us as his Battalion had been broken up.

Towards the end of February, the Staff became more than ever convinced that the enemy intended making a big spring offensive, and our training was devoted almost entirely to counter-attack practice and the re-taking a line of trenches which had been temporarily lost.  We had several large field days near Bomy, with this as the general idea, and would have had several more had not the Division been suddenly recalled to the line.  On the 1st March, in a snow storm, we marched to Ligny-les-Aire, and the next day moved on again to Ecquedecques, where we stayed three days.  Our billets were fairly comfortable, but there were very few for the officers; this, however, was soon righted after the first night, when we discovered many officers’ billets occupied by Serjeants of an A.S.C.  Company who were permanent “garrison” of the village.