Wednesday 7th November 1917

Billets in the Zudausques area

A wet morning, but became dry later. The Battalion continued its training and range practice.

Ptes. Robert Henry Arnold (see 29^th October) and Cain Rothera (see 5^th October) were both appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Ptes. Isaac Raisman (see 30^th June) and John Yeates (see below) appeared before a Field General Court Martial; both were charged with ‘actions contrary to the maintenance of good order and military discipline’ (details unknown) and both were convicted. Raisman would be ordered to undergo seven days’ Field Punishment No.1 and Yeates 42 days. Pte. John Yeates was 26 years old and originally from Pewsey, Wiltshire, but had enlisted in 1912 while working in Yorkshire. He had been posted to France to join 2DWR in November 1914 and had been wounded in December 1916, suffering gunshot wounds to his right thigh. In the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible to establish when, or under what circumstances, he had joined 10DWR.

Pte. Richard Henry Harris (see 29^th October) departed for England on ten days’ leave.

Ptes. Joseph Clough (see 2^nd October), John Foster (see 25^th September), Charles Hammond (see 25^th August), Walter Pedley (see 12^th October) and Fred Slater (see 5^th October), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, were all reported absent off final leave before embarking for France. Clough would return to duty at 9.30pm on 10^th November and would be ordered to undergo four days Field Punishment no.2. Foster and Hammond did not return until 12^th November; both were sentenced to six days Field Punishment no.2. Slater returned to duty at 8am on 13^th November; he was sentenced to seven days’ Field Punishment no.2. Pedley was apprehended by the Military Police at 1.35pm on 9^th November and returned to duty; he was sentenced to three days’ Field Punishment no.2.

Ptes. Thomas Caton (see 23^rd September) and Michael Hopkins (see 20^th September), both of whom had been in England since having been wounded on 20^th September, were discharged from hospital and posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.

Pte. Oliver Rhodes (see 11^th October), who had been in England for the previous three weeks, was discharged from hospital and posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon. 

Pte. Harold Holt (see 10^th July 1916), who had been in England since having been wounded in July 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of his wounds; he was awarded a pension of 9s. 6d. per week.

Pte. Tom Nixon (11904) (see 24^th October 1916) serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of ‘chronic synovitis’. He would be awarded the Silver War Badge but, as his complaint was formally stated to be ‘neither caused by nor aggravated by active service’, he had no entitlement to an Army pension.

A payment of £2 11s. 5d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Arthur Heeley (see 12^th June), who had died of wounds on 12^th June; the payment would go to his mother, Sarah. She would also receive a parcel of personal effects comprising “disc, letters, photos, cards, wallet, religious book, mirror, broken wrist watch, strap and guard”.