Wednesday 4th April 1917

‘L’ Camp, near Poperinghe

Training continued. There was slight improvement in the weather, though it was described as being, “fine but very threatening”. The Battalion signallers were engaged in an exercise with a contact patrol aeroplane.

Ptes. Michael Henry Rourke (see 24^th March) and Fred Slater (see 31^st March) were both again in trouble having been found to have been “improperly dressed on route march, ie not carrying mess tins”. On the evidence of Sgt. John Scott (see 31^st March) both were ordered, by Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison (see 31^st March), to complete two extra drills. 

Ptes. Michael Henry Rourke (see 24^th March), Fred Slater (see 31^st March) and Frederick Sharp (see 12^th November 1916) were all put on a charge having been found to have been “improperly dressed on route march, ie not carrying mess tins”. On the evidence of Sgt. John Scott (see 31^st March) all three were ordered, by Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison (see 3^rd April), to complete two extra drills. 

Pte. Thomas Legg (see 23^rd February) was admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance and 17^th Casualty Clearing Station to 35^th General Hospital at Calais; he was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his left ankle, arising from a small cut which he had suffered to his ankle as a result of an accident. He would be evacuated to England on 12^th April and, on arrival, would be admitted to the Lord Derby War Hospital in Warrington.

Pte. Herbert Hodgkins (see 16^th January) was admitted, via 70^th Field Ambulance, to 7^th General Hospital at St. Omer, with a suspected case of german measles.

Ptes. Clement Wilson and William Mellor (see 11^th February) were both granted one months’ leave to England under the terms of their territorial force engagement. 

Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale MC (see 29^th January) who had been attached to 3DWR having  been re-commissioned following a period of ill health, was now posted back to France to join 2DWR.

Capt. George Reginald Charles Heale MC

 

At home in Huddersfield, Mary Emma Stokes, wife of Pte. Fred Stokes (see 16^th January), gave birth to the couple’s first child; he would be named Wilfred. 

William Leach (see 7^th February), who had been discharged from the Army due to wounds in August 1916, had his Army pension increased from 12s. 6d. per week to 13s. 9d. per week until 28^th August, at which date it was to be reduced to 5s. 6d. per week, with a further review in February 1918.

Pte. William Leach

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth

A second payment, of 4s. 4d. was authorised, being a further amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late A/Sgt. Lewis Thomas King (see 16th March), who had died of wounds in August 1916; the payment would go to his widow, Ada. 

A/Sgt. Lewis Thomas King, pictured with his wife and children.

Image by kind permission of Clair Almond

The War Office wrote to the mother of 2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards (see 25^th March), who had been officially reported ‘missing in action’ following the action at Munster Alley in July 1916, in response to her recent correspondence. They confirmed that, pending her further enquiries into the fate of her son, they would, as yet, take no further action regarding an official acceptance of his death.

2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards

A pension award was made in respect of the late Pte. Dick Hirst (see 12^th October 1916) who had been killed in action on 5^th July 1916; his widowed mother, Elizabeth, was awarded 7s. 6d. per week for life.

A pension award was made in respect of the late Sgt. Irvine Ellis (see 8^th February 1916), who had been killed in action November 1915; his widowed mother, Jessie, was awarded 15s. per week for life.