Monday 4th December 1916

Infantry Barracks in Ypres

The next few days would be generally quiet, although large working parties, of up to 200 men, were provided each night for the Royal Engineers.

A detachment of 25 men were attached for one month’s duty with 101^st Field Company, Royal Engineers, which was attached to 23^rd Division.

Lt. Frank Redington MC (see 28^th November) re-joined the Battalion following a one-week leave to England. 

Pte. Edward Grayshon (see 17^th October) was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station (details unknown), suffering from influenza.

2Lt. Frederick Millward (see 20^th November), who had been severely injured during the trench raid carried out two weeks earlier, was evacuated to England for further treatment. He travelled overnight (4^th/5^Th December) from Boulogne to Dover onboard the hospital ship, St. Andrew. Pte. Ernest Arthur Carter (see 20^th November), who had been slightly wounded in the same raid, was  transferred from 2^nd Australian General Hospital at Wimereux to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 28^th November), who had been permanently discharged from the Army on account of illness contracted in service and had been admitted to Leeds General Infirmary a week earlier, underwent a major operation to attempt to alleviate the symptoms of his TB. A major incision was made from his right armpit down the right side of his chest, with three ribs removed to allow access to the infected lung, and a large portion of the infected tissue in the lung removed.

Enquiries continued into the financial affairs of the late Lt. Harry Harris (see 22^nd November) who had been killed at Le Sars. The War Office requested that the Regimental Paymaster of the Middlesex Regiment, with which Harris had served prior to being commissioned, check their records and report any details of his account with them.

Lt. Harry Harris

 Lt. Paul James Sainsbury, (see 7^th November) serving with 3DWR at North Shields was examined by a Medical Board assembled at Tynemouth. The Board found that, “This officer’s condition has improved very much. He now sleeps well, but he is occasionally troubled with attacks of nerves. He should be fit for general service in a couple of weeks”.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury

A payment of £2 19s. 1d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Herbert Baldwin (see 29^th July), who had been killed in action on 29^th July; the payment would go to his father, Fred.

A payment of £2 10s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. James Field (see 14^th July), who had been killed in action on 5^th July; the payment would go to his widow, Beatrice.

A payment of £2 14s. 9d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. George Herbert Redgwick (see 22^nd November 1915), who had been killed in an accident in the trenches in November 1915; the payment would go to his mother, Clara.

A payment of £2 10s. 4d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Edgar Preston (see 21^st August), who had been killed in action in August; the payment would go to his father, Alexander.