Thursday 6th July 1916

Becourt Wood

There was a pause in the British attacks on Contalmaison as the day was spent consolidating the new line established the previous day. The Battalion spent the fine, clear day resting, with men cleaning equipment and, in the words of the War Diary, “relating to each other their past recent experiences”. In the afternoon, the bodies of the four officers killed the previous day were buried at Becourt Military Cemetery, Becourt-Becordel. Capt. Carpenter, Lt. Hammond, Lt. Lavarack and 2Lt. Taylor (see 5^th July) were interred alongside each other, along with Pte. Field. A report given by Pte. Eber Sykes, was subsequently recorded: “Informant states that, at about 6pm on 5^th July, between Fricourt and Contalmaison, this officer was killed by a shell, just as he had consolidated the position and completed his preparations for an attack. He motioned to his men to go on, and died. “No finer fellow ever lived”. He had recently been home on extended leave; but no sooner had he heard that this advance was to be made than he hurried back and told the men how afraid he had been of being left behind. He was a most splendid officer, full of grit and pluck. His body was fetched in on the following morning and buried in the afternoon. Only a notification board marks his grave; a cross will be put up later. Informant was not actually at the burial, but witnessed it a little way off up the hillside where he was on watch duty. His statements will be corroborated, if necessary, by Pte. Edward Anderson (see 19^th December 1915) in B Company of the 10^th Battalion. The Captain was a well set up man with sparse hair, and came from London”.

Capt. H.M.S. Carpenter

Photo by kind permission of Henry Bolton

It seems likely that it was on this day that CSM Hirst (I am currently unable to identify this man) wrote a letter home, extracts from which would subsequently (15^th July) be published in The Halifax Courier; “The Boche, when he found that we had him beaten, started to give themselves up in hundreds, but their own artillery and machine guns were turned on them, causing a lot of casualties. We searched the captured places and also had conversations with some of the prisoners who told us that they receive one loaf, weight about 1 ½ lbs., which looked very unwholesome and a small tin of bully beef every four days. You should have seen them wolf the biscuits we gave them. They went at them as if they hadn’t had anything to eat for a week. Of course we were bound to have casualties, but I am thankful to say we had very few killed and the majority of the wounded were only slight. I have belonged to the West Riding Regiment for 12 years but the day of our success was my proudest day and we were the talk of all the troops here. I am pleased to say that a lot of the lads belong to Halifax and district, including RSM Headings (RSM John William Headings, see 7^th June) and CSM Swan (CSM Alfred Swan, see 11^th January), the late Halifax footballer, who I am pleased to say got through it scathless. Well, if things go on as successfully as they are doing at present, I am looking forward to a speedy conclusion of the war. The facts are that the Boche is absolutely sickened of it all and our lads are only just beginning”.

At 7 pm, with a continuing threat of German shelling of Becourt Wood, the Battalion was ordered to move a little further to the rear to bivouac in fields south of Albert, where they arrived at 8.30 pm; on arrival, “A good square meal was provided for all ranks”. Though out of the firing line, the continuing difficult conditions experienced by the men were referred to in a subsequent letter from Brig. Genl. Lambert to the Lord Mayor of Bradford: “The troops were relieved, but the greater part found little comfort or rest in the sodden ground in front of the lines of our guns which remained day and night continuously in action”.

Following the recent losses among the officers of the Battalion, there was extra responsibility for others; among them appear to have been 2Lt. Frank Redington (see 23^rd May) of Tunstill’s Company and  Lt. George Reginald Charles Heale, MC (see 12th June); although formal promotion for both would only be confirmed some time later.

Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale

2Lt. John Redington (see 23^rd May) reported sick and left the Battalion; he had suffered with illness ever since joining the Battalion the previous November; it was reported that, “This officer has been suffering from extreme weakness for the past six months in France. He was unable to march without pain, which was chiefly located in the left inguinal region. The pain is attributed to adhesions in the appendicular region.” He was the younger brother of 2Lt. Frank Redington (see above).

L.Cpl. Fred Swale (see 27^th August 1915) was promoted (unpaid) Corporal. Pte. Reyner Sutcliffe (see 24^th December 1915) was appointed Lance Corporal.

L.Cpl, Fred Swale

Photo by kind permission of Joan Rigg and family

Pte. Robert Cresswell (see 26^th June ) was transferred from no.3 Convalescent Hospital at Le Treport to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, prior to being re-posted to active service.

Pte. Robert Wilson Irving (see 7^th April), who had been under treatment for shellshock in England for the previous three months was sufficiently recovered to be posted to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead.

L.Cpl. Arthur Halstead, (see 25^th January) was commissioned Second Lieutenant; he would be posted to 10DWR. 

L. Cpl. Philip Howard Morris (see 24^th March) and  L.Cpl Fred Helliwell Baume (see 24^th April), having both completed their officer training at Denham, were commissioned Second Lieutenants; both would be posted to 10DWR and Morris would serve with Tunstill’s Company.

An Army Medical Board considered the case of Pte. James Hatton Kershaw (see 23^rd June) who had been posted back to England two weeks previously, suffering from tuberculosis. The Board found that, “Originated March 1916 in France. Began with a cold followed by cough and later shortness of breath on exertion. Losing weight. Sputum, 2ozs. mucoprevalent; TB present. Cough moderate irritating. No haemoptysis. Night sweats moderate. Crepilation at apex. Accepts sanatorium benefit”. The Board found him to be unfit for further service and totally incapacitated; he was to be discharged from the Army. He was awarded a pension of £1 7s. 6d. per week and would be admitted to the Cardigan Sanatorium in Wakefield.