[Page 2]
also granted to Eu and Freport two most lovely places.
2nd Dec 1917
Left for divisional school at Oust Mares. Rented bedroom with Cliff Bingham & then we went into Em for tea at a Belgian place. A sort of 99th rate eating house where we could get a feed for nix. Sweet are the uses of adversity.
3rd Dec 1917
Left for the next village Marest got another bedroom with "Bing". Village very modern. English style. Built by Sunlight people. Nice people. Rue de Fichen was the name of our swagger abode .Factory now making ammunitions.
4th Dec 1917
Hurried recall to Battalion packing up for forward area returned to St. Quentin.
5th Dec 1917
Left for Eu and entrained for Peronne area Amiens and Albert. Arrived destination about midnight, had a drink of tea spent the next 48 hours on Peronne Station unloading [indecipherable] etc from trucks.
7th Dec 1917
Left for Haut Allames. Firtz attacking heavily at Cambrai, all the country around is spoilt. Peronne and villages around are in ruins .Peronne once been a large town. Billeted in huts here out side of the "once was" village.
29th Dec 1917
From the 7th to 29th Dec. we had our usual parades taking ridges and stunts every day. Was sent into Peronne for a week on salvage work and on the 29th was warned for the re -assembly of the Div. School. At Haut Allames which continued until 6th January when
6th Jan 1918
we returned to the Battalion. The weather all during our stay up here wasintensely cold.
8th Jan 1918
Left H.A. marched to Peronne & entrained for Bailleul 14 hours in train-had slight collision one truck smashed..
9th Jan 1918
Arrived Bailleul detrained and marched to Meteren .Snowing very heavily, was on guard during the train journey and things altogether looked blue.
10th Jan 1918
Left Meteren for Gadewaersvelde five miles & entrained for the front. Left train near Brasserie & marched to tunnels at Spoil Bank & rested oh blessed rest.
11th Jan 1918
Remained in the tunnel until after lunch & Battalion left for front line.