Saturday 28th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

Another “very fine day”. While the Battalion was engaged in training and route marching the semi-final of the Divisional football competition was held, with 69^th Brigade defeating Divisional HQ 3-1 (see 5^th April).

69th Brigade football team, featuring Sgt. John Thomas Hall (back left, see 5th April) and Lt. John William Pontefract (front row with ball at his feet, see 5th April)

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Pte. Thomas Ward (see 14^th January) departed for England on ten days’ ‘special leave’.

Pte. Harold Dale (see 26^th April) who had, two days earlier, been admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance, suffering from ‘neuritis’ (nerve pain), was now transferred to 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station suffering from a loss of power in his right arm.

Pte. Patrick Conley (see 13^th April), serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead, was reported absent at 11.55pm; he would not return until 8.30am on 30^th April and would be sentenced to ten days confined to barracks.

Sgt. Herbert Lawton (see 14^th November 1916) was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

At least four original members of the Battalion were transferred to the newly-formed Labour Corps; they had been serving with 25^th Durham Light Infantry, a home service works battalion, which was now re-designated 7^th Battalion, Labour Corps. The men known to have been serving with this Battalion at the time were: Pte. Thomas Eccles (see below); Pte. James Mason (see 22^nd April 1916); Pte. Fred Richmond (see 24^th February); and Pte. Harry Smith (see 30th October1916).

It has not yet been possible to make a positive identification of Thomas Eccles but he was identified in the Ilkley Gazette as being one of the local men who had volunteered in September 1914 and been posted to serve with Tunstill’s Company; he had gone out to France with the Battalion in August 1915. When, and in what circumstances, he had left the Battalion is unclear, but most likely he had been taken ill or wounded at some point and transferred to 25DLI.

Gnr. Harry Beaumont who had recently been called up for service with the Royal Garrison Artillery was transferred to 13^th Mountain Battery; he was the elder brother of Pte. Mark Beaumont (see 29^th March), who was in hospital in England having suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his left thigh when the Battalion billets in Ypres had been shelled in January.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury (see 11^th March) who had been in an officer’s convalescent hospital following an operation to remove his appendix, appeared before an Army Medical Board. They found him to be unfit for either general or home service, but fit for light duties at home. However, they granted him a further three weeks leave, to 18^th May, on the expiry of which he would resume light duties with 3DWR at North Shields.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury

A payment of £9 5s 6d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Frank Peel (see 10^th October 1916) who had died of wounds following the actions around Le Sars. The payment would go to his married sister, Emily Peach.