Lille, for a period of rest. Here the men were quartered in a cotton
spinning factory, the machinery of which was all utterly destroyed, and
every man had his own bunk. The officers were billeted in private houses
in the vicinity. While on parade on the morning of the 11th November it
was announced to the men that the Armistice had been signed. The news of
the cessation of hostilities was received by the soldiers without any
manifestation of the joy or excitement that marked the occasion at home.
The parade continued and the rest of the day was spent quite as usual. The
news for which the men had waited so long seemed when it came to be almost
too good to be true.

Some there were--savages by nature--who were not altogether glad. They had
been taught to kill, and they wanted to kill. They thought the Germans had
not been punished enough for their crimes and atrocities, and that the
enemy country ought to suffer the same devastation as France. In the main,
however, the men were glad that the war was virtually over. They would
soon be able to return to their homes and live with their loved ones
again. On the night of the 13th the reality of the terms of the Armistice
was evidenced by the returning British prisoners of war from the German
lines. A picquet was posted on the main road outside Battalion
headquarters, and on arrival returning prisoners were escorted to a billet
which was prepared for them. Fires were burning in the billet, and all of
the late prisoners were supplied with a bed. A hot meal, tea and a rum
ration were served to them as they arrived. By midnight about eighty had
come through. The majority of them arrived in an exhausted condition,
having marched between forty and fifty kilometres. Many were the stirring
and pitiful stories recounted by these unfortunate fellows of the harsh
treatment which they had received during their period of captivity. The
ensuing days of the month were spent at Hellemmes under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Dawson for a few days, and afterwards