Friday 6th April 1917

‘L’ Camp, near Poperinghe

A bright, sunny morning. At 10am the Battalion marched eight miles to Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek (close to their previous base at Winnipeg Camp).

The day after being in trouble for not having full water bottles while on the march, Pte. Thomas Caton (see 4^th April) was now reported by Cpl. Harry Holmes (see 12^th February) for “Disobeying Battalion orders; ie drinking on the line of march”; on the orders of Lt. Col. Robert Raymer (see 30^th March)  he would be sentenced to 14 days’ Field Punishment no.2.

Pte. Arnold Robson (see 16^th March) was again admitted to hospital (details unknown); he would be discharged and return to duty after three days.

Former members of 10DWR Ptes. Sam Tinkler and Eber Casson Sykes (see 27^th March), now serving with 15th Infantry Labour Company, Lincolnshire Regt., were posted back to France.

Pte. Sam Tinkler

Pte. Jacob Sweeting (see 31^st March) who had been absent without leave from 83^rd Training Reserve for the previous week, re-joined his unit; the nature of his punishment for his offence is not known.

L.Cpls. George Henry Hansford (see 14^th December 1916) and Reyner Sutcliffe (see 27^th January), and Ptes. George Barber (see 26^th August 1916), Alfred Henry Green (see 6^th October 1916) and Fred Rigg (see 27^th February), all of whom had been under medical treatment in England, were posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. William Frederick Ackrill (see 13^th March), who had been in hospital since having been wounded in January, was discharged from Carnoustie Hall Hospital; he would have two weeks’ leave before joining 3DWR at North Shields.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald carried a report of the wounding of Pte. Duncan Roberts, the brother of Sgt. Norman Roberts MM (see 8th December 1916)

SKIPTON SOLDIER WOUNDED

Mr. Edwin Roberts, of Upper Union Street, Skipton, has received information that his son, Private Duncan Roberts, of the West Ridings, has been seriously wounded in the left arm and that he is now in the Liverpool Merchants’ Hospital, France. Twenty years of age, Pte. Roberts enlisted on the outbreak of war, and has been out in France nearly two years. He was formerly employed by his uncle, Mr. Charles Hales, of Skipton. His brother, Sergt. Norman Roberts, was a short time ago awarded the Military Medal for digging six comrades from a trench during heavy shell fire.

The “Liverpool Merchants’ Mobile Hospital” was officially known as no.6 British Red Cross Hospital and was located at Etaples. Duncan Roberts had been in France since 29^th June 1915.