Monday 21st August 1916

Reserve trenches south-west of Ploegsteert Wood

The main purpose of their stay in the reserve lines was revealed to the men. Secret orders had been received before the Battalion had moved forward which had provided for a large working party to dig a new section of trench on the front line north-east of Ploegsteert Wood. There was currently a weakness in the British positions because a slight rise in the ground in No Man’s Land south of Prowse Point meant that a section of the German front line could not be seen from the British trenches. The Battalion was to dig 400 yards of new trench south east from Prowse Point which would straighten and advance the British line and bring it within 120 yards of the Germans.

The working party was assembled for inspection at 11am under the command of Major Robert Harwar Gill (see 13^th August), with Capt. Tunstill as the ‘supervising officer’ and comprised of 12 officers and 350 men and 35 NCO’s assembled from all four Companies. Along with Tunstill himself, ‘A’ Company provided 100 men and 10 NCO’s led by 2Lts. Harry Harris (see 10^th April) and Frank Redington (see 29^th July). Capts. John Atkinson (see 29^th July), James Christopher Bull (see 18^th August) and Adrian O’Donnell Pereira (see 5^th May) were in charge of the other Companies’ contingents. The other officers engaged were 2Lts. Ernest George Costello (see 19^th August), David Lewis Evans (see 30^th July), Howard Thurston Hodgkinson (see 30^th July), Henry Kelly (see 17^th August) and Henry Herbert Owen Stafford (see 2^nd August).

The working party commenced its task after dark on 21^st and by 3.30 am on 22^nd the digging of the new trench had been “successfully accomplished … without alarming the enemy”. The new trench was duly named ‘The West Riding Trench’. However, the party had suffered two men killed, one died of wounds and five others wounded as a result of “stray bullets”. One of the men killed was ‘Tunstill’s Man’, Acting Sgt. Albert Herd (see 3^rd August), who had only recently written home with positive news of his progress. The other two man killed was Pte. Edgar Preston; he was a 20 year-old warehouseman from Bradford and had been posted to 10DWR at some point in 1916 (date and details unknown). The man who died from wounds was Pte. Frank Horner (see 6^th June). All three men would be buried at Berks Cemetery Extension, west of Ploegsteert Wood.

Sgt. Albert Herd

Four of the wounded men have been identified. Pte. Albert Ellis (see 22^nd June) suffered wounds to his left arm; he would be evacuated to England on 24^th August and admitted to Redburn Auxiliary Hospital in Eastbourne. Pte. Joseph Leonard Holmes (see 6^th June) suffered a relatively minor wound to his left forearm and appears to have been treated locally. At least one man was wounded. Pte. Thomas Robinson (16490) (see 19^th November 1915) suffered facial wounds; he would be evacuated to England on 24^th August and admitted to Lord Derby’s War Hospital in Warrington. Pte. Albert John Start (see 4^th May) suffered wounds to his left arm; he would be admitted to 8^th Stationary Hospital at Wimereux.

Ptes. Daniel Brennan (see 29^th July) and Isaac Robinson (see 17^th July) had been reported by Sgt. Edgar Shuttleworth (see 6^th August) as “unshaven on am parade”; on the orders of Capt. James Christopher Bull (see above) both were to be confined to barracks for three days.

Former member of Tunstill’s Company, Acting Sgt. George Clark (see 12^th August), now serving with ASC, Motor Transport Section, based at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire embarked with his unit for France.