On March 29th the raiding party was reduced from two companies to one, and the date was advanced to the 31st; and the next evening the remaining company were also told they would not be required. Two fighting patrols, under Lieutenant Burton and Corporal Corkill respectively, were sent out to try and obtain identification, but the enemy was evidently expecting a raid, as his front line was quite unoccupied. It was probably, therefore, as well that the raid had been cancelled, though we should have liked to carry it out.
Meantime all surplus stores were ordered to be sent to Estaires, and we found ourselves ready to move without the great mass of transport usually required on such occasions.
On March 31st the Second-in-Command of the 20th Middlesex Regiment arrived to look round, and told us great stories of the retreat. The next day (April 1st) they relieved us, and the battalion moved out at 10.30 p.m. on a long and weary march to Neuf Berquin. There we were joined by the men who had formed the Brigade Pioneer Company, and the battalion presented an appearance of unusual strength.
CHAPTER VII
MERVILLE—PERIOD IN RESERVE—GOMMECOURT—FAMPOUX
On April 2nd, as we had expected, we entrained for the south, but not till our orders had been cancelled about three times. In fact, if rumour is to be believed, we were very nearly dispatched post haste to Ypres. At any rate, at 5 p.m. we received orders for one company to entrain at Merville at once, and the remainder at 8.5 p.m. The enemy very considerately refrained from shelling the station while we entrained, though he was more attentive to some of the other units of the Division.
At 5.30 a.m. we arrived at Doullens Station, which looked somewhat dilapidated in consequence of an air raid. The station presented a scene of the greatest activity, and it was not till 7.30 a.m. that we were allowed to detrain and move out of the station. "C" Company formed the unloading party. After moving clear of the town we fell out by the roadside for breakfasts, for which, in the case of one company, a dear old lady provided a large quantity of beautiful vegetables gratis. She also gave the officers coffee and rolls, and was most indignant when offered payment. All honour be to her!
The day was warming up when we set off to march to our destination, Ivergny, and after a night in the train no one felt very energetic. We arrived there for dinner after climbing some fairly steep hills, which, coupled with the soft spring air, made everyone feel somewhat tired. The men's billets were good, the officers' poor. In striking contrast to our good lady of Doullens, we found the inhabitants very inhospitable, and many of the houses were crammed with refugees. The Commanding Officer was locked out by his occupier, and the Adjutant was calmly informed that he could not enter his house. The services of De Chauny, the Brigade Interpreter, were soon in request, and everything was settled, though not very amicably. "C" Company were very late, and it was long after dark before they rejoined us after their arduous duties at the station.
We were told that the Division was in General Headquarters Reserve, and likely to be called upon suddenly. The next day all were busied, accordingly, with checking stores and ammunition, and generally seeing that everything was up to concert pitch. The Adjutant seized the occasion of a short spell of leisure to ride over to Bouque Maison, where Colonel Harrison, our first Brigade Commander, was performing nobly the duties of Town Major, and very pleased he seemed to have news of his old Brigade.