chton-Maitland, D.S.O., of the
Grenadier Guards, took command.

Training as usual was continued as it was not realised at the time that
the fighting was finished. The parades took place in the vicinity of Fort
Macmahon, which had been used by the Germans as quarters for prisoners of
war. The conditions inside the fort were terrible and constituted strong
evidence of the sufferings the prisoners of war must have endured. In view
of the imminence of demobilisation, education classes were started, and
much good work was done in this direction. In the evenings concerts and
parties took place, and friendships soon sprang up between the soldiers
and the Lilloises.

ARRAS.

It was soon decided that the Army was to be used for salvage work on the
devastated area, and accordingly orders came for a move to the Arras area.
On the 3rd December the Battalion left Lille, and after a march of roughly
15 miles it reached Carvin and spent the night in some German ammunition
huts in a wood. The next day the Battalion passed through Lens, and one
was surprised to see how near the Highlanders must have got to the town at
the Battle of Loos. After leaving Lens the Battalion marched right through
the centre of the district in which the Vimy Ridge Battles had taken
place. The whole region was now desolate and deserted. After a march of
twenty-one miles three of the companies marched to their billets at Etrun
without the loss of a single man. This was a striking example of the
efficiency of the Battalion and the standard of its march discipline.

A few days were spent in billets at Etrun and then the Battalion moved to
a Nissen hut camp a short distance away at Maroeuil. Twelve months ago the
Battalion had spent a night at the camp on its way to Lisbourg. The camp
had been empty for some months and was in a bad condition, so that a
great deal had to be done to make the huts habitable. Beds and tables had
to be constructed, cook houses established and ovens built. Duckboard
tracks had to be laid as the ground was muddy. In this work the men were
assisted by some German prisoners who worked very well and thoroughly. No
enmity was evinced by the men, who would give the prisoners food if not
watched. So soon had the British soldiers forgotten their hatred of the
Germans. The Battalion was given a large area to clear and every day large
parties were engaged on salvage work. The afternoons were devoted to games
and some very keen football match