Thursday 1st April 1915

In a letter home to his family, Priestley revealed that he was apprehensive about the fact that he, along with the rest of the Battalion, was about to be vaccinated against typhoid fever. He told his family, “I think we shall be vaccinated this weekend so we look like having a very queer sort of Easter” (Easter Sunday would be 4^th April). He also described the weather as ‘beautiful’ and indicated that he might soon receive a four days’ leave but would be unlikely to travel home because of the long journey that would involve.

Pte. Harry Shields was formally discharged from the army on medical grounds, due to gastritis and bronchitis; he was a 34 year-old warehouseman from Bradford.

Wednesday 31st March 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training in Folkestone.

At home in Burnsall, Molly Birch, wife of Pte. Henry Birch, gave birth to the couple’s fourth child; he would be named Christopher Henry. Henry Birch had enlisted in Skipton on 8^th September 1914; he was 33 years old and had worked as a joiner and roadman.

Tuesday 30th March 1915

The enlistment of John George Waggitt (see 22^nd March) in the Canadian Expeditionary Force was confirmed and he was posted to ‘B’ Squadron, 16^th Light Horse.

Monday 29th March 1915

Pte. John Henry Eastwood was appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal. He was 41 years old and originally from Bradford, though he had been living in Brighouse; a married man with two children, he had been working as a turner before enlisting, but had previously served 16 years (1892-1908) as a regular soldier with the West Ridings.

Pte. Robinson Walker, aged 26, who was one of the Keighley recruits who had been posted to join Tunstill’s original recruits in September 1914, was married at the Register Office in Keighley. Robinson Walker was one of five children of William and Isabella Walker; William was manager of the spindle department at a local textile machine works and his son, before enlisting, had been working as a ‘consulting engineer’. At the time of the marriage, Robinson’s address was given as 8 Bournemouth Road, Folkestone. He was married to Ellen (known as Nellie) Corlass, aged 24,also from Keighley; the witnesses to the marriage were Nellie’s brother Thomas and his wife Ruth.

Sunday 28th March 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training in Folkestone.

Saturday 27th March 1915

Pte. Arthur Hargreaves

  A team from 10^th Battalion played a charity football match against a team from the Brigade Pioneer Battalion (9^th South Staffordshires). Included in the 10^th Battalion team was Tunstill’s Man, Pte. Arthur Hargreaves. Arthur was a fine athlete, and a well-known sportsman. He had been a prominent member of both the Cowling Cricket and Football Clubs, playing right full-back for the team which won the championship in the Keighley and District League. He was also well-known as a bowler in the West Bradford Cricket League. He was at one time connected with other clubs outside the village, amongst those being Sutton United Football Club. He was said to be “deservedly popular both on and off the field, and was a thorough sportsman”.

The match was the subject of an extended report in the following week’s edition of the Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate and Cheriton Herald.

MILITARY FOOTBALL

9^TH SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRES 1: 10^TH WEST RIDINGS 0

On Saturday afternoon last a football match was played on the Canterbury Road ground between 9^th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment and 10^th Battalion West Riding Regiment. The former team won by one goal to nil.

The teams were as follows:

9^th South Staffordshire Regiment: Davis, Young and Ellsmore, Lacock, Harrison and Gibbs, Lt. Sproat, Ramsdale, Hodges, Harris And J.H. Cox.

10^th West Riding Regiment: Layburn, King and Hargreaves, Lawton, Smith and Nowell, Mills, Clapham,

Pte. Robert Flaherty; he was a 23 year-old labourer from Bradford.

 Jason and Walsh.
 

Some fine passing was shown by the Staffords, who were again attired in the colours of the famous Wolverhampton Wanderers, lent to them by the directors of that club. The ‘Tigers’, as the Staffords are called, seemed in much better form this week, and played much more systematically. Some good play was seen on the part of Hodges (centre forward), who showed throughout great spirit and very cleverly eluded the Yorkshire backs on several occasions. Ramsdale (inside right) and Harris (inside left) also played finely, and proved of great help to their centre. They also showed some very tricky passing, which characterised their game all through. Lt. Sproat played well on the right wing and did some praiseworthy work, while J.H. Cox on the other wing was in fine form. The latter was responsible for the only goal of the match, which he put in very cleverly. The Staffords’ half-line was fairly strong, Lacock playing a fine game. The backs, Young and Elsmore, put up a vigorous defence, which was seldom broken. When the opponents’ forwards did get through they found a difficulty with the goalie, Davis, who proved a faithful custodian, and stopped all shots with a degree of celerity which won him great praise. 

The Yorks’ playing was greatly impeded by the fact that nearly all the tram wore regimental trousers, some even turning out in puttees. Still, the West Riding Regiment put up an admirable game. Throughout the first half they tried hard to score, but the opponents’ backs usually overcame them. Their forwards too were perhaps not quite as strong as the Staffords, but they played well. Flaherty (centre) eluded the Tigers more than once, but failed to get the ball into the net. The wing play of the Yorks was good and capital shots were put up the field by Walsh and Mills, who were on the extremes of each wing. Lawton, a half back, played a good game, turning the ball on several occasions. The defence of the Yorks, generally speaking, was not very strong, but their goalkeeper, Cpl. Layburn, played an excellent game, stopping the ball on numberless occasions when it was in very awkward positions. It was probably through his first rate play that the Tigers did not score more points (sic).

During the first half of the game both teams seemed fairly equally matched and scrimmages around each other’s posts were not infrequent occurrences. Although both tried hard to score, no point (sic) was recorded in the first half.

Upon resumption, the Staffords played up, while their opponents seemed to flag a little. They soon, however, recovered when the ball was placed in their territory, but it was taken through and a scrimmage ensued near the Yorks goal, which after a time ended in Cox (outside left) putting in a clean shot. The Yorks now backed up and tried hard to equalise, but could not score, although some clever shots were attempted.

A large number of soldiers and civilians watched the game, and displayed much enthusiasm. The gate money, amounting to a very considerable sum, was in aid of the Bevan Hospital, Sandgate. Company Sergt-Major  Kilbert, South Staffordshire, took a leading part in organising this successful match. 

There may have been other of Tunstill’s Men among the 10^th Battalion team, but this has not been established for certain. It may well be that the man named in the newspaper report as ‘Jason’ was actually Frederick William Jesson. No men with the surname ‘Jason’ have been identified as serving with 10^th Battalion and it may well be that the surname was simply misheard and mis-reported. It may also be that either or both of ‘Smith’ and ‘Walsh’ may have been Tunstill’s Men of those surnames, but this cannot be confirmed.

 

Friday 26th March 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training in Folkestone.