We stayed at YTRES resting, bathing, reorganising, and training, till 3rd October, when we left the 4th Corps area and marched to a canvas camp at AIZECOURT-LE-BAS in the 3rd Corps area; the camp was on a hill top, and it was bitterly cold. From here reconnaissances of the new forward area were carried out, the 164th Brigade being in Divisional Reserve.
Second Lieutenant Easterby came back on the 5th, and on the 10th Second Lieutenants J. L., W. H. F., and F. C. Smith, D. Carmichael, J. E. F. Nicholson, R. B. Wilkinson, and C. Taylor joined us as Officer reinforcements, followed by Second Lieutenants L. Frost, F. G. Green, and C. Milne on the 13th.
On the 12th we marched to VILLERS FAUCON into billets; the following day Companies moved forward to LEMPIRE, where we became support Battalion to the right Brigade.
The country in which we now found ourselves was a pleasant change from FLANDERS; the soil was chalk like the south-east of England, and the scenery was, or had been, similar; but the Germans in their retirement had systematically destroyed everything—cut down every tree, blown up every house and structure down to the very telegraph poles, and poisoned the wells—it was a desolate and dead country. Curiously enough, he had left the cellars intact, and as these, even under wattle-and-daub houses, were solidly built of brick, with arched brick roofs, they made excellent, if rather dark, hiding-places and billets.
We never quite understood these cellars, so much better than the houses to which they belonged; some said they were specially built as wine cellars, that being once a wine country; others favoured the theory that they were specially designed as refuges in war time.
From LEMPIRE, which corresponded to YPRES in this sector, we sent working parties up the line every night. A Company had four posts, known as LEMPIRE CENTRAL, LEMPIRE EAST, YAK and ZEBRA POSTS, which were manned day and night, the garrisons showing no movement during the daytime.
On the 18th we relieved the 1/4th KING’S OWN in the right Battalion sub-sector of the Brigade front. The line was in truth no line, but a string of posts connected by trenches apparently freshly dug in the stiff clay which here overlay the chalk; each post provided with a mined dugout for the garrison—rather a pleasant place, we thought, on first acquaintance, as we were told that horses could be ridden (and were, just at first) right up to the front line!
On this occasion Companies were disposed as follows:—
GILLEMONT POST, the only place which showed signs of wear, was held by D Company, with one Platoon of A, as Left Front Company; CAT POST by C as Right Front Company; DUNCAN and DOLEFUL POSTS by A as Support Company; and KEN LANE, a sunken road lined with dugouts, by B, the Reserve Company, and Battalion Headquarters.