Wednesday 19th September 1917

Bivouacs at Middle East Camp, north of La Clytte.

The Battalion fighting strength prior to the move the front line was reported as being 19 officers and 650 other ranks; a further two officers and 91 other ranks would, in accordance with usual practice, be left out of the line. 

In the afternoon, the Battalion, together with A and D Companies 8^th Yorks. which were attached to the Battalion for the coming attack, left Middle East Camp and marched to Railway Dugouts. From there, at 9.30pm they began their move to their assembly trenches and dugouts in the Sanctuary Wood area. According to the War Diary, “This was effected without loss but the move into Sanctuary Wood was carried out under most trying conditions in pitch darkness and heavy rain which made the ground very muddy and slippery and with the area not thoroughly reconnoitred owing to both parties that had been sent out to reconnoitre the previous day having been knocked out by shell fire. The way in which the Companies were handled by their Commanders and the behaviour of the men under the circumstances was most admirable”. Three Companies were located in and around Sanctuary Wood, whilst the fourth, along with the two attached Companies of 8Yorks were in “rough assembly trenches east of Yeomanry Ridge”.

At some point prior to the final move into the front line trenches, Ptes. Reginald Dayson (see 23^rd July) and Patrick Sweeney (see 14^th August) were formally reported as having deserted ; Sweeney several times previously been reported absent without leave.

Pte. Thomas Barber Dudley (see 20^th June 1916) was transferred to 787^th Employment Company, Labour Corps.

Four officers arrived in France en route to joining 10DWR. Lt. Stephen Moss Mather (see 21^st August 1915) was 24 years old (born 6^th March 1893). He had enlisted in the Notts and Derbys Regiment in October 1914 at which point he had been working as a shop assistant in Nottingham, though he was originally from Manchester. On 27^th November 1914 he had been commissioned Second Lieutenant and posted to 10DWR. He had remained with the Battalion whilst in training in 1914-15, but had not, for reasons unknown, been posted to France with them in August 1915. On 31^st July 1916, whilst apparently still in England, he had been transferred to a Trench Mortar Battery. At some point (details unknown) he had been posted to France and had served on attachment to 325^th Light Trench Mortar Battery. He had been wounded in action on 2^nd May 1917, suffering a shell wound to his right thigh. He had spent five weeks in Millbank Hospital in London, followed by a period of convalescence before being declared fit for general service on 8^th July. He had been promoted Lieutenant on 1^st July. The other three officers, 2Lts. Cyril Edward Agar (see 30^th July), William Johnson Simpson (see 30^th July) and Edward Kent Waite (see 30^th July), had all been commissioned from the ranks.

(Acting) Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Galbraith Buckle MC (see 27^th July), who had spent two months with 10DWR in the Summer of 1916, and was now commanding 2^nd Northants, was wounded for a third time; this time “in the ankle … by a wayward signal rocket and laid up for a week”.

Trooper Claude Darwin (see 21^st August), serving in Egypt with 1^st Field Squadron, Engineers, Anzac Mounted Division, re-joined his unit from a training unit at Moascar where he had spent the previous month. He was the brother of Tunstill recruit, Pte. Tom Darwin (see 1^st July), who was back in England having been wounded on 7^th June.

A payment of £1 19s. 1d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Maurice Stead Hodgson (see 8^th June), who had been killed in action on 8^th June; the payment would go to his widow, Mabel.