Thursday 18th May 1916

Billets at Sains-en-Gohelle (Coron Fosse 10)

The weather remained good and conditions were generally quiet, although it was noted that there was, “much aircraft activity also a desultory kind of bombardment”.

J.B. Priestley wrote home to his family, and his reference to the awful conditions recently endured and his hope for a ‘blighty’ wound, give a telling insight into what may have been the prevailing mood of many of the men: “We came out of the trenches last night after spending five days in the firing line, and we shall be going in again in a day or night (sic). Our trenches around here are very close to the Germans and in consequence, every form of death and destruction abounds. Rifle grenades, trench mortars (minnenwerfers or “sausages” – bombs bigger than a Rugby football), aerial torpedoes, are sent over into our trenches at regular intevals, and underneath there are mines ready to be blown at any minute. A rifle grenade caused my wound (referring to his having been wounded in January; see 22^nd January); it dropped right into the bay of the trench I was in, and killed one and wounded four. I’ve had some very narrow escapes from them this last day or two, and since I got wounded, they’ve made me rather nervy. The part of the line we hold now is absolute ‘hell’; the French said it was the worst part of their line, not counting Verdun at the present time.

As I told you, the battalion had been about fifteen to twenty miles back for a fortnight’s “rest”, and then we came back in the train to a little town about six miles from the firing line (see 11^th May). Our train was just steaming into the station when the Germans started shelling it, because it is the railhead – the furthest point the railway reaches. Enormous 12 inch shells dropped all about us – the engine driver bolted, so we were left about twenty minutes in the train, every minute expecting a shell to hit it. But not one did, though the carriages were well battered with shrapnel, and eventually we backed out of the station and were landed a couple of miles back.

One night while I was at the Base (see 16^th April for Priestley’s account of his stay at Etaples), a Zeppelin dropped four bombs on the camp, killing and wounding a few. The Zepp bombs make a nice hole and a tidy noise, but as an experience it’s small beer. I’ve given over thinking about passes. Never mind, I shall be home with a ‘blighty’ soon … We were near the first aid Dressing Station this morning and there I saw the body of a young lad of 18, who came into the trenches last night for the first time, and was shot through the head. Fate seems to have a grim and gruesome humour of her own, and out here she sometimes exercises it. There were two Derby men with the battalion on our left in the trenches – I mean amongst others of course – and these two, not used to the hard conditions out here, complained bitterly of cold feet. The same day a shell came and whipped both feet off one man and one off the other.” 

Having been asked for his recommendation in the case of 2Lt. William Neville Dawson (see 17^th May), who had been reported as being unfit to continue as a platoon officer, Lt.Col. Hayne, commanding 10DWR, made a swift and direct reply: “I do not consider this officer suitable for employment in the field, I therefore recommend his services being dispensed with on being sent home”.

Ptes. Thomas Grady (see 14^th May) and John William Smith (11986) (see 14^th May) were discharged from no.4 Stationary Hospital, Arques, following treatment for ‘dental caries’, and posted to 23^rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples. Both men would subsequently be classified fit only for Permanent Base Duties and would serve in various capacities with 8^th Division.

Payment of the amount due from his army pay was made to the relatives of Pte. Ernest Varley (see 20^th March) who had been killed in action on 20^th March. In accordance with the will he had made in September 1915, two of his brothers, James and Joseph were each paid £4 7s 10d, both of his parents having died before the war.

A pension award was made in respect of the late Sgt.Charles McCusker (see 28^th January), who had been killed in an accident at the Brigade bomb school in November 1915; his widow, Lilian, was awarded 16s. per week.

Sgt. Charles McCusker

L.Cpl. Sam Benjamin Farrant was transferred from 23^rd Division Cyclist Company to join 2^nd Battalion East Lancs. Regiment; he would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR. Born 18^th September 1894, he was one of three surviving children of Alfred and Martha Farrant (three other children had died). Alfred was a coal miner and both Sam and his older brother Alfred jnr. followed their father into the pits. Sam had enlisted on 2^nd September 1914, initially joining 8^th King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, before being transferred, in January 1915, to 23^rd Division Cyclist Company, with whom he disembarked in France on 25^th August 1915, by which time he had been promoted Lance Corporal.

2Lt. Eric John Lassen arrived in France en route to join 10DWR. Eric was born at Mount Royd, Manningham, Bradford on 2^nd April 1894. He was the youngest of four children of Albert William Lassen and Louise Agnes (Phillip). His father was a yarn, wool, tops, and stuff merchant and Eric and his siblings joined the family business. He had applied for a commission on 8^th December 1914, citing two months with the Oxford University OTC as his sole military experience. He was formally commissioned on 20^th December and posted to the West Riding Regiment on 2^nd January 1915. He had remained in England since then and had clearly become especially proficient in signals, as, on 3^rd April 1916, he had been appointed Temporary Captain (though without the pay and allowances of that rank), whilst employed as a Brigade Signals Officer.