Saturday 21st August 1915

Preparations for the departure of 69^th Brigade continued, with the departure of officers for boarding and landing duties to Folkestone and Le Havre. Among these the representative from 10DWR was Capt. Herbert Montagu Soames Carpenter (see 19^th May).

Cpl. Herbert Lawton (see 22^nd July) was promoted Sergeant.

It seems likely to have been around this time, although the precise date has not been established, that a formal photograph of ‘A’ Company (Tunstill’s Company) was taken. The photograph features seven officers and 168 other ranks, of whom twenty-two have been positively identified.

In the image above these men have been indicated by lettering the rows A to H starting from the back row and within each row numbering from the left.

A7           Pte. Fred Benson (see 16^th September 1914)

A14        Pte. Reuben Smith (see 7^th September 1914)

A15        Pte. Johnny Smith (see 9^th October 1914)

C13         Pte. George Binns (see below)

C16         Pte. George Smith (see below)

E3           Pte. Arthur Hargreaves (see 27^th March)

E4           Pte. Charlie Branston (see 7^th May)

E5           Pte. Tommy Cartman (see 7^th May)

F3           Pte. Hugh Robinson (see 21^st September 1914)

F13         Pte. Clifford Unwin (see below)

G1          Cpl. Norman Roberts (see 30^th October 1914)

G3          Sgt. William Eley (see 30^th July)

G4          Sgt. William Edward Gibson (see 7^th April)

G5          Sgt. Kayley Earnshaw (see 11^th December 1914)

G6          Sgt. Samuel Collins (see 21^st December 1914)

G8          Cpl. William Oldfield (see 29^th July)

G10        2Lt. Harry Harris (see 7th April)

G12        Maj. Harry Hildyard (see 26th June)

G14        Capt. Gilbert Tunstill (see passim)

G15        2Lt. Frederick Hird (see 8^th January)

G16        CQMS Frank Stephenson (see 12^th June)

G23        Pte. Kit Ralph (see 8^th September 1914)

G24        L. Cpl. John Hartley (see 10^th July)

George Binns had enlisted in Ilkey at the age of just 17 (he was born in May 1897) and was the second son of George and Mary Binns. His father was a joiner working on the Bolton Abbey Estate. Prior to the War George jnr. had been a member of the Barden Church Choir and had been working for Mr. George Atkinson, Low House, Barden. His elder brother, Charles (himself aged only 19) had already enlisted and had joined 8^th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s.

Clifford George Unwin had enlisted on his twenty-second birthday in September 1914, having previously served four years with the Territorials. He was the son of Samuel Unwin but had been living in Skipton with his married sister, Blanche (McEnnerney), following his mother’s death. Clifford had been working as a twister and loomer for Messrs. Rose, Hewitt, and Co. before joining the Army.

George Smith was aged just 15 (born 14th October 1898) when he volunteered in Keighley on 20th September 1914. He was the youngest of seven children of Joseph and Martha Jane Smith. Joseph was the Superintendent at the local waterworks and the family lived at 16 Drake Street, Keighley. George, like his two elder brothers, Joseph Yeoman Smith and John Midgeley Smith, worked as a sheet metal worker and all three brothers joined the forces. 

George Smith also features (back row, third from left) in a second photograph almost certainly taken around the same time. This features the Battalion Signals Section, with it’s officer, 2Lt. Robert Clement Perks (see 28^th February), seated, fourth from left, who would subsequently be closely associated with Tunstill’s Company.

Pte. George Smith pictured in his original 'Kitchener Blues' uniform
(Photo by kind permission of Robert Smith)

Pte. George Smith pictured in service' uniform, with signallers' insignia
(Photo by kind permission of Robert Smith)

10th Battalion Signals Section
(Photo by kind permission of Robert Smith)

Pte. Percy John Tolley, serving with 1^st/4^th DWR, was killed in action; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. He was the brother of L.Cpl. Alvin Edmond Tolley, (see 20^th July).