Wednesday 15th November 1916

Front line trenches south of Sanctuary Wood

The Battalion was relieved by 11^th West Yorks. and moved into Brigade Reserve west of Zillebeke Bund (I.15.d.1.2. to I.21.b.1.2),.

L.Sgt. John Thomas Matthews (see 1^st August) departed for England on ten days’ leave.

The parents of 2Lt. Bob Perks, DSO (see 14^th November), learnt of their son’s promotion and despatched a congratulatory telegram. Receipt of the telegram may actually have given Perks himself first news of the announcement in the London Gazette, as he suggested in the letter he wrote to his parents in reply;

10th attd 3rd D of W Rgt.

47 Lindisfarne Terrace
North Shields
Northumberland

15/11/16

My Dear Dad

Thanks very much for telegram from you and Mother.  I have been watching the Gazette but missed it this morning and was greeted with it when I went into the mess before lunch (drinks all round).  I have already put up the extra pip by the process of taking them off one tunic and adding them to the other with the aid of my billittee lady. I reckon at a shilling a day, £3.14.0 back pay is now due to me.  Isn’t it ripping old Redington (see 14^th November) getting it too?

Thanks awfully for your letter which also arrived this morning.  How awfully nice you would be to me about the bicycle but I really don’t think it is worth it at present as I am quite near my work at the mess.  The lady of the billet by the way is extremely keen on looking after me and insists on looking upon me as an invalid.  As she has a boy about 14 she knows what’s what too.

The munitions people write me a very polite note to say that a “Committee of the Departmental Panel of Experts” have considered it and conclude it would spoil another bit of the works.  I don’t believe it but I suppose I must be satisfied and they end by saying the Controller of Munitions Institutions desires me to thank you for putting the matter forward.

Please tell Mother the other letter she sent was from Merryweather (see 13^th November) who has transferred to the Artillery.  He gives me a detailed account of his girl and says she “doesn’t appear to object to my taking a cousinly interest” but I am not to blame him if I get my ears boxed!  No mention if he objects!

Love to both

Bob.  
Lieut.

Perks’, apparently hurried, calculation of the pay he would be due seems to be slightly out; promotion from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant would entitle him to an additional 1s. per day, and this, backdated to the date of the award, 23^rd August, would give him 84s due or £4 4s. 0d. (he appears to have miscalculated by 10 days).

I have no explanation for the reference to the “munitions people”, but it would appear that Perks had made a suggestion of some nature which had been considered but not acted upon.

Lt. Bob Perks DSO

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

(I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for her kind permission to quote from Bob Perks’ correspondence).

A further Army Medical Board was convened at Caxton Hall Hospital, London to examine the case of Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale MC (see 12^th October) who had been in England for the previous three months for treatment to boils to his neck which had originated on active service in August.The Board found that, “This officer has been free from any further attacks of boils, but is still much below par and suffering from a rash on the lower extremities, about which he is consulting a specialist”. He was declared unfit for any service for a further month, on the expiry of which he was to be re-examined.

2Lt. Arthur Poynder Garratt (see 9^th October), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was promoted Lieutenant; he would shortly be posted to join 10DWR.

2Lt. Charles Crowther Hart (see 17^th October), now serving with 3DWR at North Shields, having been wounded on the Somme in July, appeared before a MedicalBoard at Tynemouth. The Board found that, “he has much improved but is out of condition. Wounds are healed and he has no pain.” He was deemed to be still fit only for home service.

Pte. Patrick Sweeney (see 6^th November), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was once more in trouble, having only just completed a seven day period confined to barracks. He was now found to have been absent from parade at 2pm and sentenced to a further five days confined to barracks.

A payment of £3 13s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Harry Towell (see 5^th July), who had been killed in action on 5^th July. The payment would go to his father, Frederick.