Friday 8th June 1917

Support trenches (“Blue Line”) in Battle Wood I.35.c.6.7. to I.35.d.8.7.

The weather remained fine and hot and the Battalion maintained the positions which had been established the previous day. German shelling continued. 2Lt. Bob Perks DSO (see 7^th June) described conditions in a letter written just a few days later. He considered the days in the front line here as, “the worst I ever spent.  Already exhausted, they had to keep us there all the time with scanty food and very little water.  The nights were too cold to sleep and the days so hot that out in the open as we were, the sun almost made you ill.  The Bosche discovered us, woke up, and shelled us intermittently and at times very heavily.  Our numbers got less, while the awful strain of the whole thing, particularly the uncertainty as to the next moment, got worse”.

2Lt. Bob Perks DSO

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

(I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for her kind permission to allow me to quote from Bob Perks’ correspondence).

The young Battalion Signalling Officer, 2Lt. Harold Watthews (see 1^st April), was killed in action having established an advanced signals post where most of his party of 35 men also became casualties. His body was originally buried, but the location of his grave was lost in subsequent fighting and he is now commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.

2Lt. Harold Watthews

Sgt. Charles Smith (11791) (see 17^th June 1916) died of wounds while in the care of 69^th Field Ambulance; he was buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground, but his grave, along with several others, was destroyed by artillery fire and he is now commemorated on one of the special memorials in the cemetery. Pte. Henry Downs (see 16^th January) also died at 69^th Field Ambulance but he would be buried at Hop Store Cemetery near Brandhoek, west of Ypres. Ptes. Charlie Long (see 17^th March) and Maurice Stead Hodgson (see 19^th December 1916) were also killed in action; both have no known grave and are commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial. Men (unnamed) from Pte. Hodgson’s section would write to his family; “He was a good soldier and anybody’s friend in the platoon. We mourn his loss very much and we tender our sincerest sympathy”.

Pte. Harold Pape (see 16^th January) suffered severe head wounds and was evacuated, via 4^th London Ambulance, to no.17 Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings. Pte. Ernest William Evans (see 14^th May) suffered wounds to his left hip and abdomen; he was evacuated to one of the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy Sidings. Pte. Henry Charles Lindsay (see 11^th January) was also wounded; the details of his injuries are unknown, but he would be evacuated to England for further treatment. Pte. Victor Race (see 7^th June) suffered a minor wound, but remained at duty. Cpl. James Edward Kaye (see 9^th April) was severely wounded and evacuated to 17^th Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings. Pte. Samuel Woodhead (see 5^th June) suffered severe head wounds and was evacuated to one of the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy Sidings. Pte. Charles William Hird (see 22nd March) suffered a relatively minor wound to the arm; he was treated locally in the first instance. Pte. Fred Mitchell (see 5^th March) suffered severe wounds which would result in the amputation of his right leg; the details of his treatment are unknown.

A number of men who had apparently been wounded the previous day and evacuated to the various Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy Sidings died of their wounds and would be buried at the adjacent Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. CSM James Davis MM (see 7^th June), was regarded by his Company Commander, Capt. Dick Bolton (see 7^th June), as ‘one of the best’. Pte. George Berthelemy died at 17^th Casualty Clearing Station; he was an original member of the Battalion. He was 30 years old, from London, and had worked as a kitchen porter before the war. Pte. Arnold Crossley (see 7^th June) had suffered severe chest wounds; he died at 17^th Casualty Clearing Station. Pte. George Holmes (15231) (see 8^th October 1916) died at 10^th Casualty Clearing Station. Pte. Herbert Smith (200022) (see 7^th June) died at 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. Pte. Harry Read (see 20^th February) who had been severely wounded the previous day and evacuated to 69^th Field Ambulance, died and would be buried at Hop Store Cemetery near Brandoek, west of Ypres.

CSM James Davis MM

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Following the casualties suffered on the previous day, there were a series of promotions. Sgt. Bob Harrison (see 4^th October 1916) was promoted Company Sergeant Major, ‘A’ Company, in place of CSM James Davis MM (see above). L.Sgt. John William Dickinson (see 6^th May) was promoted Sergeant. LSgt. Thomas Walsh (see 6^th October) was promoted Acting Sergeant. L.Cpl. Harry Raistrick (see 29^th April) was promoted Corporal. LCpls. Clarence Best (see 5^th May); Horace Dunn (see 16^th May) and Arthur Lund (see 29^th May), began to be paid according to their rank, having previously held the rank unpaid. Pte. Thomas Robinson (16490) MM (see 4^th May) was appointed Acting Corporal, and would be confirmed in his rank three days later.

Sgt. Thomas Walsh (seated)

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Cpl. Thomas Robinson MM, seated.

Image by kind permission of Gary Robinson

Pte. Patrick Sweeney (see 24^th May) was reported absent from tattoo. His absence was reported by CSM Edward George John Cooke (see 13^th January), Sgt. Harry Holmes (see 5^th May) and Cpl. George Wallace Fricker (see 16^th May).

Pte. Ernest Needham (see 19^th May) reported sick, suffering from a high temperature (‘NYD pyrexia’); he was admitted to 71^st Field Ambulance.

Maj. James Christopher Bull (see 7^th June) and Lt. Philip Howard Morris (see 7^th June), both of whom had been wounded the previous day, were evacuated to England from 10^th Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings. They would travel from Boulogne to Dover onboard the hospital ship St. Andrew, and on arrival in England both would be admitted to 4^th London General Hospital, Denmark Hill.

Capt. James Christopher Bull

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Sgt. John William Wardman (see 24^th January) re-joined the Battalion; he had been away from active service for the previous six months, having spent some time in hospital and then having remained at 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples since 24^th January.

Pte. Harold Dale (see 28^th May), who had been away from the Battalion for the previous six weeks, now reported for duty from no.34 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

With a little time to reflect on events Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 4^th June) wrote home to his wife;

“Just a line to tell you that we have had another big success all along the line of which you will see in the papers a full account in due course. The sight of our mines was wonderful and some day I may be able to tell you more about it all. The Brigade as usual was splendid, particularly the 8^th, 10^th and 11^th, who formed the first line and went over the top like lions. We have taken some hundreds of prisoners, a number of machine guns, trench mortars etc and the famous salient is now one no longer. I took the precaution to get some sleep beforehand but we all had a busy day. We are still living in a deep, dank, moist tunnel and my knee is very rheumatic but not painful. One lives in perspiration and slush but the place is an excellent one. Of course we have had casualties … but happily the wounded are far more numerous than the killed and there is no doubt we did in a grand number of Huns. … Everyone is in good spirits over it all … A prisoner told us they had just discovered our coming attack and his pal was telephoning to Battalion HQ about it five minutes before the mines went off!!”

(I am greatly indebted to Juliet Lambert for her generosity in allowing me access to Brig. Genl. Lambert’s diary and letters).

Pte. William Brooke (see 20^th March), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was posted back to France and would join 2^nd/5^thDWR.

Pte. Harry Clark (see 5^th April), who had been in England for the previous two months, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Leonard Ackroyd (see 20^th November 1916), who had been in England since having been wounded in the trench raid in November 1916, was formally transferred to 2^nd/7^th Durham Light Infantry.

Cpl. Christopher John Kelly (see 2^nd December 1916), who had been serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion in Gateshead, was transferred to the Army Reserve Class W and released to return to his pre-war employment as a limestone quarryman at the Swinden Lime Works near Skipton. He was then living at Bridge End, Settle.

2Lt. Frederick Millward MC (see 12^th January), who had been severely injured during the trench raid carried out in November 1916 and had had his right leg amputated above the knee, appeared before an Army Medical Board assembled in London. The Board found that his wounds were now all healed and that his stump was now sufficiently healed for him to be provided with an artificial leg. His case was ordered to be reviewed again in six months’ time. 

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald carried a number of reports relating to men connected with 10DWR.

BRADLEY - Memorial Service

On Sunday afternoon, at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, a memorial service was held in memory of Sergeant John Hudson (see 1^st June) , whose death was reported in last week's issue. The service was conducted by Mr. W.J. Mitchell and Mr. John Gill. Two solos - 'Jesu Lover' and 'Rock of Ages' - were sung by Misses Hilda Benny and Maggie Chapman.

Sgt. Jack Hudson

A SKIPTONIAN’S PROMOTION

Mr. Norman Roberts (see 28^th May), eldest son of Mr. Edwin Roberts, Newtown, Skipton, has successfully passed his examination for a commission in the army and will be gazetted in due course. He has been in the thick of some of the most strenuous fighting on the Western Front, and thoroughly deserves his promotion.

Sgt. Norman Roberts MM

GREEN - May 29th 1917, in the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne, from wounds received in action on the Western Front, Private Jacob Carradice Green (see 31^st May), West Riding Regiment, one of the six soldier sons of Mrs. Green, 10, Greenfield Street, Skipton, aged 23 years.

SKIPTON'S ROLL OF HONOUR - PRIVATE JACOB CARRADICE GREEN: A Strange Presentiment

We regret to say that Private Jacob Carradice Green, West Riding Regiment, one of the six soldier sons of Mrs. Green, 10, Greenfield Street, Broughton Road, Skipton, died on May 29th in the 3rd Canadian General Hospital, Boulogne, from gunshot wounds in the left thigh. In a letter to Mrs. Green, Major A.L. Burch, a chaplain, states:- "I exceedingly regret to have to write that your son died here today (May 29th) at 6 o'clock. He will be buried with military honours on the 31st in the military cemetery at Boulogne." After an operation on May 23rd, Pte. Green wrote home to the effect that he was going on as well as could be expected. "I got wounded on Sunday night," he added, "with a machine gun bullet and arrived at the hospital on Tuesday morning. I went under X-rays and the operation on Wednesday. They managed to get the bullet, which had entered the left thigh and gone into the hipbone. It seems strange, but I told my mates two months ago that there was a 'Blighty' waiting for me sometime in May."

Twenty-three years of age, Pte. Green enlisted in January 1916, and had been in France since last July. In civil life he was a carter in the employ of Mr. T. Duckett, contractor, Skipton, and at one time was a playing member of the Niffany Rovers Football Club.

Five other sons of Mrs. Green are serving in the Forces - Private John Thos. Green, Sergeant Albert Edward Green (both with the West Ridings), Pte. James Green (Tyneside Scottish), Driver William Henry Green (R.F.A.), all of whom are in France, and Lance-Corporal Fred Green (Training Reserve Battalion), at present in England. Pte. James Green was wounded in the early part of the year in the back, thigh, and leg, but he is now back in the trenches

 

Pte. Jacob Carradice Green

The weekly edition of the Clitheroe Times reported on the death the younger brother of the late Ptes. Edwin and Walter Isherwood (see 2^nd June);

The hand of death has again been laid on the family of Mrs. Isherwood, Foulscales Farm, Newton, who last week lost another son, her youngest, Albert, at the age of 17 years. The interment took place at Slaidburn Church, on Saturday. Much sympathy is felt for the mother and family, of which the war has claimed two sons as victims.

 

Pte. Edwin Isherwood