Sunday 19th March 1916

Billets at Coron Fosse 10

Advance parties moved forward to the trenches in the morning while the rest of the Battalion began their move from 5.30pm, calling at Bully Grenay to collect 350 pairs of “gumboots” on their way to the line. The relief was duly completed without incident. ‘A’ Company were positioned on the right of the Battalion front, with ‘B’ and ‘D’ north of them and ‘C’ in close support. Quartermaster stores and transport lines were located in Sains-en-Gohelle and all water used in the front line had to be carried in tins, in darkness, over two miles from the town of Bully Grenay. Although the German lines were only some 60 yards away, conditions were generally quiet, with some aeroplane activity overhead. The relieved Battalion, 2^nd Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, had recently commented on conditions in the sector, “the weather was fine and not so very clear, consequently enemy artillery not so troublesome. Their snipers are now more active than on first coming into this line, but they do no harm. Many trenches and parapets reframed and improved. The full supply of SAA boxes and grenades were placed in the line before relief on the 19^th by 10^th West Riding Regt.” 

L.Cpl. Joseph Fieldhouse (see 9^th March), who had been wounded on 9^th March, died of his wounds at 18^th Casualty Clearing Station at Lapugnoy; he would be buried at Lapugnoy Military Cemetery. His widow would receive letters from Rev. W. Whitehead, a chaplain at the CCS, and from Sister Jean Murray, who would tell her that L.Cpl. Fieldhouse had been “such a good patient and gave himself every chance and was very keen to get home to you”.

Pte. Cecil Stanley Pitblado (see 9^th March), who had been wounded ten days previously, was evacuated to England from 11^th Stationary Hospital in Rouen, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship St. Patrick; on arrival in England he would be admitted to Stoke-upon-Trent War Hospital.

Trooper Claude Darwin, after serving just a week with 5^th AASC (see 12^th March) was again admitted to hospital. He was diagnosed as suffering from nephritis and was sent to hospital in Sohag, Egypt. He was the brother of Tunstill recruit, Pte. Tom Darwin, who had himself been only recently been discharged from hospital (see 11^th March).