In the latter part of January 1917 the long awaited order arrived for the 58th Division to proceed overseas. On the 23rd of that month the 2/4th Battalion left Sutton Veny with a strength of 32 officers and 976 other ranks and proceeded to Southampton, where it embarked on the _Viper_, and crossed to Havre, arriving the following morning at daybreak. Disembarkation took place at once and the Battalion, preceded by its pipe band, marched to the Reinforcement Camp at Sanvic. The following officers accompanied the Battalion overseas: Lieut.-Col. W. R. H. Dann, in command. Major W. A. Nunneley, second in command. Capt. E. E. Spicer, Adjutant. " E. N. Cotton, cmdg. A Co. " E. W. Bottomley, " B " " G. E. A. Leake, " C " " S. H. Stedman, " D " " H. A. T. Hewlett. " H. C. Long. " W. H. Parker. Lieut. B. Rivers Smith (Bde. L.G.O.). 2/Lieut. R. K. Caparn. " E. A. Monkman. " L. J. Bassett (attd. L.T.M. Battery). " T. Stoaling. " A. M. Duthie (Bombing Officer). " S. G. Askham. " A. R. Muddell (attd. L.T.M. Battery). " W. J. Stickney. " A. G. Croll (Intelligence Officer). " F. Stickney. " H. W. Hallett (Signalling Officer). " G. G. Hunt. " T. J. Bell. " R. McDowell. " H. E. English. " D. S. Boorman. " H. S. Daw (Transport Officer). " C. J. Graham. " E. C. Pratt. " S. P. Ferdinando. Hon. Lt. & Qm. C. W. Cragg, (Quartermaster). Capt. P. H. Burton, R.A.M.C., Medical Officer. " Rev. O'Brien, Chaplain attached. The next day the Battalion entrained for Abbeville, but on arrival found its orders to stay there countermanded and the journey was therefore continued to Fortel, a small village about six miles south-west of Frevent. The unusually hard frost which was general throughout northern France in the winter of 1916/17 still held the country in its grip, and the conditions for a raw battalion even in billets were far from comfortable, but a ten days' stay at Fortel, which was devoted to training and generally acclimatising the Battalion to its new surroundings, prepared it at least in a small degree for the rigours of a winter campaign. By the 5th February the concentration of the 58th Division was complete, and the 173rd Brigade under Brig.-Gen. Hurst began to move by easy stages to the line, the 2/4th Londons lying at Le Souich on the 6th, and at Sus-St Leger on the 7th and 8th.