Major-General Sir W. Douglas left the division, and his successor,
Major-General Mitford, lost no time in getting us ready for the line.
Just at this time, and whilst Col. Cronshaw and other officers and
N.C.O's. were up in the line for instruction, the German retirement on
the Somme and the Ancre to the Hindenburg line took place. As soon as
brigades were fitted out they lost no time in moving forward into the
war zone, commencing with the Lancs. Fusiliers. At the end of March the
127th brigade entrained for Chuignes and from there the 7th marched
forward to Dompierre, which had been the scene of such heavy fighting
by the French in 1916. We thus got our first impressions of the
devastated area of France, and I am sure there was not a mind in the
battalion into which these impressions did not sink deep. The misery of
it was by no means diminished when we arrived at our destination, for
accommodation had to be found amidst impossible ruins and in the
scattered half-destroyed dug-outs amongst the trenches which
criss-crossed the village. All this had to be done in pouring rain. When
at last we settled down it was found that our new homes were also shared
by huge rats who capered about in a most homely manner.

Dompierre was our abode for a few days whilst the battalion made daily
excursions through the mud in the direction of Villers Carbonel to
execute road making fatigues. Major Scott concluded his long period of
active service with the battalion about this time, being invalided to
England. His place at the Q.M. Stores was later filled by Lt. Rose of
the R.W.F's. After this period we moved into Peronne, and were installed
in more comfortable dwellings, for although the town had been badly
knocked about, it was possible to find more or less good cover for
troops. The great boon here was the plentiful supply of timber from the
destroyed houses, and every group of men had its roaring fire. The
battalion and indeed the brigade was still on fatigue, repairing roads,