Friday 19th January 1917

Billets in the Infantry Barracks in Ypres

Another bitterly cold day. Training, and the provision of working parties, continued.

More men departed to England on ten days’ leave; among them were Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 6^th January); and Cpl. Frank Christelow, who had joined the Battalion in June 1916. He had attested under the Derby Scheme in November 1915, when he had been 21 years old and working as a wool salesman in Bradford. He had been called up on 20^th January 1916 and had been in training in England until departing for France on 17^th May, joining 10DWR three weeks later. He had been promoted Corporal on 24^th September and was a member of the Orderly Room staff.

Lt. John Edward Lennard Payne (see 1^st October 1916) was promoted (Temporary) Captain whilst commanding a Company, taking over from Lt. Henry Kelly VC who had returned to England having been taken ill (see 25^th December 1916).
 

Lt. Henry Kelly VC

Cpl. George Mitchell (see 6^th October) was promoted Sergeant.

Four new subalterns arrived in France en route to join the Battalion. 2Lt. George Patrick Doggett was 21 years old; he was the youngest of ten children of George and May Doggett of Cambridge. He had previously served in the Cambridgeshire Regiment, arriving in France in February 1915 and had been mentioned in despatches. He had risen to the rank of Corporal before being posted back to England to undertake his officer training. He had been granted his commission on 5^th August 1916. 2Lt. Arthur Neill was 23 years old (born 16^th February 1893 in Bradford). He was the son of a solicitor, Alexander Neill, who was originally from Scotland, but had lived in Yorkshire for some years. Arthur had been working as a journalist before the war and had been commissioned on 5^th September 1916. 2Lt. Charles George Edward White was just 19 years old; he was the fifth of nine children of Charles and Elizabeth White and had been born and brought up in Walthamstow, where his father worked as a ‘carman’. Charles himself had been working as an office boy but had enlisted, under-age, in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and had served in France from 17^th May 1915. He had been commissioned on 24^th October 1916. 2Lt. Stanley Reginald Wilson was 26 years old. He was the third, and youngest, child of Alfred and Lydia Wilson. His father was a commercial traveller from London and Stanley himself had worked as a clerk for a shipping company. He had been commissioned, like Arthur Neill, on 5^th September 1916.

 

2Lt. Stanley Reginald Wilson

Pte. Albert Edon (see 25^th November 1916) who had spent the previous two months in hospital (cause and details unknown) re-joined the Battalion.


Pte. John Onion (see 8^th January), who had been under treatment for ‘trench foot’ while serving in France with 2DWR, was posted from 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples to re-join his Battalion.

Following two months’ treatment for sickness (details unknown) Cpl. Fred Hopkinson (see 20^th November 1916) was discharged from Keighley War Hospital; in the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible to establish any details of his subsequent service beyond the fact that he would be transferred (date and details unknown) to the Army Ordnance Corps.

A payment of £10 13s 4d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. George Edward Bush who had died of wounds following the action at Contalmaison (see 19^thJuly 1916). The payment would go this father, Thomas.

A payment of £1 11s. 10d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. William Henry Harris (see 6^th October 1916) who had been killed in October. The payment would go this father, Henry; he would also receive a parcel of his late son’s personal effects (details unknown).