es took place.

Christmas time was an occasion for great rejoicing. A competition for the
best decorated dining hut was held. Materials were not easily available
and the ingenuity of the officers was taxed to the utmost. One company
commander had a scenic artist among his men and he managed to secure an
ample supply of paint. Others telegraphed to England for table decorations
and some things could be bought in Arras. One sergeant-major borrowed bed
sheets from some lady friend and these served as table cloths. The dining
huts were consequently well decorated and comfortable, and eventually "B"
Company secured the prize. Christmas Day was one of feasting. A cross
country run the next day, in which all from Commanding Officer downward,
took part wore off any evil effect.

Early in January a "Colour Party" left for Liverpool, where it received
the colours of the Regiment from the Lord Mayor on the 7th January, and
later brought them to the Battalion.

Demobilisation commenced in January, and by the end of February the
disintegration of the Battalion was proceeding rapidly. The numbers
dwindled so steadily that at length parades ceased. Men who had served
and lived together for so long were parting and might perhaps never see
each other again. Friendships of months' standing were now to come to an
end. No bugle would ever call these men together again. They were each to
return to their civilian life once more, and there seek their several
fortunes.

The members of the Battalion took different paths. A large contingent
ultimately made its way to Egypt as part of the garrison there. Others,
members of the cadre, came home with the Colours in June and were received
with due honour by the Lord Mayor. One or two isolated members crept up to
the Rhine Army, where they had the pleasure of seeing the result of their
comrades' work, and the Germans dejected and defeated. It was indeed
gratifying to see British soldiers quartered in Bonn University, that home
of "kultur" where the late Kaiser Wilhelm was educated. A reunion took
place in St. George's Hall on the 30th May, 1919. Afterwards the Battalion
ceased to exist as infantry, as the War Office changed it to a Battalion
of Royal Engineers called the 2nd Battalion West Lancashire Divisional
Royal Engineers, to which several of the officers transferred.

The work of the Battalion is done. By the bravery and industry of the
officers and men, by the soldierly spirit with which a