Wednesday 26th September 1917

Bivouacs at Wood Camp, south of Reninghelst.

The recent fine weather continued.

Orders were received for the Brigade to return to the line next day. The urgency of the situation is made clear in the words of the Brigade War Diary, “On the night of 26^th September, although the Brigade had only come out of the line on the previous day after eight days severe fighting, orders were received that it would embus at 9am on the 27^th and again take over the front line. It appeared probable that the Division then holding the line would not be in a condition to hand over in the normal way, severe fighting having taken place and the exact front line being at the time doubtful”. 10DWR would not return to the line, but would be in Brigade Reserve.

L.Sgt. Christopher Clapham (see 12th August) was promoted Sergeant.

L.Cpl. Frank Mallinson MM (see 20^th September) and Pte. John Stenson (see 17^th July 1916) were  evacuated to England from 2^nd Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship St. Denis. Pte. Stenson would be admitted to 5^th Northern General Hospital in Leicester. Pte. George Carter (see 7^th September) was evacuated to England from 3^rd General Hospital at Rouen, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship Panama; on arrival in England he would be admitted to hospital in Eastleigh. Cpl. Horace Dewis (see 20^th September), L.Cpl. Clarence Best (see 20^th September) and Ptes. Frank Blakeborough (see 20^th September), Lewis Greenwood (see 20^th September), Trayton George Harper (see 20^th September), Joseph Leonard Holmes (see 20^th September), Frederick Ernest Jones (see 20^th September) and Herbert Rushworth (see 20^th September) all of whom had been wounded six days’ previously, were evacuated to England for further medical treatment. Cpl. Dewis was admitted to the King George Military Hospital, Stamford Street, London; Pte. Blakeborough was admitted to 5^th Northern General Hospital in Leicester; and Pte. Jones to the facial injury hospital at Sidcup, but for the others the details of their hospital treatment are unknown.

Pte. Augustus Edgar Stone (see 10^th September) was also evacuated to England from 7^th Canadian General Hospital at Etaples, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship Princess Elizabeth. On arrival in England he would be admitted to Evington Military Hospital, Leicester.

Pte. Victor Munnery (see 20^th September), who had suffered a relatively minor shrapnel wound to his chest on 20^th September, was posted from 54^th General Hospital to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. Walter Robinson (15117) (see 11^th June), serving with 8DWR, was also evacuated to England. He had suffered severe wounds to his left leg (the exact date on which he had been wounded is unknown) which would result in the amputation of the limb. On arrival in England he would be admitted to 2^nd Northern General Hospital in Leeds.

2Lt. George Clifford Sugden (see 30^th July) arrived in France en route to joining 10DWR.

Pte. Albert William Knight (see 16^th August), serving with 2/6^th DWR, was admitted to hospital (cause unknown).

Sgt. Edward Isger (see 30^th May), who had been in England since April, was transferred from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

The London Gazette reported the award of the Military Cross to 2Lt. Joseph Barrett Hartley (see 4^th November 1915), who had been one of Tunstill’s original recruits but had been discharged to a commission with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers in October 1915. The date of the action for which Hartley received his award is unknown, but the citation detailed his conduct, “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in charge of a pack transport. In spite of very heavy shell fire and un- favourable weather conditions, he succeeded in getting his convoy through to his battalion with rations and ammunition, displaying splendid courage and determination”

2Lt. Joseph Barrett Hartley MC

2Lt. Thomas Arnold Woodcock (see 19^th July), who had served with the Battalion for only three weeks before reporting sick in April, and was currently on attachment to a unit (unidentified) from 3DWR, appeared before a further Medical Board assembled at Chelmsford. The Board found that, “he still complains of inability to eat meat and diets himself on fish, fruit and vegetables. His general health is good; his heart is normal; his tongue is covered with a fur. He complains of great frequency of micturation”. He was ordered to return to his current duty, with further observation by his unit’s Medical Officer. He was to be re-examined in a further three months.

Cpl. Frank Christelow (see 31^st March), who had left the Battalion in March to begin his officer training, was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant.

On completing his officer training Pte. Alfred Ernest Pass (known as ‘Alf’) (see 31^st March) was commissioned Second Lieutenant; he would later serve with 10DWR.


A payment of £7 6s. 6d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Harry Braithwaite (see 28^th May 1917) who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his widow, Eliza.