TOASTS.
- Le Presedent de la Republique.
- Le Roi D’Angleterre.
- Mesdames, Messures Vivien.
- Les Allies au paix glorieuse.
A service was held in the ancient Abbey of St. Requier on Christmas Day, and a sacred concert, which gave our men an opportunity of listening to Christmas music.
An incident happened about this time at St. Requier which caused no little excitement. A French billet belonging to the Downs (13th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles) went on fire. At the sound of the fire alarm every one turned out to assist the French people who stripped to the waist were hard at work trying to save their farm. The fire was raging fiercely round the stables and out-houses, and it was quite impossible to save all the horses, some of whom were burned to death in their stalls. It was a horrible sight.
THREE SERGEANTS OF “C” COMPANY.
AT ST. RIQUIER.
On January 8th, our Battalion moved to Bernavillers. We were now beginning to think of the trenches again, and many were the rumours. Everyone seemed to know for certain our exact peregrinations during the next few months, but in truth no one could tell from day to day what our next move would be. There were also rumours of a more pleasant character, but so far only spoken of with bated breath, the one and only hope of our existence—“Leave” had begun. Our first “leave” and all that the word means. There is no doubt of it that the first leave is the best, but your first leave you are then indeed a hero, whether from billets or trenches, and your dear people who have not yet become accustomed to those short ten days have waited and watched for it with an intense longing and pride in their hearts; is it any wonder one’s blood thrills with the thought of that never-to-be-forgotten home coming.
At Bernavillers an excellent concert party was formed by Lord Farnham, called “The Divisional Follies” or “The Merry Mauve Melody Makers.” Their first concert was honoured by a visit from The Most Rev. Dr. Crozier, Lord Primate of Ireland, who had come to France on a tour among the Irish Divisions. He had already paid a visit to the 107th Brigade, who had been having a strenuous training in the trenches ever since October. They had escaped with very few casualties.