ough an
inter-platoon football competition. On the evening of 1st November the
enemy put over a few shells, and in going to regulate the traffic into
the cellars Captain R.H. Colthart was mortally wounded. The death of
our adjutant was a great loss to the Battalion. As Sergeant Colthart
he had gone out with the Regiment to Gallipoli, was appointed
quartermaster and then adjutant, and had been with the Regiment or
Battalion in every engagement in which it had taken part, being
mentioned in dispatches. Lieutenant J.W. Ormiston succeeded him as
adjutant.

Tournai was evacuated by the Germans on 9th November. The 231st
Brigade promptly passed through it, and formed a bridgehead east of
the town with the 55th Division on their right and the 57th Division
on the left. The 230th Brigade occupied the town while we moved
forward to Lamain. Next day we marched through Tournai, and had a
tremendous reception. The skirl of the pipes and the sight of the
kilts moved the population to great enthusiasm, both vocal and
osculatory, and we had a regular triumphal procession. Our destination
was Beclers, five miles east of Tournai.

On 11th November we were continuing our advance east, and had reached
the main road just west of Frasnes, when at twenty minutes before 11
o'clock the Brigade-Major (Captain A.J.M. Tuck, M.C.) informed us that
an armistice had been signed which came in force at 11 o'clock. The
consequent halt threw our time-table out of gear, and we finally
stumbled in to our billeting area in the dark, covered with mud and
very weary.

The following day our Brigade relieved the 230th Brigade in holding
the outpost line, and we were billeted at Izieres. The inhabitants
could not do too much for us, and we were quite sorry when orders were
received on the 17th to proceed to Moustier. We had been transferred
back again into the Fifth Army. Here we rubbed up our ceremonial drill
and practised guard of honour for the King's visit. This, however,
fell through, and on the 7th December we marched to a point on the
Leuze-Tournai road, near Barry, where His Majesty held an informal
inspection.

While at Moustier we started elementary educational training, which
was more fully developed after we moved to Grammont on 16th December.
Here our wanderings finally ceased, and demobilization commenced. We
had a most successful and sumptuous dinner on Christmas Day, the whole
N.-E. of France having been ransacked for geese and turkeys. On