Monday 30th November 1914

Plans for an imminent move to barracks at Aldershot were made even more urgent by a period of stormy weather and fierce gales which blew down many of the larger tents at Frensham and caused a considerable amount of damage. Writing some years later, an anonymous officer of the Battalion remembered the stay at Frensham rather more positively than would likely have been true of most of the men:

“The last week of November was very stormy and several of the larger dining tents and the hospital and post office tents were blown down so that the meals had to be issued in the men’s tents. This was a decidedly good experience for some of the men who, up to this time, had never taken the trouble to look after themselves. Throughout the whole period at Frensham the behaviour and keenness of all ranks was excellent. Many of the officers were South-countrymen and they had amusing experiences while trying to learn to understand the Yorkshire dialect. One such officer was somewhat non-plussed in his efforts to discover a particular man’s name as having entirely failed to make out what the man said, he was still further defeated by the fact that the man could not spell his own name and announced himself as a poor speller”.

More men were discharged as being medically unfit, but without any additional information being given as to the reason. Pte. Cyril Earnshaw was a 19 year-old textile worker from Brighouse. Pte. Percy Hirst was a 23 year-old labourer from Gomersal; he was married, with two children. Pte. John Horsfall was a 19 year-old coremaker from Shipley. Pte. James Redmond was a 28 year-old labourer from Bradford.