Wednesday 15th March 1916

Billets in Bruay

A quiet day in fine weather with little to report other than the fact that a German aircraft dropped four bombs on the town at 10pm, but reportedly causing no damage.

With time now to reflect on events, J.B. Priestley wrote home to his family, “And there was snow, sleet, blizzards and about a slice of bread a day to eat. We’ve marched and marched, slept in cellars (a few inches under water) while all around the great shells were roaring and blasting. There are a number of huge military burial places, both French and German, round about and when the big shells ploughed their way into these, the result was gruesome in the extreme. There is nothing in the British line to equal this little lot. However, we are now some way back from the line, billeted in a town.”

Pte. Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 22^nd February 1915) who had been taken ill during training at Frensham in November 1914 and subsequently transferred to 11^th Battalion West Riding Regiment, was examined at West Ham Red Cross Hospital, Basingstoke. He was found to be suffering from tuberculosis and the report detailed his condition: “sinus in right axilla still discharging pus. TB found in discharge from wound. Evidence of considerable collapse of right lung and consolidation TB infiltration right lung”. He would remain in hospital for at least another ten days.


A payment of £5 18s. 11d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Anthony Hudson (see 8^th December 1915), who had been killed in action in December 1915; the payment would go to his married sister, Mrs. Fanny Hall. However, for reasons unknown, only half of the amount was issued.