Читать книгу The War History of the 1st/ 4th Battalion, 1914-1918. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment онлайн

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JULY 4th–JULY 9th.

The Battalion was relieved in the night of the 3rd/4th July about 10 p.m. by the 1/7th Gordon Highlanders, and marched off to billets in the ESTAIRES—LA BASSEE road, near LA GORGUE, taking over billets from the 1/5th Seaforth Highlanders. The billets were of the usual type, orchards and farm buildings. The Officers’ Mess was established in the local schoolroom.

The six days’ rest from the trenches was interrupted by a series of working parties, which swallowed the whole available strength of the Battalion, Officers’ servants, signallers, stretcher-bearers, transport, and machine gunners all having to be impanelled in order to provide the number required. The work done was miscellaneous—digging in communication trenches, improving communication trench parapets, laying a level bed for a light trench railway, &c. This resulted in most of the men sleeping all day. New clothing was issued on the 4th July, and a day was set apart for bathing the Battalion in the brewery-bathhouse. This bathhouse had been made by taking vats from the brewery and tubs, and filling these with hot water. Men filed in at one door and gave up their dirty underclothing, and tied their clothes into a bundle, fastened with their identity disc. Each man was issued there with clean shirt and underclothing, whilst his old garments were washed and cleaned. Facilities were provided for bathing a Company at a time. Six baths for Officers were laid down also. This hot bath was greatly appreciated by the men; it was the first one they had had since landing.