On January 22 the Battalion relieved the 1st Royal Berks, "B" Company being in reserve in the old British line, "A" Company in support in Richmond Trench, "C" Company in front line Cover Trench and Islands, and "D" Company in front line Orchard Trench. The front line and support line garrisons, it may be noted, had to take up their positions over the top, and so could not be visited in daylight. The position remained the same until the then Kaiser's birthday, on January 27, when although the order for relief was given at 6 p.m., a "stand to" was ordered in anticipation of an attack.
This did not come off, and, the relief by the 24th Royal Fusiliers being effected, the Battalion marched back to Bethune on January 28, where the billets were inspected by General Kellett.
On January 29 Colonel Lord Maitland relinquished the command of the Battalion, temporary command being taken by Major Richey, D.S.O., and Lieutenant-Colonel H.A. Vernon (1st King's Royal Rifle Corps) assumed command on January 31, while Lieutenant Cooper was appointed machine-gun officer in place of Lieutenant Lewis, who had been wounded.
Le Quesnoy was the next move, made on February 3, and relieving the 1st Royal Berks on February 7, the Battalion was in turn moved out of the trenches into the village line Givenchy on the 11th, remaining there until the 15th, when it again relieved the 1st Royal Berks in B3 sub-sector Givenchy. On the 17th the Battalion was relieved by the 16th Royal Welsh Fusiliers and moved to Le Quesnoy, remaining there until the 27th, when it proceeded to Barlin. On February 28 another move was made to Petit Sains, relieving the 22nd Royal Fusiliers, and on the 29th the Battalion took over the Souchez North sector of trenches from the French 77th Infantry Regiment.
From March 1 to March 13 the Battalion held the line at Souchez North in turn with the 1st King's Royal Rifle Corps and on the latter date proceeded to billets at Noulette, returning again to the trenches on the 17th, the Battalion on the left being the 17th Royal Fusiliers, and on the right the 1st Royal Berks. Then on March 28 it moved to La Comte for divisional rest.
Reclinghem was the next move, made on April 9, and on April 11 there was a Brigade field day, another reinforcing draft arriving on the same day. Then on the night of April 21-22 the Battalion relieved the 1st King's Royal Rifle Corps in the Souchez second sector of the line. So the end of the month arrived with alternate duty in the trenches and rest in billets.
More reinforcements, to replace wastage, arrived in the early part of May, and on the 23rd the Battalion was in the trenches at Berthouval, marching to its billets at Camblain l'Abbé on May 30. Working parties were naturally provided for the trenches while the Battalion was resting, and two men were accidentally wounded on the 4th. But things were moderately quiet until the night of June 10-11. On that date the Battalion relieved the 17th Middlesex Regiment in the Carency left sector of the front.
On June 21 Lieutenant-Colonel Vernon was wounded whilst visiting a sap head held by Jerry Delaney, the boxer, Major H.V. Pirie assuming command of the Battalion until he returned to duty. The Battalion was relieved by the 1st King's Royal Rifle Corps on the night of June 22-23, and proceeded to billets at Villiers aux Bois. The next move, on the 27th, was made to Estrée Cauchie.
The Somme Fighting.—Then came the move to the Somme and the July of 1916, when the average life of the infantry subaltern in France was only worth three weeks. Many, indeed, were killed within a week of their crossing the Channel, on the very first day of entering the trenches and taking part in the British advance. The 23rd Royal Fusiliers were engaged in the whole of the desperate fighting on the Somme, including the battle of Delville Wood, the story of which is told in another part of this volume.
Following this bath of blood, on August 1 the Battalion left Bund support trench, two companies going to Longueval Alley, and two remaining to garrison and dig trenches at Montauban.