Friday 26th July 1918

Billets at Cereda and Grumo.

In the hill country the two billet locations were some distance apart and 2Lt. Bernard Garside (see 3^rd June) recalled how, “We went off to another village built on a hillside and when we wanted to visit Battalion Headquarters we had to climb down several hundred feet … We had to begin doing nothing in the middle of the day because it was so hot – but we had to make up for it by training in the evening”.

Conditions over the next three weeks were to be very pleasant, as later remembered by Pte. Harold Charnock (see 21^st June), “Billets at Grumo were sufficiently pleasant and, owing largely to the exertions of our Divisional General, Major General Sir J M Babington, the canteen was well supplied.  The evenings were devoted to sport.  There was an excellent range nearby.  We had some cricket and very successful Battalion sport with a variety of mounted events.  An excellent Brigade Horse Show and rifle meetings were held and both were well attended and most popular.  The weather was very hot and nothing could be done between 1000 hours and 1630 hours.  Evening concerts by the band were much enjoyed”. 

Pte. Joseph Holmes (see 15^th January) was reported for being drunk and “absent off parade at 7.30pm”; he would be ordered to undergo 28 days’ Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. William Hassall (see 22^nd November 1917) was awarded seven days’ Field Punishment no.2; the nature of his offence is unknown.

Pte. Herbert Bibby (see 12^th May) was admitted via 71^st Field Ambulance to 24^th Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from diahorrea.

Pte. Walter Barker (see 6^th June 1916) was admitted to 71^st Field Ambulance, suffering from “I.C.T.” (inflammation of the connective tissue) to his right foot; he would be discharged and re-join the Battalion two days later.

Pte. Walter Dey (see 17^th June), who was attached to a working party to Rocchetto Station, south-east of Verona, was ordered to be deprived of seven days’ pay; the nature of his offence is unknown.

Pte. James Duncan Foster (see 19^th March), serving in France with 2DWR, departed for England on two weeks’ leave.

Pte. Ernest Franklin (25969) (see 1^st July), serving at the Regimental Depot at Halifax, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Philip Pankhurst (see 18^th May), who had been in England since November 1917, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields. 

L.Cpl. Thomas Hemingway (see 5^th October 1917), who had been in hospital in Scotland since having been wounded in September 1917, was discharged from 2^nd Scottish General Hospital, Craigleath. He would be posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Frank Jowett (see 20^th April 1918), who had in England since having been wounded in April, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Edward Hogan (see 24^th June 1917), who had served with 10DWR before being transferred to the Labour Corps, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to illness; the details of his illness are unknown.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported news of an appeal for exemption from military service made on behalf of Thomas Earnshaw, brother of Sgt. Kayley Earnshaw DCM (see 8^th March), who had been killed in June 1916.

SKIPTON URBAN TRIBUNAL - APPEALS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS

A Patriotic Family

Representing the Governors, Mr. Algernon Dewhurst appealed on behalf of the gardener at the Skipton Girls' High School, 47 and married, Grade 2, and stated that the man had charge of two acres of land, 1,000 yards of which was kitchen garden, the produce being for the use of the school mistresses and boarders. The Governors has advertised for either a male or female gardener, but there was not a single female applicant. The man had also two allotments of 700 yards. He had lost a son in the Jutland Battle, another had been through the East African campaign and was now in France, while a third enlisted at the age of 14 when war broke out and took part in the retreat from Mons. Two brothers of applicant had also been killed. He was granted six months' exemption, not to drill.