Monday 7th February 1916

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

Another quiet day with only limited artillery exchanges to report. Orders were received for the Battalion to be relieved next day by 11^th Northumberland Fusiliers and would return to billets at Fort Rompu. Overnight, one man was wounded. The wounded man was almost certainly Pte. James Barker (12288) who suffered wounds to his left leg and right shoulder; the details of his immediate treatment are unknown but he would admitted to 20^th General Hospital at Camiers on 10^th February. He had been an original member of the Battalion having enlisted in September 1914; he was a 27 year-old textile worker from Bardford and was married, with one daughter.

A/Cpl. John Thomas Matthews (see 5^th January) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 4^th Casualty Clearing Station to 5^th Stationary Hospital at St. Omer, suffering from dental caries.

Pte. Joseph Harry Poole who had been transferred back to England to the Regimental Depot five weeks earlier (see 1^st January) was posted to 11^th Battalion West Riding Regiment, based at Brocton Camp. Cannock Chase, Staffs.

Having reviewed all the various correspondence of the last few months, it was at last ordered that CSM Harry Dewhirst (see 3^rd February) should be sent from the Regimental Depot to 11^th (Reserve) Battalion, with whom he would be employed as an Instructor.

2Lt. John Henry Hitchin, who had been absent without leave from 11^th Battalion West Ridings for more than six weeks (see 27^th January) checked out of the Waterloo Hotel, York Road, Lambeth, where he had stayed for the previous ten days. Whilst staying at the hotel had had cashed a cheque for £10 and had also borrowed £5 on an I.O.U. When he left, he settled his account, amounting to £7 12s. 10d. and redeemed his I.O.U. with a further cheque for £12 12s. 10d. However, it was subsequently found that he had fraudulently attempted to pass these cheques in the name of another officer, whilst his own account, at Cox's Bank, was overdrawn.