On the 13th the Battalion was inspected by Brigadier-General Stockwell and was complimented on its turnout. The Brigadier took the opportunity of presenting decorations and medals—the Military Cross to Company Sergeant-Major R. A. Williams, the Distinguished Conduct Medal to Private C. Milton, and Military Medals to Second-Lieut. T. H. Middleton, Sergeants H. W. Percival and P. Stalker and Privates W. Nicholson and H. Jackson. At 5.15 p.m. on the 14th we marched to Brandhoek Station and entrained for Ypres, arriving at 7.30. Here we went into quite good billets in the town—or what remained of it—some in the ramparts and the remainder in the school.
Of all the ghostly and melancholy ruins along the western front Ypres stands out almost unchallenged. Right from the beginning it had borne the brunt of the enemy’s insensate fury, and withstood it. It still stood four square to the foe and marked the eastern boundary of that tiny strip of Belgium, still held by the gallant Belgian army on our left and ourselves. The deplorable ruin of its once beautiful structure bore evidence of the cost of its retention. The square and its surrounding buildings, including the ancient and lovely Cloth Hall, were a heap of powdered rubble, with here and there a stark stump of wall and an arched window still surviving. These maimed remnants were periodically repulverised by senseless bombardment by the enemy even as a dog returns to its vomit. I have known no more eerie feeling than that experienced when crossing this desolate square on a quiet night. Many of the houses in the remoter suburbs were less damaged, and their cellars made excellent shelters when the Hun carried out his frequent bombardments of this martyred town. The civilian population had long been evacuated.
The trench system was divided into two sectors, the left, or Potijze, and the right, or Railway Wood. The latter was approached by way of the Menin Gate and road, past the notorious Hell Fire Corner, and over the railway connecting Ypres and Menin in normal times. The trenches were fair and there were some good dugouts.
The communication trenches leading up to the front line, however, left something to be desired. These were named West Lane and Mud Lane (afterwards re-named Beek Trench, so as not to damage the morale of reinforcements!).
On the right of this sub-sector were two or three craters left by previous mine operations, and the width of these craters represented the distance between the enemy and ourselves, who manned the opposite lips. A deathly silence usually reigned at this point, the slightest movement or sound being audible on either side.
Still further to the right the line was incomplete. A line of “grouse butts” connected it with the Menin Road (the left-hand boundary of the Division on our right). These “grouse butts” were not held during the day but were occupied at night by Lewis Gun Sections and carefully patrolled.
When visiting these posts one night Captain R. Gardner was “captured” by the Division on the right and marched down to their Battalion Head Quarters so that his identity might be established!
At 6.30 p.m. on the 15th the Battalion moved off by platoons and took over trenches in the right sub-sector at Railway Wood. On our left were the 8th Liverpool Irish and on our right the New Zealanders. The trenches needed repair and there was not much rest for the Companies. There was some activity by the enemy, who threw over many trench mortar bombs. One of these made a direct hit on one of our cookhouses, killing one man and wounding another. On the other hand our snipers reported having bagged three Bosche. On the night of the 19th we were relieved and marched back to our old billets in Ypres.
Twelve new officers, from the Lancashire Fusiliers, now joined us—Captains F. H. Williamson and F. C. Slater and Lieuts. W. R. Pattinson, G. Topham, J. H. Simpson, Second-Lieuts. C. W. Ford, J. C. Alexander, R. A. Mudie, J. S. Patterson, R. Willett, J. Pearson and A. T. Sheahan. Companies were reorganised—Captain Gardner to “A” Company, Captain Slater “B,” Captain Huthwaite “C,” and Captain Williamson “D” Company. Half the Battalion were moved into the prison along with Battalion Headquarters. These billets were not bad, but cold. Working parties were provided nightly for duty in the trenches. On the 23rd we moved into trenches in the Potijze sector on the left. The weather was bad and much labour was expended in pumping water out of the trenches and in reveting. Everyone wore gum boots, water being over the duck boards. The enemy was fairly quiet, but five of our men were hit by shell fire.
The Brigadier was insistent upon repairs to trenches and to wire, and upon obtaining command of No Man’s Land by constant patrolling. Patrols visited the ruins of Oder House, situated between the lines, and examined (from a respectful distance) a salient in the German lines known as Kaiser Bill.