homes is still a mystery, and yet by 10 p.m. we were all comfortably
settled in quarters. We were joined the next morning by the two
remaining platoons, 2nd Lieuts. Mould and Farrer.

The billets were slightly re-arranged as soon as daylight enabled us to
see where we were, and we soon settled down and made ourselves
comfortable, being told that we should remain at Hardifort until the 4th
March, when we should go into trenches for a week's instruction with
some Regular Division. We had nothing much to do except recover from
the effects of our journey, and this, with good billets and not too bad
weather, we soon did. The remainder of our Brigade had not yet arrived,
so we were attached temporarily to the Sherwood Foresters, whose 8th
Battalion was also absent, and with them on the 4th moved off Eastwards,
having the previous day received some preliminary instructions in trench
warfare from General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley, who spoke to all the
officers.

Preceded by our billeting party, which left at 5 a.m., we marched from
Hardifort at 9 a.m., and, passing through Terdeghen, reached the main
road at St. Sylvestre Capel, and went along it to Caestre. On the way we
met General Smith-Dorrien, our Army Commander, and while the Battalion
halted he talked to all the officers, gave us some very valuable hints,
and then watched the Battalion march past, having impressed us all with
his wonderful kindness and charm of manner. At Caestre we found motor
buses waiting for us, and we were glad to see them, for though no one
had fallen out, we were somewhat tired after marching nine miles,
carrying, in addition to full marching order, blankets, sheepskin coats
and some extra warm clothing. The buses took us through Bailleul and
Nieppe to Armentières, at that time a town infested with the most
appalling stinks and very full of inhabitants, although the front line