for fear of being caught by the enemy shell fire, and it is interesting to
record that on one occasion a complaint was made by the Battalion to the
effect that the streets were unsafe at night on this account. This of
course was in addition to the unsafety resulting from enemy fire.

When in reserve the Battalion was stationed at "B" Camp at Brandhoek, on
the Poperinghe-Ypres Road. Here the officers and men were accommodated in
very comfortable wooden huts, from which Poperinghe, with its shops and
cafes, could easily be reached. Attention should be directed to the
rigorous sanitary measures which obtained in this Corps, chiefly due to
the insistence of the Corps Commander. Great progress had been made in
this direction since the beginning of the war. Latrines and ablution
places were kept scrupulously clean. All rubbish was cast into the
incinerators, and billets had to be kept clean and tidy. On relief each
unit had to obtain a certificate from the relieving unit to the effect
that the billets had been left in a clean and sanitary condition. These
measures, though rigid, were beneficial and kept down sickness to a large
extent.

On Christmas day the Battalion was in Ypres, and one of the Churches in
the Boulevard Malou was decorated, and proved a useful dining room, in
which the men partook of a good Christmas dinner which was thoroughly
enjoyed. After the meal the Commanding Officer ascended into the pulpit
and treated the soldiers to an inspiring address, but it can be safely
assumed that the men enjoyed the meal much more than the lecture.

The New Year was heralded by an intense bombardment by the British, and in
anticipation of the enemy retaliation the front line was cleared, except
for the officer on watch, and Lewis gun teams. The line was badly knocked
about by the enemy fire, but was built up again by the Battalion in one