The tramway sheds at L’Attargette, on the northern outskirts of the town, contained a number of cars, which were fitted up by the men of 3 and 4 sections as cubicles. Headquarters was established in the tramway offices, and when Nos. 1 and 2 sections joined up some two or three weeks later they found quite good quarters in the neighbouring Rue de Flandres. All the existing bridges over the river Lys around Armentières and Houplines had been prepared for demolition, but charges, fittings, and magazines all required a great deal of work. A number of emergency floating bridges――both pontoon and barrel pier――also required attention and repairs. To facilitate bridge inspection No. 4 section built a rowing boat. Another little job was the construction from salvaged material of a spring cart, which accompanied the unit in all its subsequent wanderings, and was always known as the Souvenir Cart. Work for the artillery consisted in the construction of O.P.’s and of gunpits among the ruins of Houplines and the outskirts of the town. Lieut. R. W. Lahey was wounded in the head by shrapnel while on this work and evacuated, but returned to the unit shortly afterwards. The 11th Brigade relieved the 9th Brigade on the 24th December, and at the same time the 11th Field Company took over from the 9th, after spending several days in acquiring knowledge of the trenches. Nos. 1 and 2 sections had previously moved to Armentières. Very vigorous work on trench improvements was at once commenced and an extraordinary amount accomplished. In spite of the unfavourable weather large numbers of dugouts for the accommodation of the garrisons were built, new communication trenches dug, barbed wire put up, and the drainage of the trench system greatly improved. Material was used in vast quantities――sandbags literally by the million, “A” frames, revetting material, duckboards, steel trench shelters, corrugated iron. All this had to be carted to the forward dumps, “Tissage Dump,” at Houplines, and “Fochaber,” near Chapelle d’Armentières, and night after night, for nearly three months, every available vehicle of the Company transport made at least one journey, without incurring a single casualty to man or beast. The first member of the unit to lose his life in action was Sapper Dahl, of No. 3 section, killed by a shell in the support line on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day was spent the same as any other day of the period, hard at work in the line. Shortly afterwards the frosty weather commenced, which was to make this winter the coldest known for many years. The Lys river froze over so completely that it could be crossed by troops in fours and by horses and wagons; the soil was frozen as hard as iron to such a depth as to almost preclude any digging; and the very breath congealed upon the faces of those who wore moustaches. Still the work went on, albeit more slowly, and the weather at least gave No. 2, the drainage section, some respite from their labours.