Thursday 2nd March 1916

Hesdigneul

The Battalion formed up at 8.45am and marched two miles south to Haillicourt to be inspected by Sir Henry Wilson, commanding IV Corps.  Around this time the Battalion had been issued with their first steel helmets and Wilson was keen to see them in action. Lt. Dick Bolton (see 27^th February) described the result,

“To test the serviceability of the new steel helmets which had shortly before been issued to a few men in each Company, he (Wilson) had them drawn up in a line and ordered them to charge across a field. The new issue was then still very unpopular, so all concerned took good care that the helmets fell off with as much noise as possible. The General saw the funny side of it, but as you know, the display did not result in ‘battle-bowlers’ being withdrawn”.

Pte. Francis Herbert Maltby, known as ‘Bert’ was admitted to 4^th Stationery Hospital at Arques, suffering from debility. Bert Maltby was one of the Keighley volunteers who had been added to Gilbert Tunstill’s Company. He was the son of Joseph and Sarah Maltby (Joseph had died in 1904) and had enlisted aged 20; before joining up he had been apprenticed to Mr. Arthur Tillotson, painter and decorator, Keighley. He was associated with the Devonshire Street, Congregational Church, being a member of the Young Men’s Class.

Pte. Francis Herbert Maltby

Pte. William Andrew Leiper Long (see 27^th January) was discharged from 5^th Convalescent Depot at Wimereux and posted to 23^rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples; he would be posted back to 10DWR four days later.