Saturday 20th November 1915

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

The day’s entry in the War Diary gives a clear statement of the increasingly difficult conditions occasioned by the approach of severe Winter weather, “Weather began to get very cold. The trenches were in a very muddy condition, but considering the bad weather, were in an exceedingly good state of repair. The danger of 'frost bite' and 'trench foot' has been brought out. Many precautions such as changes of socks, application of whale oil are insisted upon, and have very satisfactory results”.

At 11am a German shrapnel shell burst directly over one of the bays occupied by ‘C’ Company, killing one man outright, and wounding fifteen others, one of whom died shortly afterwards. The man who died of wounds was Sgt. Irvine Ellis (see 2^nd May), whom J.B Priestley described as, ‘my best chum in the Battalion’.  Priestley himself had been away from the Battalion, having been temporarily seconded to a clerical post at III Corps HQ (see 18^th November), but on his return he learnt of his pal’s death from the wounds he had received. His subsequent letter home (written on 3^rd December) gives some sense of the feeling of loss which was such a constant feature of life for men in the front line;

“When I got here on Wednesday, I suffered an enormous shock in learning that Irvine Ellis, my best chum in the Battalion, had been killed while I was away. A shell landed in the middle of a group, wounding fifteen and killing two. Ellis was not killed on the spot, but died a few hours later. Poor Irvine! He enlisted at the same time that I did, and we were together all the time; his cheery companionship helped to lighten many a dark hour. I had a very pathetic letter from his sister last night – there is only his mother and sister at home – saying they had received no official statement but had heard rumours that he had been killed. They couldn’t believe it though and asked me to give them some news. I have written to her this morning.”  

Irvine Ellis (12402) was buried at Sailly-sur-la-Lys Canadian Cemetery, near Estaires. The other man killed was Pte. Ernest Holland (17409); he was buried at “X" Farm Cemetery, La Chapelle d’Armentieres.

Newspaper cutting reporting the death of Sergt. Irvine Ellis. The cutting was included in an album of photographs and press clippings kept by Mrs. Geraldine Tunstill.

Those identified as having been wounded were:

Pte. William Ackroyd; he suffered shrapnel wounds to his right thigh. He was a 31 year-old joiner from Keighley, married with four children; he had been an original member of the Battalion.

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth

Pte. Walter Blamires; the details of his wounds are unknown. He was an 18 year-old wool comb maker from Bradford and had been an original member of the Battalion.

Caulfield

Smith 15656

Smith 13042

All five men were admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 3^rd Casualty Clearing Station at Bailleul and from there onboard no.14 Ambulance Train to Boulogne (details unknown).

2Lt. Harry Harris (see 6th October) wrote to the family of L.Cpl. Noel Bennett with news of their son’s death (see 19^th November); “It is with the deepest regret that I have to tell you of your son Noel's death. It was yesterday morning that it happened. There was one of our men out sniping in front of our lines, when the other man out with him returned to tell us he had been hit. When your son heard this, he was out after him, but as where the man lying wounded was in a very exposed position, they saw him, and, poor chap, he was hit through the head, and death was instantaneous. Words of mine are inadequate to you in your terrible loss, but he died like a man and a soldier, trying to rescue a wounded comrade. Your son had been in my platoon ever since he joined the battalion. He was always a good worker and always of good cheer. In him I have lost one of my best men. I shall always remember him as a fearless lad. He was always one of the first to come forward on any work that was at all risky. I myself used always to want him, because he could be relied on. He was most popular with everybody. The chaplain will write and tell you where he is laid to rest. May I take this opportunity of conveying to you, his parents, my deepest sympathy and condolences”.

L.Cpl. Henry Markham (see 17^th May) was promoted Corporal.

A Brigade order was issued for all bombs, other than those of ‘patterns 3 and 5’ were to be withdrawn from all units; this decision followed a serious accident a week earlier at the Brigade bomb school (see 15^th November).