“Brigade Support” now consisted of the Headquarters and two Companies in Sailly Labourse, the remainder at Windy Corner near Factory Dug-outs.  To this last area went Major Griffiths and the Right Half Battalion.  They had an unpleasant time and were more than once heavily shelled, on one occasion having a narrow escape.  The officers were sitting in a dug-out when an armour piercing field gun shell passed through the roof and out of the door, hurting no one.  Major Griffiths and 2nd Lieut.  Dunlop received slight scratches, as also did Adams, one of the batmen, but no serious damage was done.  After four days of this, the 5th Lincolnshires relieved us, and we marched to Beuvry to be in Divisional Reserve.  While here, the new Battalion distinguishing marks arrived from England, and were taken into use—­a half-inch yellow ring, two inches in diameter—­worn just under the shoulder on the sleeve.  They were rather bright at first, and earned us the name (amongst other ruder epithets) of the “Corn-plasters.”

On arrival at Beuvry we were told that the Major General would inspect us at Fouquieres two days later, the 22nd of March.  This was considerably more alarming than the prospect of the German offensive, and we at once started training, cleaning equipment, and revising our platoon organisation.  Meanwhile, the offensive did begin in the South, and the Boche on the morning of the 22nd actually launched a big raid against the Divisional front.  However, the Inspection was not postponed, as we had hoped, and for several hours we performed at Fouquieres.  Our ceremonial was by no means bad, considering we had done none for months it was very good, but what most pleased General Thwaites was our organization.  In vain he tried to find mistakes.  Soldier after soldier was asked “Who is your Section Commander?” “Who takes charge if he is killed?” “When will it be your turn to take charge?” etc. etc., and soldier after soldier answered promptly and correctly.  The result was a good word for all of us, and we went back to billets much relieved and feeling quite elated.

Meanwhile, the morning’s raid had left a prisoner in our hands, and he had now caused about as much sensation as one man could, by stating quite definitely that the Boche would attack from the la Bassee Canal to “Hill 70” on the 25th of March with three Divisions.  We went into the Cambrin sector again on the 24th, this time with three Companies in the line.  News of the disaster to the 5th Army in the South had reached us, and what with Generals coming round to pay farewell visits, and conferences every few hours, everything was as depressing as possible.  Curiously enough we were not depressed, and, though most of us regarded the attack as a certainty, the private soldiers were particularly more cheerful than usual.  Late at night we were ordered to withdraw all except the tunnel sentries from the front line, so as to minimise the casualties during the enemy’s