Sunday 29th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

On a fine and hot afternoon, at 3.06pm, the Battalion left Scottish Camp and completed a hot and dusty eleven-mile march east via Abeele to billets at Steenvorde.

L.Cpl. Harry Raistrick (see 5^th March) began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held the rank unpaid.

Just eleven days after being released from hospital, Pte. Charles Smith (29004) (see 18th April) again reported sick; he was admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance at Waratah Camp, near Poperinghe suffering from a high temperature (officially “pyrexia of unknown origin”); four days later he would be transferred to the Divisional Rest Station at the same location.

After a one night stay at 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from a loss of power in his right arm, Pte. Harold Dale (see 28^th April) was now transferred to no.4 Stationary Hospital at Arques for further treatment.

Pte. Herbert Willis Pickles (see 24^th November 1916), serving with 11DWR at Brocton Camp, Staffs., was admitted to hospital in Lichfield, suffering from syphillis.

Frank Hird, Church Army Commissioner, Third Army, and elder brother of the late Lt. Frederick Hird (see 25^th April) replied to the War Office regarding the administration of his late brother’s estate. No payment of Frederick Hird’s outstanding pay and allowances had yet been made due to the uncertainty over Hird’s marital status. Frank now confirmed that his late brother’s Christian name had been ‘Etta’, but that he was unaware of her maiden name and know little more about her and was unable to confirm the date of divorce; “In September 1914 my brother told me that his wife had left him some considerable time previously, that she had taken proceedings for divorce against him, and that he had entered no defence. He also said he had filled in his enlistment papers as unmarried … In May 1916, whilst staying with me on leave from the front, at my home, Escombe, Hadlow Down, Buxted, Sussex, my brother told me his wife had married again in America … I know nothing about his former wife except that she was an American”.

Following further enquiries over the coming weeks the War Office would conclude that Frederick’s widow would have claim to his estate as no separation had ever been confirmed and that they were therefore not in a position to make any payment to Frank Hird. The case clearly remained open for some years as several speculative claims against the estate were subsequently made by people with relatives named Frederick Hird, although none of these were accepted by the War Office. A credit balance of £76 10s 7d remained outstanding on Frederick Hird’s account.

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