“Lost, stolen or strayed, Kitchener’s Army. Last seen in England in early spring.”
and the ditty often sung about this time which ended
“If Kitchener’s Army don’t come out very soon ’Twill be all up with this ’ere blasted platoon.”
gives evidence of the general feeling of boredom which began to threaten the Battalion.
[Illustration: BREVET COL. A. M. RENNY, Ret. Ind. Army.
Commanded 1st Battalion, November, 1914-July, 1915.
However, a portion at least of Kitchener’s Army appeared in due course in this area, and during the last two days spent in trenches to the right of the Double Crassier marked on the map as W-2, the Battalion shepherded a kilted regiment on its trial trip in the trenches. They were Scotch right enough (15th Division), both in speech and character, and one of them, after breakfast on the first day, asked in all seriousness what time the “char-rge” was. He considered there ought to be at least one every day. Another canny one, suspecting the “bona-fides” of his tutor, when asked what port he had embarked from, replied “Ah’ll no tell ’e.” Yet another youthful Jock when told to go on sentry immediately climbed out in front and began to march up and down at the slope.
Their commissariat went wrong and they got no food for twenty-four hours. Their hosts saw to it that they had enough to eat, and before dawn had picked sufficient mushrooms for the combined messes, and by dinner enough young new potatoes, carrots, red currants and gooseberries for a good meal.
After a few days in trenches at Le Philosophe, the 47th Division moved into Corps Reserve, the Civil Service Rifles occupying their old billets at La Beuvrière early in August.
The Battalion now lost a very old friend in Lieutenant and Quartermaster W. H. D. Clark, who was ordered to England to take up an appointment in the Ministry of Munitions. Lieutenant Clark had joined the Civil Service Rifles as a private in 1888, and had served continuously since that time, rising through the various ranks of N.C.O. to R.Q.M.S. until he was appointed Quartermaster in 1910. Mr. Clark had been at all times a most enthusiastic worker for the Regiment, and his energy knew no bounds. He took away with him the most cordial good wishes of all ranks. Another old friend in R.S.M. A. Toomey, a Scots Guardsman who for many years had been on the permanent staff of the Battalion, succeeded to the appointment of Quartermaster, and C.S.M. Jolliffe of “C” Company acted as R.S.M. Bernard Jolliffe was undoubtedly one of the most popular members of the Regiment, and it was distinctly unfortunate that ill-health compelled him to return to England a few months after taking up his new duties.