Sunday 9th January 1916

Billeted in huts near Rue Marle.

Another quiet day, with the weather remaining good and the Battalion again providing working parties. Orders were issued for the Battalion to return, next day, to their former front line positions, relieving 9^th Yorkshires. 

Pte. Jacob Sweeting (see 29^th August 1915) was admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance, suffering from scabies; he would be discharged after ten days treatment.

At some point in January (the exact date has not been established) Pte. Willie Waggitt (see 19^th November 1915) joined Tunstill’s Company; he had originally served with 9DWR but had been wounded in August 1915 and had spent several months in England recovering from his injuries.

Pte. Willie Waggitt

A memorial service was held at the Parish Church in Bolton-by-Bowland in remembrance of Pte. Harold Carey, who had been killed two weeks earlier; he was the older brother of Norman Carey who had been one of Tunstill’s original volunteers (see 27^th December 1915). The service was subsequently reported (14^th January) in the Craven Herald, which also carried extracts from letters from Harold Carey’s fellow soldiers.

BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND - PRIVATE HAROLD CAREY KILLED

Quite a gloom was cast over the village of Bolton by Bowland when the sad news was received from the War Office by Mr. Alfred Carey, of the Copy Nook Hotel, that his son, Harold, was killed instantaneously on December 27th whilst in the trenches in France. Deceased joined the 'A' Company, 6th Duke of Wellington's, twelve months ago, and has been at the Front since the middle of June. Private Carey is, as far as known at present, the first in this parish whose life has been sacrificed for his King and Country, and his father and mother have the sympathy of all who know them.

They have received several letters from the Front, one from Lieutenant Stocks, who says:- "On behalf of the Officers, N.C.O.'s and men I wish to express to you our deepest sympathy in your great loss. Since your son joined us out here he has always shown plenty of pluck and fearlessness, and we are all sorry to lose him."

Pte. F. Clarke writes:- "Just a few lines to tell you of the death of your son Harold. He was my best friend out here. I was with him in the dug-out at the time of his death. We were having a sleep when the dug-out was hit by a German shell, a piece of which hit Harold and he drifted right away. All the boys feel it as if he was our own brother. He was a good soldier, and was liked by all his mates. We had our Christmas dinner together, and he was talking about bringing me to dinner after the war."

Pte. J. F. Core also writes:- "Just a line to let you know how deeply I sympathise with you in the death of your son Harold. Being a mate of mine all the time he was in training and in active service, I thought it was as little as I could to write a few lines to you. He was killed by a shell which came through the dug-out when he was in it. He was killed instantly and was a good soldier, always doing his duty, and was always ready to do a good turn for anybody and I can only say how deeply we all regret to lose such a good pal."

At the Parish Church on Sunday morning hymns which had been special favourites of the dead soldier were sung, and the Rector (the Rev. C. C. Broadhurst) in preaching on the subject of Christ's miracle of changing water into wine continued:- "And then there is the change from life unto death. To some, that change comes gradually but to some it comes suddenly as to Harold Carey, who died on the 27th in his country's service. His passing has brought, or ought to have brought, the war very near to every inhabitant of Bolton; for though some months ago Arthur Bleazard* was reported missing, yet we hope, may we not hope in vain, that he may still be alive, though a prisoner; but Harold Carey is the first on our Bolton list to have given his life in fighting for his country, but in this we feel that he died without pain. We must be more determined than ever to do all that is in our power to carry this war to a righteous conclusion."

After the services, the Prayer of Commendation in the Burial Service was read, and afterwards Mr. Lambert played the Dead March in 'Saul.'

*Arthur Bleazard had been reported missing on 12th August 1915, while serving with 8DWR in the Dardanelles; he was later posted as having been killed on or about that date. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.