On the 23rd of February 1918 Divisional Headquarters was opened at Ercheu in the area of the Fifth Army. The 60th Brigade was billeted in the Ham area; the 59th near Beaulieu, three miles south of Ercheu; the 61st near Freniches, three miles south-east of Ercheu; the 91st Field Artillery Brigade at Esmery-Hallon; the 92nd Field Artillery Brigade at Rouy-le-Grand, two and a half miles north-east of Nesle. The Division was in G.H.Q. reserve but was to be placed at the disposal of the XVIIIth Corps, commanded by Lieut.-Gen. Sir F. I. Maxse, in the event of a German attack on the Corps front. During the rest of February and the first three weeks of March all units worked from time to time on the defences behind the battle zone and reconnoitred the positions which they would have to occupy in accordance with various schemes which had been prepared to meet a German offensive. All these schemes entailed considerable work for the 20th Divisional Signal Company. The Divisional Artillery, under Brig.-General Christie, took full advantage of the unique experience of being out of the line for a whole month to train batteries in open warfare, the ground lending itself admirably to this kind of work. At the end of February the four machine gun companies of the Division were formed into the 20th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, under Lieut.-Colonel H. L. Riley, D.S.O. The 59th, 60th, 61st and 217th Companies became “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D” Companies of the battalion respectively. In the middle of March Brig.-General Banbury, commanding the 61st Infantry Brigade, went home for six months’ rest. He was succeeded by Brig.-General J. K. Cochrane, C.M.G. It soon became clear that the expected German offensive would not be long delayed. On arrival in this area troops had been ordered to be ready to move at twenty-four hours’ notice; this was reduced to twelve hours on the 10th of March, and on the 20th to one hour. Just after 5 A.M. on the 21st, XVIIIth Corps issued the order “Man Battle Stations.” The Fifth Army, under General Sir Hubert Gough, consisting of the IIIrd, XVIIIth, XIXth and VIIth Corps, held an extended front of some forty-two miles from the Oise to Gouzeaucourt, where the Third Army, under General the Hon. Sir Julian Byng, continued the line to the Scarpe. The XVIIIth Corps held a line facing St Quentin from Urvillers to Gricourt, with the 36th Division on the right, the 30th opposite St Quentin, and the 61st on the left. On the right of the 36th Division was the 14th Division of the IIIrd Corps. On the left of the 61st Division was the XIXth Corps. The 20th Division, if called upon to support this line, was to move forward ready to man the rear zone defences between the Somme and the Omignon river from St Simon to Trefcon, sending a brigade of artillery to each of the 36th and 30th Divisions.