that all the Territorial Divisions in India were being relieved by
Divisions from France. Against this was Captain Z's batman, who had a
friend in the Staffordshires who was batman to an officer who had a
cousin in the War Office, and he said we were going to the Dardenelles.
On the top of all these came General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley to inspect
us, and, incidentally, to tell us that he himself had not the slightest
idea where we were going.

On the 19th we moved to the little hamlet of Tannay, still on the edge
of the woods, between Haverskerque and Thiennes. As we paraded in the
morning there were many who said they could smell gas, but as the wind
was N.E. and the line very far away, we thought they must be mistaken.
However, the next day the official communiqué told us of a big gas
attack at Ypres on the 9th and 49th Divisions, and though Ypres was 18
miles away, it must have been this that could be smelt. In these new
billets we spent Christmas--the first Christmas in France for us, and
managed with the aid of plum puddings and other luxuries sent out to us
by the good people at home, to enjoy ourselves immensely. Not only were
many good things to eat sent us, but we also received some very welcome
gifts of tobacco, cigarettes, books and stationery from the "Leicester
Daily Post and Mercury" funds. Both these papers have been most faithful
throughout the war, never failing to send us "themselves," and often
adding boxes of comforts for all. Our celebrations included a Brigade
Football Cup competition, for which we entered a hot side, including
many of our old players--"Banger" Neal, "Mush" Taylor, Toon, Archer,
Skelly, Fish, Serjt. Allan, Kirchin and others. We met the 5th
Lincolnshires in the semi-finals and beat them 2--1, and then turned our
attention to their 4th Battalion, who after beating our 4th Battalion,
our old rivals, met us in the final and went down 1--0. The final was a
keen, hard game, played well to the finish, and we deserved our win. The