"Which May, If Successful, Bring About The End Of The War In A Short Time"
On 24th July 1917, Signaller Sydney Fuller wrote in his diary; "The Archbishop of York gave the 53rd Brigade an address or sermon, his "text" being part of the 20th verse of the 6th Chapter, 1st Epistle to Timothy - "Keep that which is committed to your trust" he said "you must all do your best in the coming operations, which may, if successful, bring about the end of the war in a short time."
The Archbishop's sermon was preached from the rear of a G.S. Wagon drawn up in the centre of a hollow square. For some there, his words brought comfort, to others, they meant little. Some of those men of the 8th Battalion had now, seen almost three years of war. Some has turned their back upon religion, others had turned towards it for comfort and guidance.
Such a high profile figure, signified to the Battalion than the next great push was drawing very close. The Battalion's move from old Somme battlefields north into Belgium gave an indication of where the next major offensive would be launched. The following day, Fuller and the rest of the Battalion's Signallers, Pioneers and Drummers; those who were not going into the line, were moved into a Brigade rest camp, where the following day, they were shown maps of where the attack would be launched.
As that day drew near, final checks were made of signalling equipment and last minute courses were hurriedly rushed through to ensure that all signallers were proficient. As the artillery build-up began prior to the infantry's advance, Fuller noted that "our guns were very active."