The 127th brigade resided under canvas about the battered village of
Achiet le Petit on patches of ground not too incommoded by shell holes.
The war had passed comparatively lightly over this portion of France,
but a short walk westward took one to the battle-scarred fields of the
fierce Somme fighting, and this was useful to us for we could pay visits
to these districts to learn something of modes of battle in those days.
One day, the Brigadier took a number of officers to Thiepval and
recorded his own personal experiences of the fighting around there. On
another occasion a brigade scheme took place on the famous Gommecourt
trenches. We little guessed in those days that we should actually be
fighting for our lives in those same trenches in less than twelve
months. It seemed as though the tide of war had rolled over this ground
for ever, and that the very earth would cry out if it were to hear again
the shrieking and tearing of shells that came to wound it.

Intensive training was the order of the day, and realising that we had
still much to learn the work was seriously taken up. The men came from
Lancashire, the division had been sorely tested by fire in Gallipoli,
and by endurance in the Sinai, so that hard work under able leadership
was all that was required to uphold the flag of achievement which had
yet received no stain. As the days wore on, and we had almost forgotten
our trench activities at Havrincourt, rumours began to float once more
about an early move, and this move was to be connected with a big stunt
coming off soon "up north." At any rate no one disputed the suggestion
that our next contact with the enemy would probably be of a more serious
nature than the last.

Let it not be supposed, however, that these rather sordid thoughts
occupied our minds completely whilst we remained at Achiet. Officers and