Friday 22nd September 1916

Reserve trenches east of Pozieres

The Battalion provided a burial party for the internment of two British and 21 German soldiers. Orders were received that the Battalion was to be relieved by 13^th Durham Light Infantry and would withdraw to positions in and around Shelter Wood, south-west of Contalmaison, close to the German frontline of 1^st July. Advance parties departed at 10am to be guided to their new tents and bivouacs. The continued risk of German shelling was reflected in a Brigade order which stated simply that, “Any movement taking place during daylight will be by small parties at large intervals” the relief began from 5.10pm and was completed, without incident, by 7pm. 

2Lt. Frederick Lowther Dawson Barker (see 29th July), who had served with ‘A’ Company since joining the Battalion four months earlier was taken ill and left the Battalion. The circumstances of his illness have not yet been established, but he was to spend more than a year away from the Battalion before returning. 

Capt. James Christopher Bull (see 13^th September), commanding ‘D’ Company, was taken ill and admitted to hospital (details and location unknown); he was found to be suffering from the symptoms of paratyphoid.

Capt. J.C. Bull

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Pte. Harold Best (see 29^th July) reported sick, suffering from “PUO” (pyrexia, or raised temperature, of unknown origin); he was admitted to 13^th Casualty Clearing Station and would be transferred to 19^th General Hospital at Etaples.

L.Cpl. Edward Isger (see 25^th July) was promoted Corporal.

Four new subalterns arrived in France, en route to join 10DWR. Lt. Herbert Sparling, 21 years old, was the eldest of three sons (he also had an older sister) of Frank and Sarah Mary Sparling. His father was a retired fish merchant living in Leeds, and Herbert had been a student at the University of Leeds. He had been commissioned from the University OTC on 12^th July 1915 and promoted Lieutenant on 1^st March 1916. 2Lt. Joseph Crocker had been commissioned on 11^th July 1916, having been a cadet with the Artists’ Rifles OTC; he was from Lee in London, but nothing more has, as yet, been established about his background. 2Lt. Eric Dixon was 20 years old (born 6^th February 1896); he was the son of George Edward Dixon who was a retired indigo importer from Leeds. Eric Dixon had been a dental student before joining the army and had been commissioned on 17^th November 1915. 2Lt. Harold Sykes Holroyd was 21 years old, the only son (he also had one sister) of Sam and Ellen Holroyd, of Longwood, Huddersfield. Harold Holroyd had been a student at the University of London and had been commissioned from the University OTC on 23^rd August 1915.

 

2Lt. Eric Dixon

Image by kind permission of Scott Flaving

Following three months’ treatment for sickness (details unknown) Cpl. Fred Hopkinson (see 26^th July) was discharged from Keighley War Hospital; he would be posted to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead.  

Mrs. Marian Carpenter, mother of the late of Capt. Herbert Montagu Soames Carpenter (see 4^th September), who had been killed in action on 5^th July, wrote to the War Office to explain her situation in regard to the estate of her son;

“I beg to state that my son, Captain H.M.S. Carpenter, 10^th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, was killed in action near Albert on July 5^th last. For some years past he had allowed me financial support, and, at the date of his death was allowing me £1 a year. I have no private means of my own and was therefore largely dependent on him for support. My eldest daughter who was engaged in the Casualty Department at the War Office used also to assist me but she died suddenly on July 15^th from shock of her brother’s death and so I have lost the support I had from both. I have two daughters left, one in delicate health and dependent on me. I trust therefore I am entitled to your favourable consideration for a pension or compassionate allowance”.

 

Capt. H.M.S. Carpenter

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

A brief entry in the weekly edition of the Craven Herald noted that, “letters and cards acknowledging receipt of parcels have been received”, from, amongst others Pte. Reuben Smith (see 4^th August) and L.Cpl. Willie Waggitt (see 30^th July), both of whom were serving with Tunstill’s Company.

Pte. Reuben Smith

L.Cpl. Willie Waggitt

Enquries continued regarding 2Lt Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards (see 13^th September) who was officially reported ‘missing in action’ following the attack on Munster Alley. A statement was taken, at no.26 General Hospital, Etaples, from Pte. Bertie Scott, who, like Brinsley-Richards, was a member of ‘B’ Company, though not in the same platoon. Scott’s eye-witness version of events largely corroborates that given by Pte. Norris (see 23^rd August) and, taken together, these seem to represent the most convincing explanation of what happened to Brinley-Richards;

“He belonged to 8 Platoon, B Company. He took part in a bombing raid on 29^th July and was killed by a bomb or a piece of shell while he was going across. My friend, L.Cpl. E. Smith, 8 Platoon, B Company, was with him when he was killed. The officer was waving his revolver and calling for the men to come on when he was struck. Part of his head was blown away. Our stretcher-bearers went out to try and bring him in the following night but the fire was too heavy for them to reach him. He was a great favourite, the pride of the Regiment. He was the bravest man I have ever known”.

Pte. Scott was subsequently transferred to the Royal Defence Corps.

2Lt. R.H.W. Brinsley-Richards

Pte. Sam Tinkler (see 21^st September), who had joined 8DWR near Martinsart Wood, three miles north of Albert, the day previously, was kicked on the left knee by a horse; he was treated locally in the first instance.

Pte. Sam Tinkler

2Lt. Charles Archibald Milford (see 11^th June), who had been a leading figure in Tunstill’s original recruitment campaign, arrived in France en route to join 7DWR.