e non-commissioned officers celebrated the anniversary
of the Battalion's first arrival in France by arranging a kind of concert
in one of the estaminets in Estaires. This was the last occasion before
the Armistice on which such a celebration took place, and it has developed
into an annual reunion of the senior non-commissioned officers.

Towards the end of the month the Battalion left Estaires for the
Armentieres front, and on the 21st March Ludendorff's advance commenced on
the 5th Army front, at which time the Battalion was in line in the
Fleurbaix sector. Ten days later the unit was relieved and marched to
Estaires, where it arrived on the morning of the 1st April. Leaving this
town later in the day, it made Haverskerque that night, left there the
next day for Steenwerck, and entrained for Doullens. Detraining at
Doullens at 1 a.m. on the 3rd, the Battalion proceeded by night march to
Sus St. Leger. The night was dark and the roads were in bad condition and
a few men fell out, but on the whole, the march discipline was good. On
the 5th the Battalion moved to Warluzel, where it remained for three days
and then proceeded to Thievres, staying there four days. These moves
meant a great strain on everyone. To march in full pack on bad roads with
motor lorries splashing mud, day after day, is an ordeal. In each village
a fresh start had to be made. Billets had to be found and allotted, fire
orders put up and billet guards mounted. Latrines and cook-houses had to
be improvised, and the usual foot inspections were made. Besides this the
usual routine returns had to be rendered to people that sat in comfortable
offices, and the men had to do ration fatigues and guards. Though the
difficulties of the companies were great, the difficulties of the
Quartermaster's department and that of the Transport Officer were much
greater. The Quartermaster had not enough room to take the stores he
wished, and the Transport Officer had as much as he could do to carry all
the stores there were.

On the 12th a move was made to Sombrin, and the next day the Battalion
left Sombrin late in the afternoon for an unknown destination. Even the
Colonel did not know, and there was a vague rumour that the Brigade staff
were to look after the unit. The men marched over bad roads and in the
dark, and ultimately they were turned into a wood and told there were no
billets, and they could bivouac for the night. Officers and men lay down
on the damp earth whe