The eternal parades naturally provoked a certain amount of grousing, but none the less the Battalion had reached a very high standard of efficiency, when Colonel Segrave returned on the 2nd of July, after a month’s absence.
On the next day a Divisional water carnival was held at Picquigny, where R.Q.M.S. Hart improved on his previous year’s success by taking the first two places in the odd craft race. He had trained on the horse pond in the village and his craft finished so far in front of the rest of the competitors that many of the spectators were unaware that he was in the race at all.
The Battalion won the Divisional water polo championship with the following team: Colour-Sergeant W. S. Watts, Corporal O. S. Wraight, and Corporal T. Byron of “B” Company, Lance-Corporal H. G. Terry of “A” Company, and Privates T. N. Smale, “B” Company, S. Paisley and R. Bull, Transport Section. Other members of the Battalion who distinguished themselves were Privates E. Manfield, who was third in the back stroke race, and Privates F. J. Garnham, “B” Company, and P. A. Pooley, “D” Company, who with Corporal Wraight and Private Bull gained for the Civil Service Rifles third place in the Divisional Relay Race. Altogether it was a good day for the Civil Service Rifles.
On the following day Major General Gorringe presented ribbons to those in the Battalion who had been awarded decorations for their work during the Retreat.
A Memorial Service to Civil Servants who had fallen in the war was held in the Château grounds on the 11th of July, at the same hour as the service in Westminster Abbey for the same purpose was being held.
The only other incidents worthy of note during the last week at Guignemicourt were the Battalion Sports Meeting, at which “D” Company won far more points than any other Company, and the visit of a photographer from the French Flying Corps. Every Company and Specialist Section and almost every platoon was photographed, as also were the Battalion football team and many of the horses.
The Battalion returned to Warloy on the 12th of July and relieved the First Surrey Rifles in support positions on the Senlis-Henencourt Road on the 15th.
On the 18th of July the welcome news was received of a successful French counter-attack on a large scale in the Soissons region. The news was cheering to all ranks, but no one even suspected that this was the beginning of the end, and that in four months’ time the Armistice would be signed.