the worst. Leaving camp at about 5 p.m., then 130 strong, they were met
by guides, who lost their way, and eventually arrived in the front line
at dawn, having lost over 100 men stuck in the mud. The relief was not
reported complete till 4 p.m. the next day. The front line trenches were
worse if possible than the communication trenches, and the days that
followed were most unpleasant. There was very little cover from enemy
snipers, who were pretty active, and there were several casualties from
fishtail trench mortars. One night was marked by a very intense "strafe"
for a short time with rifle grenades and trench mortars. It afterwards
appeared that this was the enemy's parting shot, for soon after the
Division was relieved the enemy's extensive retirement on this sector
took place. After two tours in the front line, one in support in trenches
round Berny, and one in reserve at Foucaucourt, the Battalion was
relieved early in March by the 2/5th South Staffordshire Regiment (59th
Division), who had just come from Ireland and had not previously seen any
fighting in France. On relief the Battalion returned to Foucaucourt.

Towards the end of the tour Lieut.-Col. Jeffreys left the Battalion for
a few days in hospital, during which time Major Little, of the 5th Border
Regiment, and Major Crouch of the 9th Durham Light Infantry, both held
command. He returned, however, when the Battalion came out of the line.

This ended the tour in the Somme region, but the Battalion did not leave
the area till the end of the month, the period being spent in huts at
Morcourt, where an energetic programme of training and sports was carried
out. The principal feature of the sports was the success of members of
the Battalion, including Sergt. Young and Ptes. Nimney and Moody in the
Brigade and Divisional boxing contests. Although there were no
outstanding incidents to record of this training, Morcourt seems to mark
one of those turning points in the history of the Battalion from which