Wednesday 24th January 1917

Front line trenches in Sanctuary Wood (I.24.b.2½.8½ to I.24.b.8½.3½)

Bitterly cold again, but largely quiet. The Battalion was relieved by 11^th West Yorks and returned to the Infantry Barracks in Ypres.

Although there is no mention in the War Diary, two men were killed and the precise circumstances of their deaths have not been established. Pte. George Gelling had been one of the original members of the Battalion. Born in Skipton in 1880; he was the youngest of three sons of an unmarried mother, Hannah Gelling. George had worked as a mason’s labourer and in the summer of 1911 he had married Julia Jemima Fagan in Skipton and the couple set up home at 17 Cumberland Street. George by then was working as a stoker at the Skipton Gasworks. He was a well-known local sportsman, and at one time had been a prominent Northern Union Rugby Football player. He had played for the Worth Village Club and later played as a three-quarter with both Manningham and Keighley. In September 1914 George joined the 10^th Battalion; aged 34, he was among the oldest of the recruits. He had survived what was described as ‘a narrow shave’ in the autumn of 1916 when he was said to have been blown off his feet by a shell explosion, but escaped uninjured.

Pte. George Gelling

Pte. Hubert Henry (‘Bertie’) Greensmith was 29 years old and from Holmbridge, near Huddersfield; he was the only son and eldest of three children of William and Sarah Greensmith. William was a self-employed baker and Bertie had worked with his father. Bertie had been called up under the Military Service Act in May 1916 and posted initially to the Royal Field Artillery before being transferred to the West Ridings in June 1916. He was among a draft posted to France on 3^rd October 1916 and had spent two weeks at 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples before joining 10DWR on 17^th October 1916. Both men were buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground.

Pte. John James Cowling (see 21^st January), who had been wounded three days previously, was evacuated to England onboard the Hospital Ship St. Patrick. 

After six weeks treatment for laryngitis and bronchitis, Sgt. John William Wardman (see 10^th December) was discharged from 32^nd Stationery Hospital at Etaples to 34^th Infantry Base Depot, where he would remain for almost five months.

Sgt. Frederick Griggs MM (see 23^rd December 1916), who had been one of Tunstill’s original Company but was now serving with 2DWR, was posted back to England, prior to beginning a course of officer training.

L.Cpl. Edwin Everingham Ison (see 2^nd October 1916), 1^st Battalion, West Yorkshires, was posted back to England to begin an officer training course. He would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.

LCpl. Edwin Wveringham Ison

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Aidan Nicholson (see 18^th January), who had previously been dismissed from his officer training course, as being “of insufficient physique”, again wrote to the War Office, thanking them for their reply to his recent letter and enclosing a medical certificate as requested. He also informed them that he had been called up for service with the RFC; “I have this day been placed in Category A and I am due to report at the Newcastle Barracks on 1st February 1917”. He requested that they provide him with further instructions on how to proceed before that date. He would later serve with 10DWR. 

Aidan Nicholson

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Pte. Percival Victor Thomas (see 30^th December 1916), serving with 28^th Battalion London Regiment (Artists Rifles) which was an officer training battalion, based at Richmond Park, completed his formal application for a commission; he would later serve with 10DWR.