Another important innovation at this time was the introduction of the Lewis light machine gun.  The Maxim, and even the Vickers machine gun had been found for many reasons unsuitable for infantry work, being too heavy and cumbersome for rapid movement, too conspicuous for easy concealment.  It was therefore decided to form Brigade Machine Gun Companies, who would be armed with Vickers guns, while Battalions would have Lewis guns only, on a scale of two per Company, for they were to be considered a company rather than a Battalion weapon.  This light gun had no tripod, was air-cooled, and fired a pan instead of a belt of ammunition.  It was as easy to carry as to conceal, and was in every way an enormous improvement on the “Vickers” from the infantry point of view.  Training in the new weapon started at once, and as 2nd Lieut.  Saunders and Serjt.  Jacques were required for the Brigade Machine Gun Company, 2nd Lieut.  Shipston was made Lewis Gun Officer, with Corporal Swift to help him, and these two trained as many men as possible with the two guns issued to us, so that when more arrived the teams would be ready for them.  Captain Ellwood commanded the Brigade Machine Gunners, and in addition to our chief instructors, we also sent 2nd Lieut.  Stentiford and 30 N.C.O.’s and men to start the Company. 2nd Lieut.  Stentiford was a new subaltern officer who, with 2nd Lieuts.  T.P.  Creed and C.J.  Morris, had arrived while the battalion was at Marseilles.

On the 16th February orders came that at an early date we should take over the line North of the River Ancre, opposite Beaumont Hamel, and the following day several lorry loads of officers reconnoitred the country round Forceville, Englebelmer and Mailly Maillet, where there were some rear defence lines.  Maps of the front were issued, and we were about to arrange trench reconnaissances, when the orders were cancelled and we moved instead, on the 20th, to Bernaville, and joined the rest of the Brigade.  The other Battalions and Brigade Headquarters were in the neighbouring villages.  At this time the people of Leicestershire were once more very good to us, and our War Diary contains a note that “This day the C.O. acknowledges with thanks the gifts of 30,000 cigarettes from our 2/5th Battalion, also a hand ambulance from Messrs. Symington and Co., Market Harborough.”  The last survived the rough usages of war for a very long time, and many a wounded man has been thankful for its springs and rubber tyres.

The rest of the month was spent in doing a little training and a deal of road-clearing.  It snowed very hard once or twice, and many of the roads became impossible for traffic, so each Battalion was allotted a road to keep clean, ours being the main road to Fienvillers, along which we spread ourselves armed with picks and shovels, while the village boys threw snowballs at us.  The 5th Division were moving North at the time, and a whole day was spent by some of the Battalions dragging their transport up a steep hill, a task beyond the strength of the horses.  Fortunately we were spared this, probably because we took care not to clear the road to Brigade Headquarters, and so were left untouched.  During this very bad weather we lost 2nd Lieut.  Brooke, who had to go to Hospital with nephritis.