on to the trucks. Towards the evening the men returned, cold, weary and
tired, to a draughty barn, with the dismal prospect of a similar day on
the morrow.

For the officers there was a lecture by the Commanding Officer on a
pamphlet recently brought out called "The Division in the Attack." The
lecture took place every evening at 5 p.m. in the village school, and this
meant that in many cases the officers were on duty for twelve hours
continuously. During the day time there was also a Lewis gun class for the
officers who were not on the working party, and they studied the weapon
assiduously. While at Proven the Battalion was visited, while working on
the railway, by Lord Wavertree, then Colonel Hall Walker, the Honorary
Colonel, to whom the officers were presented. It seemed a long time since
they had seen him last at Sailly Labourse, and his presence was very
welcome to all the old members.

An outbreak of scarlet fever prolonged the Battalion's stay for a few
days, but on the 23rd February it left Proven, detrained at the Asylum at
Ypres and moved into billets at the Prison, with two of the companies in
the Magazine. While in the Prison one of the officers facetiously remarked
that it was a much better gaol than he had been used to, and observed that
it was built on the panopticon principle. The next day the Battalion moved
to its old haunts at Potijze, and resumed duties as before. During this
tour Lieutenant-Colonel F.W.M. Drew took over the command in succession to
Lieutenant-Colonel Woodhouse. At this time so short was the Battalion of
officers that "D" Company had only one officer, who was the Company
Commander, and as his company was disposed partly in a sector of trench
known as X3, Potijze Defences, St. James' Trench and the Garden of Eden,
he had a good deal to do.