I wish to express to the Battalion under your command my great appreciation of the work done in your sector, and the excellent spirit shown by your men during the past 6 day tour in the trenches under circumstances of exceptional difficulty.
Your work was good, not shoddy, and when not working your men were trying to shoot Bosches.
My only regret is, that owing to circumstances, I was unable to spend more time with you, but it was a compliment that after what I saw on Wednesday, I knew I could leave the Battalion to do its best.
This excellent spirit of keenness and hard work in a Battalion is worth a great deal to its Brigade Commander.
Please circulate my remarks to your officers and men.
C. Lewes, B.-General,
Commdg. 147 Brigade.”
Periods of Brigade Reserve were usually spent in Souastre, at which village the Battalion transport was permanently billeted. Most of the men occupied barns of the familiar French type, those timber and clay structures so well known to all who have served with the British Expeditionary Force. Generally speaking, the troops were fairly comfortable. The barns were in fairly good condition. There were plenty of civilians still living in the village, though it was not far from the line. There were plenty of estaminets, and there was a Y.M.C.A. hut. Little training was possible owing to the large working parties which had to be found. Needless to say, the men groused at these, but, as they worked mostly on the trenches which they occupied themselves in the line, they realised that the work was for their own benefit. Sometimes only half the Battalion went to Souastre, the rest stopping in billets in Fonquevillers, under the command of Major A. L. Mowat. This arrangement was made in order to have two companies on the spot to work under the direction of the 57th Field Company, Royal Engineers.
For the greater part of this period the Battalion was very short of officers. When it left the Somme area it was well over strength, but, soon after its arrival in the Third Army, it had been called on to transfer ten to other battalions of the Regiment. No further drafts had been received, many officers were absent on courses, and the usual wastage through sickness was going on. The result was that, during the latter part of the time at Fonquevillers, there were seldom more than two officers per company doing duty in the line.
On December 5th the Battalion was relieved in the Y Sector by the 1/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters—the battalion which had gone “over the top” from those very same trenches on July 1st. As each platoon was relieved it marched back to Souastre, where a halt was made in a field for dinner, after which companies formed up and marched to Warlencourt. The next day the Battalion marched to Halloy, where it was to stop until early in the New Year.