On the 17th August the Battalion was relieved just before midnight, and
marched to Anzin, where it arrived at 4-30 a.m. the next morning, and the
men had breakfast. Later it entrained for Bailleul-aux-Cornailles, where
four days were spent. On the 21st an order was received about 10 p.m.,
(after the men had bedded down) to move at once. The move was quite
unexpected as everyone believed the Battalion was to stay in the village
for several days longer. Kits were hastily packed in the darkness, and in
an hour the Battalion was ready to move. Fosseux was reached in the early
morning, breakfast taken, and the men rested until 1 p.m. In the evening
another sudden message ordered a night march to Boucquemaison, which was
reached early on the 23rd, and the men rested during the day time, paraded
at nightfall and marched to Barly.

These marches were perhaps rather fatiguing, but as they took place at
night and the weather was very pleasant, they were not as bad as they
might have been. The march discipline was excellent and scarcely any men
fell out. The companies as day was breaking presented nevertheless a
worn-out appearance. The men were dusty and tired out as they trudged in
the mist of the morning, with the field kitchen and Lewis gun cart in the
rear. The cooks were doing their best to get the fire lighted to boil the
water for breakfast. The pack animals seemed to wonder what necessity
there could be for all this marching, and the company charger, generally a
very dejected jade, feeling as proud of his position as his mean station
in the equine world would permit, persistently refused to keep his proper
position when a halt was called.

It was during the march to Barly that the men were told, during a halt at
midnight, that victory was certain, and that Marshal Foch had ordered
everyone to advance. This news instantly raised the _morale_ of every one,