The 7th and 8th Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers were part of 49 Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division and received orders around 1 February 1916 to set off for France. The Brigade arrived in Le Havre in mid-February. The slow move forward to the front was by train and marching until arriving in early April in the front line at Hulluch to the north-east of Loos.

The first three weeks were spent learning lessons in how to avoid unnecessary risk and accepting the unavoidable as German snipers and rifle-grenades picked off a few men each day.