Sunday 14th November 1915

Billets in Estaires

The Battalion marched seven miles north-east to Rue Marle to rejoin 23^rd Division, arriving at 6.30pm; the War Diary noted that, “The weather for this march was fine, but owing to recent rain, the roads were in a very bad condition”.

The effects of the march and the rigours of the previous weeks were particularly acute for Company Sgt. Major Harry Dewhirst (see 31^st January). He was forty-nine years old and had first joined the ‘Dukes’ as an eighteen year-old in 1885. He had served twenty-one years, including being seriously wounded during the Boer War, before leaving the service in 1906. He had re-joined as a private soldier on 10^th September 1914 and, with his wealth of previous experience, was immediately promoted Company Sergeant Major. While the Battalion was in training and during the early stages of their deployment to the Western Front he had ‘done much valuable work’. Now, however, Lt. Col. Bartholomew (see 27^th October)  reported that Dewhirst was ‘breaking down under the strain of active service under winter conditions’.  On arrival at Rue Marle at 6.30 pm Dewhirst had ‘disappeared and was not seen again until eleven o’clock next morning. He stated that he was dead beat and had gone straight to his billet’.  As a result, Bartholomew had consulted with the Battalion Medical Officer, Lt. Wilson. 

CSM Dewhirst (back left) pictured with fellow snior NCOs's, during training in England

A/L.Cpl. Arthur Walton (see 25^th September) was promoted Sergeant.

L.Cpl. Robert William John Morris (see 9^th October) was promoted Corporal.

L.Cpl. Philip Howard Morris arrived in France, serving with 21^st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers; he would later be commissioned and serve as an officer with Tunstill’s Company. Philip Howard Morris was the son of James and Mary Morris; his father was a Wesleyan Minister who had worked for many years in South Africa before returning to England. Philip himself had been born in Pretoria, as had his two younger sisters. By 1901 the children were back in England in the care of their maternal grandparents. Philip had then attended Kingswood School in Bath before taking up employment as an apprentice mechanical engineer. He had enlisted on 15^th September 1914 and had been promoted LCpl. on 13^th April 1915.