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[Page 19]
April 1916
billet in the same district. We were settled down & given leave at about 11 am & nine of us set off to explore the surroundings. We found our way to a hotel & had a good meal & then set off to the town of Hazebrouck. Hazebrouck is a fair size town & we had a good look round it & in the centre is a big square & some fine shops & when we had seen all we wanted to see we set back for home & arrived at our billet about 9 pm.
On the 6th I volunteered for company scout & had to report to headquarters at Ebblingham at 2 pm the same day. Next day the Battalion had to go through a gas test with respirators on. The gas cylinder was placed at the end of a trench & we had to pass through the trench & could not smell the gas at all after going through this trench we had to take off the respirator & go through the weeping gas test which makes the eyes water & sting. The next couple of days was spent in long route march which proved very heavy walk on the morning of the 10tth we left Wollon Cappel & set out towards the trenches. We marched about 10 miles & billeted again at Moonlonacker & had to passed through the town of Strazelle. While there we had to go through some long route marches & was inspected by Divisional commander General Walker. At this place there are Divisional hot baths for troops & whilst there we had