Friday 30th March 1917

‘L’ Camp, near Poperinghe

A very wet day. The inter-Battalion competitions concluded with the tug of war and Lewis Gun competitions, with 10 DWR “easily winning” the Lewis Gun competition. However, overall, the Battalion came in fourth of the four Battalions, with 11^th West Yorks winning and 9^th and 8^th Yorkshires second and third respectively.

Pte. John Smith Hodgson (see 18^th December 1916) was reported for “disobeying Battalion orders – ie, being out of camp”; on the orders of Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison (see 27th March), he was confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. John Killerby (see 20^th October 1916) again found himself on a charge, for having a “dirty rifle on parade”; he was ordered to be confined to barracks for three days. Pte. John Ellis (see 6th March) was also again in trouble. He was reported by Battalion M.O., Capt. Cecil Berry (see 23^rd March) and by L.Cpl. Smith (unidentified) for “irregular conduct on sick parade; ie refusing Medical Officer’s treatment”; on the orders of Lt. Col. Robert Raymer (see 27th March) he was punished with 14 days’ Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. Ambrose Birdsall (see 16^th January) was admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance, suffering from myalgia and nephritis; he would be transferred via 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings to 14^th General Hospital at Wimereux.

Brig Genl. Lambert (see 27^th March), in a letter home to his wife, asked her again to contact Lt. William Andrew Leo Kerridge (see 27^th March), who had recently been posted to 3DWR at North Shields:

“Kerridge has received the photo but I gather from his letter that he never got a set of Hobday’s Contalmaison pictures either. Will you send a set off to him. He has now changed his address and it is Duke of Wellington’s Regt., 15 Northumberland Square, North Shields.”

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

After spending 161 days in hospital under treatment for wounds suffered at le Sars in October 1916, Pte. Thomas Lloyd (see 4^th October) was discharged; he would have ten days leave before reporting to 3DWR at North Shields on 10^th April.

L.Cpl. Walter Maynard Willis (see 1^st December 1916), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was admitted to 1^st Northern General Hospital, Newcastle, complaining of “frontal headache. No previous illness. Had shellshock”; he appears to have been discharged and re-joined his unit.

L.Cpl. Lawrence Tindill MM, 1^st/5^th Yorkshires (see 23^rd February), who had spent the previous six weeks on leave in England, was now given one weeks’ notice to report, on 7^th April, to no. 9 Officer Cadet Battalion at Gailes, Ayrshire. Similar orders were issued to Sgt. Albert Joseph Acarnley (see 15^th February), who had previously served with 2^nd Royal Berkshires; L.Cpl. Fred Dyson (see 18^th February), 23^rd Northumberland Fusiliers (4^th Tyneside Scottish); and L.Cpl. Sam Benjamin Farrant (21^st February), 2^nd Battalion East Lancs. All of them would be commissioned and serve with 10DWR.


A payment of £10 10s. 6d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Albert Senior (see 5^th October 1916), who had died of wounds in October 1916. The payment would be divided in seven equal shares (of £1 10s. 1d.) to his brothers Naylor (who was serving with 3^rd West Yorks.), Ben and Whittaker and married sisters, Fanny Barker, Sarah Crowther, Ann Hartley and Mary Kellet.