"Not Much To Do"

By mid-March 1918, the face of the Suffolk Regiment on the Western Front had changed drastically.
The 8th and 9th Battalion's had disappeared to history, being disbanded in January with their men redistributed. The 7th Battalion was much depleted, but was still existing in it's own right as a fighting Battalion. The 11th and 12th Battalions were operating at virtually full strength, their ranks having been bolstered by men of the disbanded Battalions.
As the month of March wore on, the enemy seemed unusually quiet. There was a vague expectancy in the air that something would be happening soon. The trench raids seemed to melt away as March progressed, nut the artillery still pounded the Allied line. A gentle increase in it's ferocity over the course of a week, indicated that something was definitely going to happen.
Reports from within Germany had confirmed the Allies worst suspicions that, following the signing of the peace treaty with Russia, almost 50 German Infantry Divisions were moving from the Eastern Front, to the Western Front and the majority were being repositioned opposite the frontage occupied by the British Expeditionary Force. Though it was a great testament to the fighting prowess of the B.E.F. for it showed that it was they who the German's feared the most, it was a sobering thought that they would be bearing the brunt of any offensive that was sure to come.
Sydney Fuller, a signaller in the now disbanded 8th Battalion, was now serving in the ranks of the 7th Battalion. March 19th 1918 was a quiet day for him as his diary recorded: "Wet. I was orderly Corporal. Not much to do - no sick (there were never so many sick in a place like this as there were in or near the line). I only had to draw rations from the Q.M.S. Buzzer practice and flag drill, also a bit of T.M.S. Commenced 'five minute lectures' - each man had to lecture the others on some point for five minutes".
​As the training continued, their counterparts in the front line readied themselves expectantly for whatever the Bosche would throw at them.

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