ber the trouble experienced in selecting the routes from the heap of
debris of what had once been the village church. Battalion Headquarters
were in a German pill-box known as Hamburg. Four days were spent in the
front line, and the Battalion then went to Divisional reserve again at
Brandhoek. After another tour in the line, it again moved to Brandhoek on
Christmas Day, and there completed the 24 days which entitled it to a
similar period of rest and training. The whole tour had been without any
exciting incidents, and casualties were small, in spite of persistent
shelling which made the duck-board tracks (H, K, R.A.M.C., tracks, etc.)
very unpleasant. The Christmas at Brandhoek was thoroughly enjoyed by the
men. On Boxing Day a Christmas dinner was provided, consisting of
turkeys, puddings, port wine, beer, etc., the orderly work being done by
the N.C.O.'s, and the carving by the officers. A visit was paid to the
Battalion here by the Corps Commander (Lieut-Gen. Sir Aylmer
Hunter-Weston), who congratulated the men on their appearance and bearing
immediately after an uncomfortable trench tour.

From Brandhoek the Battalion moved by 'bus to the Steenvoorde area,
where it was accommodated in very scattered billets for about ten days,
during which it was training and resting. It then entrained at Eecke for
Wizernes, near St. Omer, and marched to billets at Acquin. A stay of
about a fortnight there was occupied in the use of an exceptionally good
training area. A return was then made to the former front line, and
detraining again at Brandhoek, the Battalion went this time to another
hut camp known as Toronto. A similar system of reliefs as before was
carried out and the tour was divided up into short periods at Brandhoek,
St. Jean, and the Passchendaele sector. The line was somewhat quieter
than on the previous occasion. The route to and from the trenches was now
a new track called Judah track, a stretch of about three miles, which
reflected great credit on the Pioneer Battalions. From Brandhoek to St.
Jean and the return journeys were usually done by 'bus or light railway.
The tour ended with a night in the cellars in the town of Ypres, and from
there the Battalion marched to Ypres station and entrained to Wizernes
again, and so to billets in St. Martin-au-Laert, a suburb of St. Omer.
These billets were very good, and the advantage of being near a town was
fully appreciated. The story of the Battalion would not be complete