Various changes took place in the 2/4th Londons, and in November 1916 command of the Battalion was assumed by Lieut.-Col. W. R. H. Dann (Bedfordshire Regiment), Capt. W. A. Nunneley becoming second in command with the temporary rank of Major. The personnel was also strengthened by the arrival of a large officer reinforcement from the 4th (Reserve) Battalion, the majority of whom had already seen service in France in the ranks of various London Battalions.
In the latter part of January 1917 the long awaited order arrived for the 58th Division to proceed overseas. On the 23rd of that month the 2/4th Battalion left Sutton Veny with a strength of 32 officers and 976 other ranks and proceeded to Southampton, where it embarked on the Viper, and crossed to Havre, arriving the following morning at daybreak. Disembarkation took place at once and the Battalion, preceded by its pipe band, marched to the Reinforcement Camp at Sanvic. The following officers accompanied the Battalion overseas:
| Lieut.-Col. | W. R. H. Dann, | in command. | ||
| Major | W. A. Nunneley, | second in command. | ||
| Capt. | E. E. Spicer, | Adjutant. | ||
| " | E. N. Cotton, | cmdg. | A | Co. |
| " | E. W. Bottomley, | " | B | " |
| " | G. E. A. Leake, | " | C | " |
| " | S. H. Stedman, | " | D | " |
| " | H. A. T. Hewlett. | |||
| " | H. C. Long. | |||
| " | W. H. Parker. | |||
| Lieut. | B. Rivers Smith | (Bde. L.G.O.). | ||
| 2/Lieut. | R. K. Caparn. | |||
| " | E. A. Monkman. | |||
| " | L. J. Bassett | (attd. L.T.M. Battery). | ||
| " | T. Stoaling. | |||
| " | A. M. Duthie | (Bombing Officer). | ||
| " | S. G. Askham. | |||
| " | A. R. Muddell | (attd. L.T.M. Battery). | ||
| " | W. J. Stickney. | |||
| " | A. G. Croll | (Intelligence Officer). | ||
| " | F. Stickney. | |||
| " | H. W. Hallett | (Signalling Officer). | ||
| " | G. G. Hunt. | |||
| " | T. J. Bell. | |||
| " | R. McDowell. | |||
| " | H. E. English. | |||
| " | D. S. Boorman. | |||
| " | H. S. Daw | (Transport Officer). | ||
| " | C. J. Graham. | |||
| " | E. C. Pratt. | |||
| " | S. P. Ferdinando. | |||
| Hon. Lt. & Qm. | C. W. Cragg, | (Quartermaster). | ||
| Capt. | P. H. Burton, R.A.M.C., | Medical Officer. | ||
| " | Rev. O'Brien, | Chaplain attached. | ||
The next day the Battalion entrained for Abbeville, but on arrival found its orders to stay there countermanded and the journey was therefore continued to Fortel, a small village about six miles south-west of Frevent.
The unusually hard frost which was general throughout northern France in the winter of 1916/17 still held the country in its grip, and the conditions for a raw battalion even in billets were far from comfortable, but a ten days' stay at Fortel, which was devoted to training and generally acclimatising the Battalion to its new surroundings, prepared it at least in a small degree for the rigours of a winter campaign.
By the 5th February the concentration of the 58th Division was complete, and the 173rd Brigade under Brig.-Gen. Hurst began to move by easy stages to the line, the 2/4th Londons lying at Le Souich on the 6th, and at Sus-St Leger on the 7th and 8th.
The following day the Brigade moved forward and became attached to the 146th Brigade of the West Riding (Territorial) Division, for instruction in trench warfare, the 2/4th Londons being divided up between the battalions of the 146th Brigade for this purpose, with two companies in reserve at Bailleulmont and Humbercamp. The 146th Brigade was at this time holding a sector south-west of Arras facing Ransart. Ransart lies at the base of a small spur between two watercourses, both of which are usually dry, and the German trenches in front of the village were dominated at an average distance of about 600 yards by our own on the western side of the valley.
This part of the front had the reputation of being exceedingly quiet (and therefore suitable for the first tour of duty of inexperienced troops), and was the defensive position taken up by the French in October 1914 when, after the Battle of the Aisne, the battle front had become stabilised by the continued extension of the flanks of the opposing forces until they reached the sea. The British Army had taken over the area from the French in July 1915.
After five uneventful days in this sector the Battalion was relieved on the 14th by the 2/12th Londons, and having rendezvoused at La Cauchie, about three miles in rear of the line, embussed to Sus-St Leger where it went into billets for a week's rest.