Monday 19th February 1917

Trenches near Observatory Ridge (I.24.d.7.1 to I.24.d.8.6)

Conditions remained quiet.

2Lt. Arthur Halstead (see 28^th December 1916) was promoted Lieutenant.

Following his recent appeal to the War Office, 2Lt. Tom Pickles (see 8^th February), formerly of Tunstill’s Company, but currently ill while on home leave from 9DWR, appeared before a Medical Board assembled at Queen Mary’s Military Hospital, Whalley. The Borad declared him unfit for general service for three months, confirmed his sick leave from 26^th December 1916 to 1^st April and recommended hospital or spa treatment.

Pte. Clifford Midwood (see 27^th October 1916) was evacuated to England, suffering from “ICT, foot” (known as ‘trench foot’); he would be admitted to the Lord Derby War Hospital in Warrington. It is not clear whether he had re-joined 10DWR or another of the ‘Dukes’ battalions after being wounded on the Somme in July.

Capt. Frank Redington MC (see 15^th February), who had left the Battalion and returned to England a few days earlier, was formally transferred to Machine Gun Corps, with the same acting rank; he was posted to 25^th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, which unit was attached to 23^rd Division.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury (see 3^rd February) serving with 3DWR at North Shields, who had recently been had an operation to remove his appendix, appeared before a Medical Board assembled at Newcastle upon Tyne. The Board found that, following his operation, he was “making satisfactory progress but is not yet fit to be out of bed” and that he would require a stay of a further month in hospital.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury

A payment of £2 6s. 11d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. John Richard Thornton (see 8^th October 1916) who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his father, Ramoth.