Thursday 30th September 1915

Billeted in huts near Rue Marle

C and D Companies (along with one Company from the Brigade pioneer battalion, 9^th South Staffs.) were ordered to occupy a section of the Bois Grenier Line running roughly from Bois Grenier village itself, north-east in the direction of Chapelle d'Armentieres, relieving 8^th Yorkshires who had been holding those positions since their withdrawal from the front line on 27^th September. The two Companies were under the command of 2IC, Major Lewis Ernest Buchanan (see 13^th September). 

Photograph from the collection of Capt. H.L. Oakley, 8th Yorkshires; by kind permission of Jerry Rendell (for more on Capt. Oakley see Jerry's excellent book, Profiles of the First World War/; The Silhouettes of Captain H.L. Oakley

Photograph from the collection of Capt. H.L. Oakley, 8th Yorkshires; by kind permission of Jerry Rendell (for more on Capt. Oakley see Jerry's excellent book, Profiles of the First World War/; The Silhouettes of Captain H.L. Oakley

Sketch by Capt. H.L. Oakley, 8th Yorkshires; by kind permission of Jerry Rendell (for more on Capt. Oakley see Jerry's excellent book, Profiles of the First World War/; The Silhouettes of Captain H.L. Oakley

Pte. William Henry Bower was admitted to 4^th Stationery Hospital at Arques, suffering from scabies; he would be discharged to duty and re-join the Battalion on 4^th October. He was a 21 year-old woolcomber from Girlington, Bradford and had married in April 1915.

Pte. Willie Burley who had been wounded on 22^nd September and evacuated to England (see also 24^th September) died at 1^st Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge. He was nineteen years old and he would be buried at St. Mary’s, Walmer, Kent, near the home of his closest relative, an unmarried sister.