Friday 6th July 1917

Billets in the Steenworde area.

The weather remained fine

While at Steenworde each Battalion of the Brigade, including 10DWR, “built an assault course on the plan of a course as required for the new ‘Bullet and Bayonet’ training”.

Pte. Peter Herity (see 23^rd February) was admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance suffering from conjunctivitis; he would be discharged to duty three days later.

Pte. Arnold Robson (see 6^th April) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station, suffering from “I.C.T.” (inflammation of the connective tissue) to both legs.

2t. Cyril William Wildy reported for duty with 10DWR. He was 22 years old (born 31^st October 1894) and from Kenley, Surrey. He had joined the Inns of Court OTC in October 1915, prior to which he had been working as an articled clerk to a chartered accountancy firm. He had been commissioned on 24^th December 1915 and posted to 2/25^th Cyclist Battalion, London Regiment in Norfolk, with whom, from July 1916, he had trained on signal duties. Wildy would take over as Battalion Signalling Officer following the death in action of 2Lt. Harold Watthews (see 8^th June).

Pte. Patrick Ferguson (see 20^th April), who was still at 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, departed to England on ten days’ leave.

Pte. Walter Ralph (see 21^st June), elder brother of Pte. Kit Ralph (see 30^th April) who had been killed at Le Sars, was transferred from 9DWR to 1^st/5^th York and Lancasters.

Lt. John Charles Brison Redfearn (see 24^th September 1916), who had been under medical treatment in England for trench fever for the previous nine months, suffered a further acute attack of illness. He was reported to have been “seized with pain in the stomach, vomiting followed by violent retching and slight looseness of the bowels”. On the following day he would be admitted to 1^st Northern General Hospital in Newcastle.

Pte. Ambrose Birdsall (see 7^th June) who had been in England since being taken ill in March, was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR, en route to a return to active service, having been declared A1 and fit for duty.

Pte. Robert Ellis Clayton (see 26^th June), serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead, appeared before a District Court Martial; he was charged with ‘deserting His Majesty’s service and losing by neglect his equipment, clothing and regimental necessaries’. He was found guilty and sentenced to six months’ detention and to forfeit all benefits arising from his previous service. 

A payment of £2 4s. 6d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Edward Williams (see 5^th May) who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his sister, Ann.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported on the discharge from the army of Cpl. Billy Rawlinson (see 2^nd July),

HIGHER BENTHAM - NEWS OF THE “BOYS”

Quite a number of “Boys” have been home this week. Cpl. William Rawlinson, of Stockbridge, has received his discharge after having received 47 wounds from a shell which killed two of his pals and wounded three others on the Somme last summer.