Sunday 14th May 1916

Front line trenches west of Angres

The weather remained cold, though dry. There was again little to report; however, a number of rifle grenades were fired against ‘A’ Company’s positions, with one man reported wounded. The man wounded was Pte. George Edward Western (see 4^th April); he suffered wounds to his abdomen, chest and right arm and would be treated at one of the local Casualty Clearing Stations where an operation would be carried out (details unknown).

L.Cpl. James Gordge (see 3^rd February) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance at Fosse 10 and 23^rd Casualty Clearing Station at Lozinghem (16^th May) to 11^th Stationary Hospital at Rouen (17^th May), onboard no.9 Ambulance Train; he was suffering from influenza.


L.Cpl. Matthew Best (see 12^th May) and Ptes. Thomas Grady (see 12^th May), John William Smith (11986) (see 12^th May) and Fred Wainman (see 12^th May) were transferred from 22^nd Casualty Clearing Station at Lapugnoy to 4th Stationary Hospital at Arques, onboard no.9 Ambulance Train; they were suffering from ‘dental caries’.

L.Cpl. Matthew Best

A report of the court appearance of the previous day of John Henry Hitchin (see 13^th May) was published in The Sunday Chronicle:

PROMOTION LEADS TO DOWNFALL

Prisoner to be Given a Chance of Re-Enlisting

At Tower Bridge Police Court yesterday, John Henry Hitchin (26), bank clerk, of Long Preston, Yorkshire, was charged on remand with forging and uttering cheques at the Waterloo Hotel, York Road, Lambeth, and further, with obtaining credit by false pretences. On the last occasion, Mr. Percy Robinson, who defended, made a strong appeal for special leniency. The prisoner, who was well connected, joined the army as a private, but was given a commission, and this promotion lead to his downfall. He mixed with persons of a higher rank in life and of extravagant habits, and eventually he was discharged from the army for being absent without leave. Mr. Robinson now said he had made enquiries and found that there would be no difficulty in the prisoner re-enlisting as a private, if the magistrate took a certain course. The magistrate dealt with the case as one of stealing by a trick, and placed the prisoner on probation for twelve months.

John Henry Hitchin, pictured while serving with Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders