zle. Some battalions were broken up, and the
fragments sent to others either in the same division or in other
divisions, while in the case of many units, particularly territorials,
there was a transfer of a sort of cadre which was amplified to full
strength in its new division. The 42nd division lost the 6th L.F's., the
4th East Lancashires and the 9th Manchesters, and the 8th Manchesters
were transferred to the 126th brigade, which was now composed of 5th
East Lancs., the 8th and 10th Manchesters, while the 127th brigade was
left with the 5th, 6th and 7th Manchesters. A whole company of seven
officers and 200 men of the 2/10th Manchesters from the 66th division
came to wear the Fleur de Lys, and we were glad to welcome them as
comrades. In the heavy fighting that followed they proved themselves to
be good stuff of the regular Oldham type, while they themselves forgot
their natural initial heart burnings and grew proud of the Cap badge and
flashes that they had adopted.

Our period of rest was divided between Burbure and Busnes, and in both
places the mesdemoiselles and the estaminets were a source of real
delight to the men of the 7th. As might be expected, some good, solid
training was achieved, and this was interspersed by most enjoyable
football competitions and cross-country running. In fact, the middle of
March found the division extremely fit.

CHAPTER VII.

Stopping the Hun.

"Good God! What is the matter with the Boche to-night?" Such were our
ejaculations on the night of March 21st at Busnes. The coming of
darkness had brought with it the long-drawn out, familiar "A-zoom,
a-zoom--CRASH--CRASH--CRASH," of enemy planes but in closer proximity
than ever before. Previously they had confined their attentions to
Bethune each night, but on this particular evening Lillers was the
objective, and plane after plane came over maintaining an almost
continuous bombardment throughout the night. An ammunition train
standing in the station, was hit, and the terrific explosions that
followed at irregular intervals accompanied by huge fires added to the
evening's excitements. Next day, wires from G.H.Q. enlightened us. The
German offensive opened on the morning of March 21st, the fifth and
third armies being engaged. The front line defence had been overwhelmed,
but we were led to suppose that the enemy was being held up amongst the
defended localities.

We afterwards learnt that intensive bombing of back areas and