The 8th KORL enjoy a concert by the battalion’s band.
On the 8th, Lt.Col. A.J.S. James (formerly of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers) arrives in preparation of taking command of the 8th battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment.
Lt.Col. R.S. Hunt takes his leave of the 8th Battalion King’s Own (Royal Lancaster) Regiment.
In his own memoirs he records :-
[In early] 1918 I made a horrible but great resolve. I’d done 3 ½ years fighting in the front line, & felt myself done-in. Up till then I had not funked, but suddenly I felt I’d lost my nerve, finished. Somehow I dared to go & see a friend of mine commanding the 3rd Division, General Deverall. I put it plainly to him, he gave me 6 months leave for Home Service.
Just 3 weeks into his command of the 8th KORL around noon on the 28th March, Lt. Col. A.J.S. James was commanding the battalion during an attack by the enemy on the British front line at Wancourt when he was hit by a shell and killed instantly. The command was subsequently given to Lt.Col. J.L. Likeman formerly C.O. of the 2nd Suffolk Regiment on 4th April.
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