Hooge, but the Battalion was not involved. The following day the
artillery activity continued, and Lieut.-Col. Jeffreys was wounded whilst
going round a new piece of the line which had been taken over from the
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Major G.A. Stevens (8th D.L.I.) took
over command, and the following day Capt. R.B. Bradford (afterwards
Brig.-Gen. Bradford, V.C.) joined as Adjutant. An unusual occurrence took
place on the 22nd December, when two Russians, who had been prisoners in
Germany and had been working behind the line, escaped and came into the
trenches in the Battalion sector. On Christmas Day the Battalion was out
of the line and in the huts at Dickebusch. Capt. Bradford left on the
31st December to join the 7th Battalion, and was succeeded as Adjutant by
2nd Lieut. C.E. Yaldwyn.

On New Year's morning the Battalion had its first experience of a really
heavy British bombardment of the enemy's trenches. The bombardment was so
intense that it was possible to find one's way about Sanctuary Wood by
the light of the gun flashes. The only other incident of importance in
the first month of 1916 was the departure of the machine-gun section
which, under 2nd Lieut. L. Brock, was sent to form part of the Brigade
Machine Gun Company. To replace the guns, the first Lewis Guns were
issued and put under the command of 2nd Lieut. J.P. Moffitt. It was also
about this time that the Battalion journal, _The Whizz-Bang_, came into
existence, edited and run by 2nd Lieut. Yaldwyn. Its illustrations by
Lieut. Catford and articles were much appreciated, but, unfortunately,
its publication ceased in November of the same year.

Throughout January and February there were local artillery combats which
terminated with the capture of Hill 60 and "The Bluff." On the 1st March
there was a demonstration at 5 p.m., which consisted of artillery and
infantry fire and cheering as if for an attack. The following morning at