Tuesday 31st October 1916

Barracks in Ypres

Working parties were again provided as on the previous day and instruction and training continued.

Lt. Hugh William Lester (see 22^nd October), returned from leave and resumed his post as Adjutant, which had been held in his absence by Lt. Leonard Norman Phillips (see 22^nd October). 

Lt. Dobson from 69^th Field Ambulance who had been temporarily attached to the Battalion for the previous two weeks re-joined his unit; most likely this followed the return from leave of Battalion Medical Officer Capt. Cecil Berry (see 17^th October).

Image by kind permission of Scott Flaving

Pte. Sam Sunderland (see 10^th March) was admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance, suffering from boils to both legs; he would return to duty on 4^th November.

Pte. Mark Henry Sutcliffe (see 17^th July) was admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance, suffering from intestinal colic; he would be discharged to duty after three days.

CSM Alfred Lodge (see 19^th July), who had been in England since July, having been severely wounded in the actions around Horseshoe Trench, was posted to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead, where he would join several other former members of 10DWR.

CSM Alfred Lodge

Pte. Thomas Martin Douglas (see 8^th July), who had been in England since having been wounded in July, was transferred the Military Hospital in Lewisham to Keighley War Hospital.

A payment of £7 9s. 2d. was authorised to be made to Mrs. Ann Benson, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to her late son Pte. Fred Benson (see 20^th October).

Pte. Fred Benson

The solicitors Messrs. Martineau and Reid, of Raymond Buildings, Gray’s Inn, London wrote to the War Office regarding the estate of the late Lt. Harry Harris (see 25^th October) who had been killed at Le Sars. They requested that the War Office issue a death certificate; inform them of the amount in pay and allowances due; notify the Inland Revenue that the estate would be exempt from death duties; and also confirm whether they were aware of any extant will. All of these were required to allow them to assist Harris’ father, Samuel, in settling his son’s affairs.

 

Lt. Harry Harris

  

69^th Brigade War Diary recorded casualties for the Brigade for the month of October:

Killed                                        4 officers and 148 other ranks

Accidentally killed                 0

Died of wounds                      2 officers and 3 other ranks

Wounded                               21 officers and 591 other ranks

Accidentally wounded          2 other ranks

Missing                                    1 officer and 77 other ranks

10DWR’s casualties were recorded as:

Killed                                       2 officers (Harris and Graham) and 40 other ranks

Accidentally killed                0

Died of wounds                     0

Wounded                               4 (Baume, Currington, Snowden and Tribe) officers and 183 other ranks

Accidentally wounded         0

Missing                                   1 officer (Stafford) and 41 other ranks

These official casualty figures do not take account of the deaths of Ptes. Collinson (see 6^th September) or Foster (see 21^st September), both of whom died after being evacuated from the Battalion having been wounded in action.

The official cumulative casualty figures for the Battalion since arriving in France were now:

Killed                                       142

Accidentally killed                    4

Died of wounds                         7

Wounded                               702

Accidentally wounded           47

Missing                                    116