We eventually turned our faces
south and rode the whole of that day without stopping over the dusty
roads of France. The Hun had been extraordinarily lucky in weather,
there having been hardly a drop of rain for more than three weeks, so
that the ground was perfectly dry for his operations.
Nightfall found us still travelling, and the day of 24th March had
almost broken before we "debussed" to find ourselves in the devastated
area of the Somme lands, near the village of Ayette. There was no rest
to be had. Uncertainty as to the situation in front and also as to the
future possibilities necessitated an immediate adoption of tactical
positions, and the 127th brigade took up a defensive line, on an outpost
principle, to cover the ground between Ablainzevelle and Courcelles.
Until this had been achieved no man was able to turn his thoughts to
sleep, in fact the sun had been up some hours before this was possible.
The day produced a complexity of events in the handling of which Col.
Bromfield proved himself to be at once human and masterful. In the first
place, a "battle surplus" had to be decided upon. This was a small group
of officers and men, selected as far as possible from each rank and from
each type of specialists, who remained behind the line whilst the
battalion was in action. In the event of the battalion being obliterated
by casualties, they would form the nucleus of a new unit. Choice
generally fell upon those who were considered due for a rest from the
line.
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