The Fifth Leicestershire | Page 9

imagining in our innocence that there must be a
terrific battle with so many lights.
The next day our instruction started, and for four days we worked hard,
trying to learn all we could about trench warfare from the 12th Brigade,
to whom we were attached. While some went off to learn grenade
throwing, a skilled science in those days when there was no Mills but
only the "stick" grenades, others helped dig back lines of defence and
learned the mysteries of revetting under the Engineers. Each platoon
spent 24 hours in the line with a platoon either of the Essex Regt.,
King's Own or Lancashire Fusiliers, who were holding the sector from
"Plugstreet" to Le Touquet Station. It was a quiet sector except for rifle
fire at night, and it was very bad luck that during our first few hours in
trenches we lost 2nd Lieut. G. Aked, who was killed by a stray bullet in
the front line. There was some slight shelling of back areas with "Little
Willies," German field gun shells, but these did no damage, and gave
us in consequence a useful contempt for this kind of projectile. Trench
mortars were not yet invented, and we were spared all heavy shells, so
that, when on the 9th we left Armentières, we felt confident that
trenches, though wet and uncomfortable, were not after all so very
dreadful, and that, if at any time we should be asked to hold the line,
we should acquit ourselves with credit.
Our next home was the dirty little village of Strazeele, which we
reached by march route, and where we found Lieut. E.G. Langdale who
rejoined us, having finished his disembarkation duties. Here we
occupied five large farm houses, all very scattered and very smelly, the
smelliest being Battalion Headquarters, called by Major Martin "La
Ferme de L'Odeur affreuse." The Signalling officer attempted to link up
the farms by telephone, but his lines, which consisted of the thin

enamelled wire issued at the time, were constantly broken by the
farmers' manure carts, and the signallers will always remember the
place with considerable disgust. One farmer was very pleased with
himself, having rolled up some 200 yards of our line under the
impression that all thin wire must be German. The rest of the Brigade
had now arrived, and the other three Battalions were much annoyed to
find that we were already experienced soldiers--a fact which we took
care to point out to them on every possible occasion. Our only other
amusement was the leg-pulling of some newspaper correspondents,
who, as the result of an interview, made Major Martin a "quarry
official," and Lieut. Vincent a poultry farmer of considerable repute!
On the 11th March we marched to Sailly sur la Lys, better known as
"Sally on the loose," where with the Canadian Division we should be in
reserve, though we did not know it, for the battle of Neuve Chapelle.
The little town was crowded before even our billeting party arrived,
and it was only by some most brazen billet stealing, which lost us for
ever the friendship of the Divisional Cyclists, that we were able to find
cover for all, while many of the Lincolnshires had to bivouac in the
fields. Here we remained during the battle, but though the Canadians
moved up to the line, we were not used, and spent our time standing by
and listening to the gun fire. A 15" Howitzer, commanded by Admiral
Bacon and manned by Marine Artillery, gave us something to look at,
and it was indeed a remarkable sight to watch the houses in the
neighbourhood gradually falling down as each shell went off. There
was also an armoured train which mounted three guns, and gave us
much pleasure to watch, though whether it did any damage to the
enemy we never discovered. Finally, on the 16th, having taken no part
in the battle, we marched to some farms near Doulieu, and thence on
the 19th to a new area near Bailleul, including the hamlets of
Nooteboom, Steent-je (pronounced Stench), and Blanche Maison,
where we stayed until the end of the month, while the rest of the
Brigade went to Armentières for their tours of instruction.
Our new area contained some excellent farm houses, and we were very
comfortably billeted though somewhat scattered. The time was mostly
spent in training, which consisted then of trench digging and

occasionally practising a "trench to trench" attack, with the assistance
of gunners and telephonists, about whose duties we had learnt almost
nothing in England. General Smith Dorrien came to watch one of these
practices, and, though he passed one or two criticisms, seemed very
pleased with our efforts. We also carried out some extraordinarily
dangerous experiments with bombs, under Captain Ellwood of the
Lincolnshires and Lieut.