Thursday 22nd March 1917

‘L’ Camp, near Poperinghe

A very cold day, with some snow during the morning, with sun and further showers later in the day. It was noted that there was “very little ground available for training purposes”. The Brigade inter-Battalion competitions began with 10DWR playing a football match against 11^th West Yorks.; the match ended in a snowstorm, with the West Yorks. winning 3-2. 

Ptes. Clarence Best (see 2^nd March), Richard Metcalfe (see 3rd March) and Tom Midgley (see 14^th December 1916) were ordered to be confined to barracks for seven days having been found to have been late on parade at 6.15am. They were reported by Sgt. William Alfred Walmsley Gaunt (see 16^th March) and the sentence imposed by Maj. Charles Bathurst (see 14^th March).

Pte. Ernest Heyhirst (see 14^th February) was reported by L.Cpl. Arthur Gears (see below) and Sgt. Joseph Bona (see 14^th February) for “falling out without permission from 6.15am parade”; on the orders of Maj. Charles Bathurst (see above) he was to be confined to barracks for seven days.

L.Cpl. Arthur Gears was an original member of the Battalion. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man.

Pte. Charles William Hird (see 19^th December 1916) was admitted to 4^th Stationary Hospital at Arques suffering from myalgia; he would be discharged to duty after five days.

After treatment for scabies, Ptes. Herbert Newton (see 12^th March) and Ernest Townsend (see 11^th March), re-joined the Battalion from 4^th Stationary Hospital at Arques.

Brig Genl. Lambert (see 20^th March) had made arrangements for a trophy to be presented to the overall champions in the Brigade competitions. In a letter of 5^th March, he had enlisted the help of his wife, back in England, to arrange for a suitable trophy to be made, “We are having a lot of competitions in athletic and other exercises and I have promised to give a shield of some sort. What I want to get is a silver salver set into a round wooden shield which could easily be made for it. The salver would perhaps be interesting afterwards and could be used but at present it wants to have some means of hanging it up as a shield for the winners and I think it could easily have a round wooden platter made into which the feet could be temporarily screwed so as to be removable at will. I think you should be able to get one for about £10. It need not be very large as we cannot carry big things about. I have drawn a picture of what I mean. It would have to have some inscriptions such as I have put on it. The centre would be a diamond with ‘69’ in the middle. I daresay you could get it done in Cheltenham quite well but I want it as soon as possible as the competitions will be held here and we shall not have long I suppose. … I don’t mind if it costs more than £10 but I think that ought to produce a decent one”.

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

Pte. James Bradley (18319) (see 14^th December 1916), who had been in England since October 1916, having suffered from ‘trench fever’, was posted back to France. However, he would not re-join 10DWR, but would instead to posted to 2DWR.


Pte. Ferrand Wilkinson (see 31^st December 1916), who had had his right leg amputated whilst at the St. John VAD Hospital in Cheltenham having suffered severe wounds to his right arm and leg in October 1916, was transferred to the King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London.