Tuesday 24th October 1916

Front line trenches south-west of Hooge

A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies went into the front line south-west of Hooge, from I.18.c.4.2 to I.17.b.7.3 and then on north-east to ‘The Culvert’, and patrolling toward Bellewarde Bek. ‘D’ Company were in close reserve, with one platoon at Leinster Farm and three in front of Halfway House, with Battalion HQ.

Once established in their new positions, impressions of the sector were relatively positive, as reported in the War Diary, “The men made themselves comfortable in the shelters & dugouts in the trenches. These are very good shelters, but generally not too well protected in the event of any heavy shelling. The Sector is, however, remarkably quiet with only an occasional shell passing over & an exchange of a few machine gun & rifle bullets each night”.

Pte. William Thomas Moseley (see 10^th July), serving with 2DWR having been transferred after being wounded in July while serving with 10DWR, was wounded in action. He suffered wounds to his back and right arm and would be admitted to 34^th Casualty Clearing Station at Grovetown, near Meaulte; from there he would be evacuated, two days later, by no.8 Ambulance Train to one of the Base Hospitals. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to establish any further details of his treatment or subsequent service beyond the fact that he would (date and details unknown) be transferred to the Royal Field Artillery and would serve as a Driver.

Ptes. Patrick Conley (see 28^th August), Tom Nixon (11904) (see 28^th August), George Edward Western (see 24^th August) and William Sutcliffe Wood (see 26^th August), serving with3DWR at North Shields, were transferred to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at nearby Gateshead.

A/Sgt. George Clark (see 21^st August), now serving with ASC, Motor Transport Section, returned to England from France, having spent just two months on active service. He was subsequently diagnosed as suffering from Raynauds Disease, a common condition that affects the blood supply to certain parts of the body – usually the fingers and toes.

Pte. Albert Ellis (see 7^th October) was discharged from Urmston VAD Hospital in Eastbourne; he would have ten days’ leave before reporting to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead.

A statement was taken regarding the death in action of 2Lt. Henry Herbert Owen Stafford (see 7^th October); the informant was Pte. Thomas Hockey of ‘D’ Company, who was then being treated at a Convalescent Depot at Le Havre. Hockey reported that, “I saw him killed near the German barbed wire near Le Sars by a bomb on 6.10.16 (sic.) about 6pm. He was killed instantaneously. I know no more particulars”. Thomas Hockey had arrived in France in December 1915 and would subsequently be transferred to the Royal Engineers.

News of the death of Pte. Frederick George Carlton to his mother (see 10^th October) reached his mother, in official notification from the War Office; she had also received a letter from one of his colleagues, Pte. George William Fletcher (see 10^th October).

Pte. Frederick George Carlton

A payment of £9 1s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Charles Henry Jackson (see 5^th July) who had been killed in action on 5^th July; the payment would go to this father, Charles Henry.