Thursday 8th February 1917

Winnipeg Camp

Training was again conducted and working parties provided for the Royal Engineers. Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 6^th February), again noted a “very hard frost”.

(I am greatly indebted to Juliet Lambert for her generosity in allowing me access to Brig. Genl. Lambert’s diary and letters).

Pte. Arthur Milner (see 8^th January) departed on ten days’ leave to England. A month earlier, his mother had died.

Pte. Edward Shaw Powell (see 16^th January) was admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance having suffered a sprained ankle; he would spend four days resting before re-joining the Battalion.

Pte. Ernest Townsend (see 13^th January), who had spent almost a month away, suffering from scabies, re-joined the Battalion.

After spending two months being treated for ‘trench fever’ and myalgia Pte. Thomas Manuell (see 9^th December 1916) was discharged from hospital and posted to no.34 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, en route to re-joining the battalion.

Pte. Edward Smitham, the eldest son of Sgt. George Edward Smitham (see 25^th November 1916), who had attested for service (though underage), was transferred to Army Reserve Class W and released to work for British Dyes Ltd at Huddersfield. He had been found to be unfit for military service on account of being blind in his right eye.

2Lt. Tom Pickles (see 23^rd January), formerly of Tunstill’s Company, but currently ill while on home leave from 9DWR, wrote to the War Office asking how he might secure hospital treatment for his ongoing health problems; he related the series of events since, during his leave, he became ‘severely indisposed’.


A payment of £10 18s. 10d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Cpl. Joseph Edward Preston (4^th October 1916) who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his father, Edward.

Cpl. Joseph Edward Preston

A payment of £1 13s 4d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. William Edward Banner (see 10^th July 1916), who had been killed in action in July 1916; the payment would go to his widow, Ada.

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