Life in the Trenches: Reserve Billets

Soldiers spent less than half of their time in the front line and supporting trenches. After roughly 12 to 16 days in the trenches they would be pulled back to the Brigade reserve billets. During their time there they would rest up, write letters, play baseball and soccer, clean up and have a good bath, enjoy better food, and do repair work or manual labour as needed. During this time they could still be called up as reinforcements to defend against an enemy offensive.

For roughly one week each month soldiers would pull back even further to a Corps Reserve rest camp. Here they would have time for inspection parades, more sports, better food, variety nights, concerts, visiting friends in other units, and time to visit the local sights. All to soon however, they would start a new rotation cycle in the trenches.

War Diary of Alfred Herbert John Andrews

 http://www.canadianletters.ca/content/document-8445?position=1&list=Bi4Vo8WSDucNTvreB_x6P52btRaV9cKPimXOPVFlQNQ

After being in R17 from April 8-16 we were relieved by the 5th and marched back to Dickebusch Huts. It rained during the relief and we all arrived soaking wet. On the 17th I saw Eber Lough, Bob Whitehead (an old footballer of Winnipeg) and a bunch of old Winnipeggers who were with the 43rd Batt.

We went back into the front line on a working party on April 18th and Cpl. Hodges got hit. Next night we started out again but the Hun was putting on a strafe so we turned back. We didn't mind, we weren't in the line.

On April 20th we marched to Poperinghe for a bath. It was my turn off duty so I wished the rest of the boys the best of luck as they left for a working party, and turned in. Next day was also a blank so far as work went but we slept the clock round except for meals.

April 22 was a quiet day but it rained all day and we felt pretty miserable. A concert was arranged for the evening and I undertook to recite some Service poems but I forgot the last part much to the delight of the boys.

Sunday, April 23, we had a church parade at the YMCA hut. No work party for me at night so was able to read the papers that came in the Canadian mail the day before.