Sunday 2nd January 1916

Billeted in huts near Rue Marle

There was a considerable improvement in the weather with only light rain falling. British artillery continued their “marked activity all along the line”.  In the late afternoon the Battalion moved forward to relieve 9th Yorkshires in the fire trenches. Tunstill’s Men were the first to move off (although advance parties from each Company had moved into the front line to take over trench stores in mid-afternoon); at 4pm, in light rain, they left their billets and made their way, via Wine Avenue to a position on the right of the Battalion front, just north of Rue du Bois. ‘B’ Company were positioned in the centre and ‘C’ on the Battalion left; ‘D’ Company remained in the Bois Grenier Line, with one platoon at Battalion HQ at Farm du Biez. The reliefs were completed, without casualties, by 7pm, although it was immediately apparent that ‘the Germans appear to be more active here than when we were here previously”.  The evening passed relatively quietly although there was considerable artillery activity on both sides, and one man was wounded. The wounded man may have been Pte. James Mason (see 8^th September 1914), who had been one of Tunstill’s original recruits. Although the exact date of his wounding is not stated, the Craven Herald (14^th January) would report that, “Private James Mason, son of Mrs. Mason, of Calder House has been wounded by a shell near Armentieres, and is now in hospital in England, but we are glad to know that he is progressing favourably”. James Mason was treated in hospital at Stoke-on-Trent, where he would remain for several months.

More men went home to England on one week leave. Among them are known to have been Lt. Dick Bolton (see 23^rd December), Sgt. Arthur Walton (see 14^th November 1915), L. Cpl. Harry Widdup (see 11^th August) and Ptes. Harold Charnock (see below) and Robert Cresswell (see 15^th May). Coincidentally two other men who had originally been members of the Company were also home on leave at the same time.  Both Pte. Wilson Pritchard (see 13^th August 1915) and Pte. Sam Shepherd (see 8th October 1914) had been transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps. Wilson Pritchard had been transferred to serve with the cyclist unit attached to 41^st Division and Shepherd to the 2^nd Divison.

Pte. Harold Charnock was a 30 year-old married man from Halifax.

Pte. John Matthewson Richard Grieves joined the Battalion. He was a 21 year-old clerk from Westminster and had originally volunteered, on 1^st September 1914, to serve with the cavalry. However, in June 1915 he had been transferred to 3DWR and had been posted to France on 18^th December.

Pte. Robert Callaghan of ‘A’ Company suffered an accident, resulting in a sprained ankle; he would be admitted (details unknown) to 18^th General Hospital at Camiers. He was 19 years old but, in the absence of a surviving service record, I am unable to make a positive identification of this man.

Pte. Joseph Wilkinson (see 11^th September 1915) was briefly admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance (cause unknown); he would be discharged the following day and re-join the Battalion.