Sunday 10th December 1916

Front line trenches near Zouave Wood

Conditions remained relatively quiet, as on the previous days.

Major Ashton Alexander St. Hill reported for duty with the Battalion, taking over temporarily as 2IC. He was the son of Colonel W.H St. Hill of Tasmania and had been born in Madras, where his father was then serving, in 1872. Back in Tasmania he had served with the Southern Tasmanian Artillery before joining the Imperial Army in 1896; he had then served extensively in India and in Africa. In September 1915 he had married Lilian Carr in a ceremony at Bombay Cathedral and had then returned to England. He was posted to the Battalion as second-in-command, replacing Major Robert Harwar Gill (see 16^th October). The posting of Major St. Hill to the Battalion was to be a temporary measure, in anticipation of the impending departure of Lt. Col. Robert Richmond Raymer, CO 10DWR (see 20^th November) who was due to take temporary command of 69^th Brigade while Brig. Genl. T.S. Lambert was on leave from early January.

Major Robert Harwar Gill

Lt. Col. Robert Raymer

Sgt. John William Wardman (see 3^rd November) reported sick, suffering from laryngitis and bronchitis. He would be admitted to 32^nd Stationery Hospital at Etaples.

Pte. Fred Hird (see 10^th November) was posted back to active service from 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples; howver, instead of re-joining 10DWR, he was posted to 2DWR.

2Lt. Bob Perks, DSO (see 2^nd December), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, wrote to his Father, with news on his health. It appears that, whilst on leave at home recently, Perks’ Mother had raised concerns about her son’s health. Following this Perks had visited his own Regimental MO and a specialist in Newcastle and some doubt had been raised about a possible heart ‘murmur. He explained the situation in his letter:

My Dear Dad

I am writing to you at Leeds in the hopes that it may reach you sooner because I should think you must wonder what I am doing.

I am awfully mixed.  According to my promise to Mother I asked the Dr to listen to my heart.  He said it was not right.  I went to Newcastle to a specialist this morning and he admitted he heard a murmur but did not think it was due to anything wrong. I have applied for a medical board to decide the point as I am anxious to be sure Dr Hynes and this doctor both think it is wrong. No one suggests it is seriously wrong to alarm me at all but not France at present.  No orders for anyone for France have come through but I don’t think I shall go till I have had a board.  I have written to Dr Hynes for his statement of the case and think I can persuade the board to carry out the regimental doctors’ idea of keeping me 2 weeks or so on very active duty and see if my heart is affected by it. 

Meanwhile another complication has arisen; the Brigadier has my name as a likely man for his aide de camp!  He actually came to see me this morning but I was out! Whether he since interviewed someone else and took him on or not, I don’t know, nor whether it is a job for an unfit man only.  In a day or two’s time I hope to write to say I am passed for home service for a bit and am a de C! but ……………

Love

Bob

 

2Lt. 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).

  

After appearing before a further Medical Board assembled at Tynemouth, Lt. Thomas Beattie, (see 10^th November), currently serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion in Gateshead, was declared fit for light duty at home for a further month.

Pte. Keith Sagar Bain, who had been serving in England since December 1914, was posted to France, having reached the age of nineteen; he would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR. Keith Sagar Bain was born 8^th December 1897, the son of William Whyte Bain and his wife Marie Louise. He had been educated at Dulwich College before enlisting, aged 16, in the Honourable Artillery Company in October 1914. He had remained in England, serving with 2^nd and 3^rd Battalions HAC and had been promoted Lance Corporal, whilst working in the Quartermaster’s Stores in July 1916, but had reverted Private two months later. He travelled overnight from Southampton, arriving at Le Havre, where he was posted to 7^th Infantry Base Depot.