Wednesday 30th May 1917

Boeschepe training area, near Watou

Training continued.

Pte. Harold Clarkson (see 22^nd February) was reported ‘killed in action’. The circumstances of his death are unclear. In a letter to Clarkson’s mother 2Lt. Charles George Edward White (see 9^th May) told her that, “Your son was killed at 8am this morning, May 30^th, by the concussion of a shell. I cannot speak too highly of him. He always did his duty without a murmur and took everything as it came”. The most likely explanation, especially given that Clarkson was buried close to the front line at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, seems to be that he was killed whilst on a working party in the front line.

Pte. Harold Clarkson

Image and additional information by kind permission of Edward Wild

L.Cpl. Harold Bray (18231) (see 5^th May) began to be paid according to his rank having previously held the post unpaid.

2Lt. Frank Wilkinson (see 22^nd April) who had been with the Battalion for six weeks, left, having reported sick; I am, as yet unable to make a positive identification of this officer.

Pte. Joseph Barnes (see 19^th May) was discharged from 1^st Convalescent Depot at Boulogne and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples; he had been under treatment having been wounded eleven days previously.

Sgt. Edward Isger (see 26^th April), who had been in England for the previous month, was discharged from hospital; he would have one weeks’ leave before reporting to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.  

Spr. Alfred John Davis (see 2^nd September 1916), who had been in hospital in England since having been taken ill in September 1916 while serving with 176^th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, was discharged from hospital and granted a period of leave before re-joining his unit.

2Lt. Harry Widdup (see 1^st May), who had been in England since being taken ill in December 1916, was formally transferred from 9DWR to 3DWR, having been declared fit only for sedentary employment.

An official at the War Office replied to the recent letter from Mrs. Marion Atkinson, mother of Capt. John Atkinson (see 15^th May), who had been declared unfit for further service overseas as a result of trench fever. Mrs. Atkinson had requested a gratuity for her son, but she was informed that, “wound gratuities are not issuable in respect of sickness contracted on active service”.

Payments were authorised to the families of the two men who had been killed in action on 20^th February. A payment of £3 9s 3d was authorised, being an amount found to be still outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Herbert Bayfield (see 20^th February); the payment would go to his widow, Alice. The payment in respect of Pte. Robert Cheshire (see 20^th February) amounted to £4 19s 5d and would be divided in four equal shares between three of his brothers and a married sister.


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. John Richard Thornton (see 19^th February) who had been killed in action in October 1916; his mother, Clarissa, was awarded 10s. 6d. per week.