The front line trench, which was mostly mud, was held by “B” and “C” Companies, “A” and “D” being in reserve in a series of German “pill box” shelters. Second Lieutenant L. L. Burtt was now in command of “B” Company, and it is said he spent the time in being pulled out of the mud by his Sergeant-Major (R. H. Burden), and in turn pulling him out. There was no shelter of any kind for either of the front line Companies, but “C” Company Headquarters occupied a niche cut out of the wall of the trench, and there the Company Commander sat with an officer on each side of him, like statues in the walls of a cathedral.
The time here was spent in clearing the trench of the ever-falling debris, dodging shells, and digging a jumping-off trench for the 41st Division, who were shortly to continue the advance. For this purpose they relieved the 47th Division on the night of the 12th of June, and the Civil Service Rifles gladly handed over their strip of mud to the 18th Battalion K.R.R., and made their way out to Chippewa Camp, near Reninghelst, where they arrived at about 6.0 a.m. on the 13th of June, so tired that they didn’t care a fig who held the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge.
In accordance with the usual practice after a big battle, the Division went right back for rest and reorganisation, and after two days’ marching the Civil Service Rifles, on the 16th of June, reached the village of Ebblinghem, between Hazebrouck and St. Omer.
The twelve days spent in this village were chiefly devoted to preparing for an inspection by the Divisional Commander, and training for the Divisional Water Carnival at Blaringhem. An al fresco concert in “D” Company’s billet on the 23rd of June threatened to fall flat, but the arrival, at a gallop, of a limber with a large barrel of beer on board set things moving, and the concert finished very well.
The Divisional Water Carnival was held in the canal at Blaringhem on the 26th, and the crowd of visitors made one think of a Town Regatta on the Thames, the fair sex being well represented. The weather was gloriously fine, and the comic events were well to the fore in the programme. The Battalion carried off its fair share of the honours, the chief success being that of the R.Q.M.S., W. B. Hart, who built the winning boat in the odd craft race, cleverly rowed by R. D. Tidmarsh, who won an easy victory by a distance. A small lottery was arranged for the visitors, and Mdlle. Victoria, the fair damsel at the Civil Service Rifles Headquarters billet, won the first prize. This brought to a close the holiday at Ebblinghem, for the march back to the war was begun on the morning of the 28th, and, after staying one night at Meteren and one night at Voormezeele, the month of July found the Civil Service Rifles in support in what had been the German front line immediately south of the Canal.
The weather was bad, the trenches were in a perfectly rotten state of repair, and the men had no protection against persistent shelling. Three very unlucky days were spent here, during which time the losses from shell fire amounted to about forty all ranks, and on the night of the 3rd of July, after being relieved by Companies from the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Battalions, a weary and somewhat fed up Battalion made its way to Murrumbidgee Camp—a hutted camp near the village of La Clytte.
The chief attraction here was a bathing pond which, although somewhat “soupy,” was well patronised by the troops.
(Portrait by Gabell.)