Wednesday 14th March 1917

Eperlecques

A mild day, but with a cold wind blowing at times. Training continued in the Brigade training area, with 10DWR and 8^th Yorks. practising advances.

The three new subalterns who had arrived in France a week earlier now reported for duty with the Battalion. They were 2Lts. Andrew Aaron Jackson (see 6^th March), Arthur Lilley (see 6^th March) and Thomas Arnold Woodcock (see 6^th March). 

Just ten days after a previous offence, Pte. Matthew Henry Jubb (see 5^th March) was again in trouble; this time he was reported by Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 7^th March) for talking on parade; he was again ordered to be confined to barracks for five days on the orders of Maj. Charles Bathurst (see 5^th March).

Three weeks after suffering a minor wound Pte. Ellis Sutcliffe (see 24^th February) was discharged from hospital and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. George Moore (see 4^th October), who had been in England since having been wounded in October 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of his wounds; he was assessed as having suffered a 100% disability and was awarded the Silver War Badge and an Army pension of £2 10s. 10d. per week. 

2Lt. Harry Widdup (see 3^rd March), who had been evacuated to England in December 1916 appeared before a further Medical Board. The board found that he was suffering from myalgia following trench fever; “Complains of pain in knees and also inside of tibia – right leg being worse than left – knee jerks normal. Suffers from insomnia. Unable to march in full kit more than a mile. Suffers from headaches. Improving”. They recommended a further one months treatment in an officers’ convalescent hospital. 

A payment of £5 5s. 8d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Albert Victor Hands (see 6^th October 1916), who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his father, Samuel Oliver Hands. His father would also be awarded an Army pension (date and details unknown).

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenofWorth