March 1st to 3rd – Raimbert.
Range Practice.
March 4th.
Proceed by route march to Erny St Julien (in First Army Area). Left Raimbert at 850am and arrived 330pm in heavy snow storm. Marched via Estree Blanche-Enquingatte and went into billets in Erny St Julien. Barns good.
March 5th – Erny St Julien.
First day field training. Artillery formation practised. Retuned to billets about 430pm.
March 6th – Erny St Julien.
Owing to severe weather, field training postponed. Lectures in billets.
March 7th – Erny St Julien.
Defence scheme carried out. Idea – defence of Erny St Julien.
March 8th – Erny St Julien.
Field exercise – the attack.
March 9th – Erny St Julien/Sachin.
Moved to Sachin. Road very slippery – great difficulty with Transport. Arrived and went into billets at Sachin at 330pm.
March 10th – Sachin/Bruay.
Marched from Sachin to Bruay with 19th Battalion. Difficulty in finding billets owing to Staff Captains having missed billeting representatives.
March 11th – Bruay.
In Bruay.
March 12th – Bruay.
Church Parade.
March 13th – Villers.
Moved to Villers au Bois and Carency and took over from 2nd North Hampshires.
March 14th – Carency Section.
Went into left sub-Section, Carency Section and relieved 1st Sherwood Forresters.
March 15th – Carency Section.
Signal dugout blown in by Aerial Torpedo – Sgt Jones DCM Signal Sergeant and Signal Rigger killed. 3 others wounded, all of Signal Section. L/Cpl Norman 17th Battalion arrived to reconnoitre line.
March 16th – Carency Section.
Relieved by 17th Battalion. Two coys proceeded to Carency and 2 coys to Villers au Bois.
March 17th/18th – Carrency/Villers.
Supplied working parties.
March 19th – Carency/Villers.
Bttn HQ was moved to Town Mayor’s house in Villers au Bois.
March 20th – Verdrel.
Moved to Verdrel. Billets for men good, difficulty for officers.
March 21st – Verdrel.
Working party at Gouy. Five officers, 250 men for 138 AT Coy RE.
March 22nd – Verdrel.
Same working party furnished as on the 21st.
March 23rd – Verdred.
Bathing at Fresnicourt.
March 24th – Verdrel.
Inspection of Coys by CO impossible to be carried out owing to snow.
March 25th – Verdrel.
Brigade Ceremonial – Corp Commander Lt-General H Wilson inspected the Brigade – snow very thick on the ground.
March 26th – Bouvigny.
Battalion moved to Bouvigny huts – took over from 20th Battalion. Relief completed by 11am – pelting rain.
March 27th – Bouvigny.
Relieved by 19th Battalion in Bouvigny huts. Relief completed by 630pm. Still raining. Took over the Lorette trenches from 24th Battalion.
March 28th – Lorette Sector.
The Brigadier General and Brigade Major came to Bttn HQ at 7pm. Too dark for them to go round line.
March 29th – Lorette Sector.
CO went to Servins in order to proceed to England for his investiture.
March 30th – Lorette Sector.
Brigadier General and Brigade Major went round line about 530pm.
March 31st – Lorette Sector.
Major General Barter and Lt Col Newton Taylor came to Bttn HQ at 10am and went up to “A” Coy . Unable to proceed further owing to open ground.