On February 1st the long-expected dissolution of the 2/5th K.L.R. took place simultaneously with the reduction of the number of battalions on the Western Front. A large number were posted to the 13th Battalion K.L.R., but the 2/7th K.L.R. and ourselves shared the balance, our share consisting of seven officers and 180 other ranks. This was a considerable accession of strength, though a large portion of it was paper strength and not actual. But at any rate Captain Williams, 2nd-Lieutenants Wilson, Hooper, Jacobs, and a little later Thomas, actually materialized, together with a considerable number of men, including certain specialists, in which, owing to the loss of our Headquarters Staff at Armentières, we had long been deficient. Amongst them were a sergeant-bootmaker, Sergeant Cox, of the 1st King's, and a sergeant-cook, Sergeant Austin, from the London District School of Cookery. The presence of these two men was of very great value to the battalion, because, though an army is said to "march on its stomach," it is equally true that it marches on its boots, and both stomachs and boots were now amply provided for. Wilson, Hooper, and Jacobs were posted to "C" Company. The arrangements for the acclimatization and fitting out of the draft had to be done quickly, as the next day we once more relieved the Scottish in the front line. This relief was duly carried out by 8.35 p.m. Two companies only were to hold the front and support lines, "C" on the right, "D" on the left; while "A" and "B" manned the subsidiary line. The sector, though still very wet, had much improved since we were last in. All the trenches forward of the subsidiary line were, it is true, to some extent under water, but not to any depth, and dry standings were available in every post. The tour was quiet in all respects, with just the normal amount of casual shelling on either side, but nothing more. A visit from seven R.F.C. officers afforded a slight comic relief. Only one had ever been in the trenches before, and most of them were unprovided with either respirators or tin hats. One tall officer caused considerable amusement by walking the whole length of the subsidiary line doubled up, till he realized at last that inflicting such discomfort on himself was entirely unnecessary. His fears, however, were probably mild compared with those of an infantryman making a trial trip in an aeroplane over German territory.