Friday 14th September 1917

Billets in the Steenvorde area.

A warm day.

The Battalion marched a further nine miles east, via Abeele and Reninghelst, to bivouacs at Wood Camp, south of Reninghelst.

Pte. Fred Heppinstall (see 1^st August), who had been away from the Battalion for two months following admission to hospital suffering from boils, now re-joined, having been discharged from 7^th Canadian Stationary Hospital at Arques.

Pte. Harold Draper (see 11^th September) was reported by Sgt. John Ratlidge (see 8^th August), as having been, “unshaven on parade”; on the orders of Capt. Bob Perks DSO (see 7^th September) he was to be confined to barracks for three days.

Sgt. Robert William John Morris (see 1^st May), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was posted to serve at the Detention Barracks at Woking, Surrey.

Lt. Philip Howard Morris (see 13^th August), who had been wounded on 7^th June and was now serving with 3DWR at North Shields, appeared before a further Army Medical Board assembled at Tynemouth. The Board found that “the wounds are quite well healed but he gets a dragging pain on movement of the arm. The arm has not got its full strength yet”; they found him fit for home service for a further month, with another Board to follow in a months time. Morris then wrote to the War Office with a request for consideration for a wound gratuity:

“I was wounded at Hill 60 during the attack on the Messines Ridge on June 7^th 1917 by a shrapnel bullet and was operated on at no.10 Casualty Clearing Station, Remy. I was discharged from hospital on July 11^th 1917 and proceeded on three weeks leave and joined my unit on August 1^st 1917. I am at present on Home Service and likely to be so for some time”.

Pte. Mark Beaumont (see 27^th July), who had been in England since being wounded in January, was reclassified as medical category C2 and posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

A payment of £2 17s. 7d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Thomas Henry Hanson (see 7^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June; the payment would go to his widow, Sarah.

A payment of £5 0s. 10d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Sgt. John Hudson (see 8^th June), who had been killed in action on 23^rd May; the payment would go to his mother, Mary.

Sgt. Jack Hudson

A payment of £2 15s. 4d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Reginald Parish (see 7^th June), who had died of wounds on 7^th June; the payment would go to his mother, Alice. A week later a parcel of his personal effects would also be sent to his mother; this comprised of, “letters, metal ring, shaving soap, safety razor and blades, shaving brush, cigarette case, tin box, strap, diary”.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported on two original members of Tunstill’s Company, both of who had been transferred away from 10DWR.

AUSTWICK

On leave – Lce-Cpl (sic.) Wilson Pritchard, (see 10^th August) cyclist section, elder son of Mr. W. Pritchard, Main Street, arrived home on Saturday from the Western Front. He is spending a fortnight at home prior to entering into training for a commission.

GIGGLESWICK MARRIAGE

The marriage was solemnised on Monday at the Parish Church by the Rev. T.P. Brocklehurst of Lydia A. Fell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. Fell of Giggleswick, and Pte. Robert Cresswell (see 10^th September), Yorkshire Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Cresswell, of Broad Green Farm, Essex. The bride, who for the past ten years has been assistant teacher at the Day School at Horton-in-Ribblesdale, was given away by her uncle, Mr. James Clark, of Settle. Prior to the war, the bridegroom was police constable at Giggleswick, joining the forces at the outbreak of hostilities, and has seen much severe fighting on the Western Front. The bridesmaids were Misses Mary and Lily Fell, sisters of the bride. Mr. J. Clay, B.A., acted as ‘best man’. After the ceremony the happy pair left for the south where their honeymoon is being spent.