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[Page 96]
only being two hours parade of a morning while the afternoon was spent in football & sports. The Brigade again took up inter battalion football playing several matches which caused some great excitement the 1st battalion proving themselves the champions. The Divisional "Cinema Show" was established in the old School in Meteren where the troops often spent some very enjoyable evenings. Leave was also granted to Bailuel a much larger town than Meteren about two miles away & the Divisional Concert party were showing in an old hall in Bailuel which the troops patronized to a great deal extent when in there on leave. On several occasion the company was marched to Bailuel for a hot bath & change of underclothing which was very acceptable. our battalion was engaged on fatigue duties on several occasions on making a rifle range for shooting practice on the northern side of Meteren but this duty was very light. our good times at Meteren came to an end on the 27th of February for orders were issued to pack up & then during the morning we set off on the march going to "Murrumbidgee Camp" at La Clytte about ten miles away. The stay at this camp was only temporary for next morning the battalion marched to "Ridgewood Camp" at Verstraat south of Ypres. This camp was very comfortable but our duties were rather strenuous consisting of Engineers fatigues of long duration up about reserves on making defence works it being necessary for the boys to walk about four miles to the job. About midnight on the 1st of march we were aroused from our peaceful slumber being told to stand to in battle order for it was found that the enemy was making an attack or a raid on our Divisional Sector. The noise of artillery fire was terrific but after about an hour it started to ease up & we were instructed to stand down being told that the Huns had been repulsed with losses. next day the 22nd of March I was granted my eight days leave to Paris, so during the morning I set to work to clean myself up for the occasion, also paying the Regimental Quarter Master a visit who gave me an issue of new uniform. After dinner I went to Bailuel Station by a motor lorry & on arriving at the station I chanced to meet a sergeant, a mate of mine out of the Army Service Corps who was also going to Paris. We did not have very long to wait for a train which on arriving was soon filled with troops mostly going to England on furlough. After a few hours monotonous ride in this troop train we arrived at Fontainebleau Station Calais where we disentrained. While waiting in the railway yard the troops on Paris leave were informed that they would resumed the journey from Calaisville Station by the 5.3-AM train next morning & also that it would be necessary for us to go to the rest camp with the other troops for the night. The news of going to a rest camp did not appeal to my mate & I but however we fell into line with the others but after marching into the city we decided to break away & put up at some hotel for the night instead of marching a mile or two to the rest camp only to retrace our steps early next morning. It was very dark by this time it being about 8PM but once away from the other troops we experienced very little difficulty in finding the Hotel Metropole which was right along side the Calaisville station which provided a good start for next morning. We were up bright & early next morning then after breakfast made our way down to the station, purchased our tickets the fare being about seven shillings then caught the train leaving Calais at 5.30 A.M. After travelling all that day in a very comfortable train, passing through many big towns & beautiful country the train finally pulled into the "Gare-de-Norde" station Paris at 5.30 PM.