Friday 10th August 1917

Billets near Moulle.

A fine, bright morning

Pte. Albert Drake (see 11^th May) was reported by Cpl. George Heeley (see 6^th August) for ‘talking in the ranks’; on the orders of Capt. Bob Perks DSO (see 25^th July) he was to be confined to barracks for two days.

L.Cpl. Louis Feather (see 20^th July), who had suffered a relatively minor wound to his left arm on 7^th June, re-joined the Battalion from 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. Herbert Crowther Kershaw (see 7^th June), who had suffered shrapnel wounds to his right thigh on 7^th June, was discharged from hospital and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Although on leave in England at the time, Cpl. John Stewart (see 7^th August) was promoted Sergeant.

Pte. Harry Barraclough MM (see 17^th December 1916), serving with 69^th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps, was posted to a ten-day course of instruction (details unknown).

Pte. Walter Pedley (see 26^th May), who had been in England for three months, having been wounded on 19^th May,  was posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.

Capt. Gilbert Tunstill (see 7^th July), currently a patient at Hammerton VAD Hospital in Sunderland while serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Brighton Road Schools, Gateshead, appeared before a further Army Medical Board. The Board found that, “He was discharged to light duty from Hamerton VAD Hospital on 14^th June 1917 and again admitted there on 7^th July 1917. His foot was painful and he was unable to walk without limping. His foot has been put up in Plaster of Paris. He is already much improved and feels stronger. He was instructed to remain in hospital”. He was to be re-examined in a month’s time. 

Capt. Gilbert Tunstill

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

A package of personal effects belonging to the late Pte. Michael Edward McCuen (known as ‘Teddy’) (see 4^th August) was sent to his father, Daniel. It consisted of, “letters, photos, pipe, money belt, coin, clasp knife, pen knife, mirror, drinking cup, toothbrush, tin of cigarettes, spoon & fork, tobacco pouch, pencil, cigarette lighter, letter case, cards, silk badge, theatre programme, franc note (mutilated)”.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported news of current and former members of Tunstill’s Company.

MILITARY MEDAL

Private William (Billy) Hoyle (see 11^th June), son of Mr. John Hoyle of West Side House, Langcliffe, Settle, has been awarded the Military Medal for the following – “Throughout the whole day of June 7^th during our attack south of Hill 60, we had no telephone communications. This man showed exceptional bravery and devotion to duty by continually carrying messages under heavy enemy shell fire. On previous occasions this man has shown similar bravery and devotion to duty”.

Private Hoyle joined Kitchener’s Army under Captain Tunstill in September 1914 and went to France in August 1915. He was a farmer before the war.

War Items

Signaller Arthur Procter (see 7^th August), Eldroth, who was the first to join Captain Tunstill’s Company at Settle, is home on leave. He was badly wounded last year, and is hoping to get his discharge soon (Procter had, in fact, on 7^th August, already been granted his discharge from the Army).

MILITARY MEDALLIST

A great honour has been conveyed to Mr. and Mrs. William Pritchard, Main Street, Austwick, in a letter from their elder son, Lance-Corporal Pritchard (see 25^th March), Cyclist Section, stating that he is to receive the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery in the field. In the letter to his parents he stated that he took part in the last great push, and succeeded in saving a wounded soldier’s life, under heavy shell fire, after having dug him out of a hole, and bandaging him up. The ribbon has already been pinned on his breast, and in a short time he will come to London to be decorated. He has been offered a commission. Lance Corporal Pritchard enlisted in September 1914, being then only 17 years of age. He went out to France in May 1916, and was wounded at Thiepval in September of the same year. He returned to France on 25^th March last, where he has been to the present time. He is the second Austwick lad to gain distinction for bravery in the field.