Thursday, 14th January 1915

Three more men were discharged on medical grounds. 

Pte.Charles Belton Eyre (see 29^th December) had been found medically unfit on 29^th December. Charlie Eyre was subsequently awarded the Silver War Badge, given to those who had been discharged on account of illness or injury. Charles married Lily Bland Jackson on September 13^th 1919 and they subsequently had five children - George Richard, Kathleen, Harry, Ruth (better known as 'Bunty') and Charles Belton. Sadly Charles Belton jr didn't survive infancy, having been born and dying in 1927. Charles Belton snr. ran his own haulage company (C.B.Eyre and Sons.). Initially he lived in Thirsk (George Richard was born there) and then moved to Northallerton where they remained. It seems that Charles ran an early, and unofficial, sort of bus service, picking up the farmers' wives from all around the district (Thirsk, Northallerton, Romanby, Lazenby etc) with their produce and taking them to the markets held in the various villages and towns. Lily was well known for her patience and skill with animals and was often called on to look after waifs and strays. Charles died in 1967.

 

(I am indebted to Pat Adams for the information about Charlie’s life after the war).

 

The other men discharged were Ptes. William Lawson (see 7^th September) and William Charles Mullins. Pte. Mullins was a 33 year-old miner from Hunslet; he was discharged on account of having flat feet.

 

Another man, Pte. Tom Snowden, (see 16^th September) was medically examined and found to be suffering from a “left inguinal hernia”. 

At home in Keighley, Florence Teal, wife of Pte. Fred Teal, gave birth to the couple’s second child; a daughter who would be named Dorothy. Fred Teal had enlisted in Keighley in September 1914, having previously served for a period in the territorial battalion. He was 28 years old and had been working as a woolcomber.