[Couin.]

We came here yesterday, 11 miles, and got into the trenches this evening, half company for 24 hours, then the other half. The half company takes over a half company front for 24 hours, and then each company takes over a company front, and then we return to our old billets for three weeks, I believe. Weather glorious, lucky, as we are not in billets here. Men came well yesterday. We are all very fit and well. The men get on very well with the inhabitants. The interpreter says the people like them. We don’t actually move from here until 4.00 pm I believe. Battalion headquarters in a house in the village. German trenches 700 yards away at this part of the line. This is a Territorial Division here; very good. I believe out since March. I think we come out of trenches Monday.

Footnote

It was now common practice for New Army units to undergo training with more experienced formations, in this case units of 36^th (Ulster) Division were attached to 4^th and 48^th (South Midland) Divisions. 9^th Royal Irish Fusiliers was attached to 144^th Brigade, 48^th (South Midland) Division—a Territorial Force formation comprising 1/4^th and 1/6^th Battalions, The Gloucestershire Regiment and 1/7^th and 1/8^th Battalions, The Worcestershire Regiment. To these battalions were attached A to D Companies respectively, with battalion headquarters attached to 1/4^th Gloucesters.