Friday 10th September 1915

Billets between Vieux Berquin and Oultersteene.

The Battalion remained in billets. 

At 7pm, half of each of 11^th West Yorkshires and 9^th Yorkshires became the first elements of 69^th Brigade to enter the trenches as they were attached to units of 81^st Brigade for twenty-four hours in front line trenches south-east of Bois Grenier.

Under the headline, “Teaching ‘Broad Yorkshire’ to the French”, The Todmorden & District News published extracts from a letter written by L.Cpl. Herbert Bowker (see below) describing some of his recent experiences:

“Lance Corporal Herbert Bowker, 10^th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, writes to a Colden friend that he is just getting used to his new surroundings with the B.E.F. and up to the time of writing he is all right and ‘in the pink’. ‘Thanks to our vigilant navy nothing untoward happened to spoil a splendid voyage across the Channel, where the sea was as calm as a duck pond and you can guess that we were elated at finding ourselves safely on French soil’. During the railway journey that followed he makes allusion to the large number of women at work in the fields and on the railway. No young men are kept at home on such jobs there. He is convinced that under the leadership of such a Colonel and officers that their battalion will do well against the Germans. ‘It will take a lot to damp the spirits of our lads (he continues). There is plenty to amuse out here, especially when trying to make French people understand broad Yorkshire; the more you try to explain it makes confusion worse confounded. I used to be told that a feather bed makes one dream, but if I got the chance to sleep in one I would risk it for a week or so’. Cpl. Bowker wishes to be remembered to the boys at Jack Bridge and says he would like to be able to send on a Jack Johnson for inspection and be glad to receive a copy of the local paper as it is interesting to know if there is anything fresh stirring Colden way up.”

Herbert Bowker was a 21 year-old cotton weaver; originally from Burnley he had been living at Blackshaw, near Heptonstall. He was married with one daughter.

The London Gazette published news of the award of the Military Cross to Capt. Thomas Lewis Ingram, RAMC, (see 9^th August); he was the elder brother of Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 9th September), one of the officers of Tunstill’s Company. The citation detailed Ingram’s actions:

“For conspicuous devotion to duty and energy at Hooge. He was evacuating wounded from the front trenches almost without cessation the entire nights of 9^th and 10^th August 1915, and his indomitable energy and resource were the means of saving the lives of many severely wounded officers and men. He has previously done consistently good work”.