Thursday 8th November 1917

Billets in the Zudausques area

A wet day. The Battalion marched four miles east to Tatinghem.

Sgt. George Richard Goodchild (see 1^st November), described the events of the day, “we marched the first stage – to Tatinghem – of our journey.  The start was auspicious inasmuch as this march was the first occasion on which our new band had accompanied us.  Right well did this portion of the Battalion acquit itself and the march was really enjoyable despite the drag of an inordinately large pack.  Tatinghem provided us with good billets for Thursday night.  The Orderly Room was in a cobbler’s cottage and was very comfortable.  The occupants of the house were also very good to us – this is not always the case even with the French – and we became quite friendly with them during our short stay.  Just before we departed the cobbler presented each one of us with a large William pear.  These were eaten on the train later in the day and thoroughly enjoyed.  Incidentally it may be mentioned here that this shoe-making friend told us that every pair of hand-made child’s or lady’s boots or shoes then cost 30 Francs!!”.

The inauguration of the Battalion band was also remembered fondly by Capt. William Norman Town (see 1^st November): “A brass band had been started only a short time before and, indeed, half the instruments only arrived two days before we left France.  One of the Officers went to London on one day’s leave.  He hied him to Hawkes & Sons, one of whose partners had served in the 10^th, and, guided by their advice, brought back large and fearsome brazen forms.  He was a Scotsman, one of the persistent sort.  Surely none other could have got these great packing cases past the RTO at Victoria, on to and off the ship and into a motor ‘wangled’ for the occasion”. (It seems likely that the ‘persistent’ Scottish officer was Capt. James Watson Paterson, see 25^th October).

L.Sgt. Albert Hoggarth (see 17^th October) was reported by CSM Thomas McCloud (see below) as having been “drunk on the line of march”; he was reprimanded by Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 29^th October).

CSM Thomas McCloud was 32 years old. He had served in India with 1DWR before the war and had been posted to Gallipoli with 8DWR in July 1915. The details of his war service and when he had joined 10DWR are unknown.

A/Cpl. Bertie Gooch (see 29^th October) departed for England on ten days’ leave.

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 1^st November), who, a week previously, had been found guilty of desertion and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour, had his sentence suspended on the orders of General Sir Herbert Plumer.

Pte. Patrick Sweeney (see 25^th October), who had been sentenced to death for desertion, had his sentence commuted to 15 years’ penal servitude on the orders of Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig.

Spr. Alfred John Davis (see 17^th June), serving in France with179^th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, was appointed Lance Corporal.

A payment of 16s. 7d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Joe William Woodhouse (see 10^th June), who had been killed in action on 10^th June; the payment would go to his widow, Annie.