Thursday1st March 1917

Bollezeele

On a fine, bright morning with some sun, the Battalion left Bollezeele at 10.20am and completed the final ten-mile march to Eperlecques, via Wulverdinghe, Watten-Bridge and Ganspette. The Battalion would remain at Eperlecques until 19^th March. Brig Genl. Lambert (see 28^th February), again recorded in his diary his concerns about the marching of 10DWR, “10^th (ie 10DWR)again marched poorly; remainder v.g”.

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

Here the billets were good and there was some scope for the men to relax alongside their training regime. Much hard training would be done, at Company, Battalion and Brigade levels, with an emphasis also on rifle practice on the ranges at Tilques.

Pte. John Ellis (see 23^rd February) was again in trouble, just a week after a previous breach of military discipline. On this occasion he was reported by Sgt. George Peacock (see 13^th July 1916; it is not known when he had been promoted Sergeant) for “drinking water on the line of march without permission”; on the orders of Capt. John Edward Lennard Payne (see 23^rd February) he was to be confined to barracks for three days.

Sgt. William Proctor (see 11^th November 1916) was transferred to the Royal Engineers and, being a skilled platelayer, would join 298^th Railway Company.

Pte. Menhell Hudson (see 16^th January), who had been with the Battalion for just six weeks, was posted back to England; the reason is unclear but it seems most likely that he had been taken ill.

Ptes. George Frederick Ford (see 18^th October 1916) and Archibald Louis Norris (see 8^th December 1916) were posted from 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead to join 36^th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a reserve and training battalion based in Ramsgate.

Pte. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see 4^th November 1916), having completed his officer training course, was commissioned temporary 2^nd Lieutenant with the West Riding Regiment.

A payment of £8 was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. George Henry Collinson (see 6^th September 1916), who had died wounds in September 1916; the payment would go to Mrs. Jane Curtis.