At 3.45 pm the men formed up and marched eight miles to new
billets in the Bois de Bouvigny over very bad roads, ending with a steep climb
which meant that “the men were thoroughly tired out” by 8pm when they finally
reached their billets. Lt. Dick Bolton (see 2nd March) remembered conditions in rather more
detail, “The new position was a camp of wooden huts at the western edge of the
Bouvigny Wood on the Lorette Spur. Once the filthy mess of broken food and
other rubbish left by the French had been cleared out of the huts, everyone
settled down in comparative comfort. It was of course too good to continue for
long”.
About midnight a new draft of NCOS’s and men reported for duty. A number of men from this draft have been identified. A/CQMS George Lister Mayman was a regular soldier with 11 years service, most recently been serving with 11DWR. He was 32 years old, from Dewsbury and was married but had no children. Pte. Michael Bowen was a 39 year-old cotton weaver from Colne. He had volunteered in September 1914 and, being a former regular soldier, had been posted out to France to 2DWR on 3rd November. He had been posted back to England (details unknown) in May 1915 and had served with 3DWR. Pte. John Henry Crawshaw was a 22 year-old iron turner from Skelmanthorpe; he had enlisted in August 1914 and had been posted to Gallipoli with 8DWR in July 1915. He had been wounded in August 1915, suffering wounds to his right arm, and had been evacuated to England. Pte. Herbert Fogg was a 21 year-old woodworking machinist from Halifax. Pte. Thomas Kay was only 18 years old and originally from Blackburn, but had more recently been living, with his parents and younger sister, in Colne. He had enlisted in April 1915, claiming to be 19, although in fact he was only 16 at the time and had been working as a cotton weaver. He had trained with 3DWR and, in June 1915 had been recommended for medical discharge due to “stiffness of hip joint as a result of dislocation 8 months ago. He is not likely to make an efficient soldier”. However, on further examination the recommendation had been rejected by another officer of the RAMC who stated, “I see no reason to recommend this man’s discharge – all movements of hip are perfect”. He had three previous charges on his record, having twice been found drunk during training and once absent without leave for three days. Thomas Kay had then been posted to France on 18th December 1915, spending three months at no.34 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, where he was trained as a stretcher bearer, before being posted to 10 DWR on 1st March 1916, joining the Battalion five days later. Pte. George William Keeling was a 23 year-old woolcomber from Bradford. He had enlisted in August 1914 and had been posted to Gallipoli with 8DWR in July 1915. He had been posted back to England in October 1915, suffering from frost-bitten feet and had spent three months in hospital in Eastleigh and Manchester before being posted to 11DWR. He had then been posted out to France on 25th February. Pte. Ernest Pearson was 30 years old and married with one daughter. Though originally from Tadcaster, he had been living in Listerhills, Bradford where he had worked in the textile mills. He had served three years with 1DWR between 1904 and 1907, including two years in India and had then been on the Army Reserve for a further seven years before being mobilized on the outbreak of war. He had gone to France with 2DWR on 31st August 1914 and had been slightly wounded in November. He had then spent six months in England before returning to 2DWR in France in May 1915 before again being posted back to England, wounded, in September 1915, since when he had been with 3DWR at North Shields.
L.Cpl. Matthew Best
(see 1st March) and Pte. Harry Wood (see 25th
February), both of whom had been injured in January and had been in
hospital, re-joined the Battalion.About midnight a new draft of NCOS’s and men reported for duty. A number of men from this draft have been identified. A/CQMS George Lister Mayman was a regular soldier with 11 years service, most recently been serving with 11DWR. He was 32 years old, from Dewsbury and was married but had no children. Pte. Michael Bowen was a 39 year-old cotton weaver from Colne. He had volunteered in September 1914 and, being a former regular soldier, had been posted out to France to 2DWR on 3rd November. He had been posted back to England (details unknown) in May 1915 and had served with 3DWR. Pte. John Henry Crawshaw was a 22 year-old iron turner from Skelmanthorpe; he had enlisted in August 1914 and had been posted to Gallipoli with 8DWR in July 1915. He had been wounded in August 1915, suffering wounds to his right arm, and had been evacuated to England. Pte. Herbert Fogg was a 21 year-old woodworking machinist from Halifax. Pte. Thomas Kay was only 18 years old and originally from Blackburn, but had more recently been living, with his parents and younger sister, in Colne. He had enlisted in April 1915, claiming to be 19, although in fact he was only 16 at the time and had been working as a cotton weaver. He had trained with 3DWR and, in June 1915 had been recommended for medical discharge due to “stiffness of hip joint as a result of dislocation 8 months ago. He is not likely to make an efficient soldier”. However, on further examination the recommendation had been rejected by another officer of the RAMC who stated, “I see no reason to recommend this man’s discharge – all movements of hip are perfect”. He had three previous charges on his record, having twice been found drunk during training and once absent without leave for three days. Thomas Kay had then been posted to France on 18th December 1915, spending three months at no.34 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, where he was trained as a stretcher bearer, before being posted to 10 DWR on 1st March 1916, joining the Battalion five days later. Pte. George William Keeling was a 23 year-old woolcomber from Bradford. He had enlisted in August 1914 and had been posted to Gallipoli with 8DWR in July 1915. He had been posted back to England in October 1915, suffering from frost-bitten feet and had spent three months in hospital in Eastleigh and Manchester before being posted to 11DWR. He had then been posted out to France on 25th February. Pte. Ernest Pearson was 30 years old and married with one daughter. Though originally from Tadcaster, he had been living in Listerhills, Bradford where he had worked in the textile mills. He had served three years with 1DWR between 1904 and 1907, including two years in India and had then been on the Army Reserve for a further seven years before being mobilized on the outbreak of war. He had gone to France with 2DWR on 31st August 1914 and had been slightly wounded in November. He had then spent six months in England before returning to 2DWR in France in May 1915 before again being posted back to England, wounded, in September 1915, since when he had been with 3DWR at North Shields.
 |
| L.Cpl. Matthew Best |
Capt. Adrian O’Donnell
Pereira (see 28th December
1915), one of the original officers of ‘D’ Company, who had been taken ill
in October 1915, and, following his recovery had been serving with 11th
Battalion in England, returned to France. However, he did not immediately
re-join 10DWR; his precise whereabouts at this time have not been established.
 |
| Capt. Adrian O’Donnell Pereira |
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