of testing this new arrangement, for at 3-45 the following morning, orders came that the Division would be relieved the following night, and was under orders to go to the East.  As soon as it was dark, the 19th Division took our place in the line, and we marched back for the night to the Rue des Chavattes, whence, after ridding ourselves of gum-boots, sheepskin coats, and extra blankets, we marched the following day by Locon, Lestrem and Merville to Caudescure, a little village on the edge of Nieppe Forest.

We found fairly good billets here, though they were too scattered to allow of a Battalion Mess, and we spent a very enjoyable fortnight training, playing football, and listening to rumours about our destination.  The most persistent of the last was Egypt, based in the first instance on a telephone conversation between a Corps and Divisional Signaller, overhead by a telephonist at Brigade, in which the Corps Signaller told his friend that he had seen a paper in one of the offices which said that we were to go to Egypt.  On the other hand, Lieut.  X of the Lincolnshires had a brother in the Flying Corps, who had ridden on a lorry with an A.S.C.  Serjeant from G.H.Q., and had been told that all the Territorial Divisions in India were being relieved by Divisions from France.  Against this was Captain Z’s batman, who had a friend in the Staffordshires who was batman to an officer who had a cousin in the War Office, and he said we were going to the Dardenelles.  On the top of all these came General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley to inspect us, and, incidentally, to tell us that he himself had not the slightest idea where we were going.

On the 19th we moved to the little hamlet of Tannay, still on the edge of the woods, between Haverskerque and Thiennes.  As we paraded in the morning there were many who said they could smell gas, but as the wind was N.E. and the line very far away, we thought they must be mistaken.  However, the next day the official communique told us of a big gas attack at Ypres on the 9th and 49th Divisions, and though Ypres was 18 miles away, it must have been this that could be smelt.  In these new billets we spent Christmas—­the first Christmas in France for us, and managed with the aid of plum puddings and other luxuries sent out to us by the good people at home, to enjoy ourselves immensely.  Not only were many good things to eat sent us, but we also received some very welcome gifts of tobacco, cigarettes, books and stationery from the “Leicester Daily Post and Mercury” funds.  Both these papers have been most faithful throughout the war, never failing to send us “themselves,” and often adding boxes of comforts for all.  Our celebrations included a Brigade Football Cup competition, for which we entered a hot side, including many of our old players—­“Banger” Neal, “Mush” Taylor, Toon, Archer, Skelly, Fish, Serjt.  Allan, Kirchin and others.  We met the 5th Lincolnshires in the semi-finals and beat them 2—­1, and then turned our attention to their 4th Battalion, who after beating our 4th Battalion, our old rivals, met us in the final and went down 1—­0.  The final was a keen, hard game, played well to the finish, and we deserved our win.  The trophy—­a clock, mounted into a French “75” shell—­was taken back to Leicestershire by Capt.  Farmer when he next went on leave.