Lieutenants Ord (Signalling Officer), Smith, Rennard, Brindle, Moore, Gregson, Duckworth.
Second Lieutenants Houghton, Davies, Lindsay, Rogerson, P. Parker, Bryce-Smith, Craven.
Lieutenant and Quartermaster F. W. Baker.
Captain Derham (R.A.M.C.).
Rev. Powell, C. of E. Chaplain.
And 895 W.O.’s, N.C.O.’s, and Men.
The total strength of the Battalion on this date was (including attached) 31 Officers and 1,003 other Ranks.
No smoking or talking was allowed on deck during the passage, which was calm and without incident, and the boat drew alongside at BOULOGNE about 3 a.m., where we at once disembarked and marched about two miles to a canvas rest camp at OSTROHOVE. How strange everything looked in the early morning light, as we swung along against our instincts on the right-hand side of the pavé road, the French signs with which we grew so familiar later on, the grilles in the front doors, the smells!
On arrival at the camp we were soon told off to our tents, where we slept till eight, when we had breakfast. After breakfast most of us sent off our first Field Postcards to the folks at home, and cleaned up. We stayed in camp all day, resting and sunning ourselves, parading again at 6 30 p.m., when we marched to PONT DE BRIQUES Station, where we formed up in groups of 40 and waited for the train, which soon arrived from HAVRE with the Transport. Cattle trucks! However, we entrained, about 40 to a truck, and presently jolted off; we spent a very uncomfortable night!
On 5th May, about 2 30 a.m., we arrived at BERGUETTE, where we detrained and at 4 a.m. started to march to LILETTE, led by a “guide” who took us about two miles out of our way—a serious matter, on empty stomachs, to us who were still fresh from “the fleshpots of Egypt”; however, we got there, and went into billets of sorts, many preferring to sleep in the open, so villainously dirty were some of the outhouses. Here we found the 1/8th King’s Liverpools, the 1/4th King’s Own and Brigade Headquarters being at neighbouring places. All day and all night an almost continuous stream of motor vehicles went through, mostly laden with French troops in their picturesque blue and red. Battalion Headquarters was “chez M. Rousseau,” and the Officers’ Mess in a small estaminet. As we rested that day, we heard the distant guns for the first time, booming intermittently the whole day through.