Monday 13th December 1915

Reserve billets at La Rolanderie Farm.

The day was again dry and similar working parties were despatched as on previous days. Orders were received for the Battalion to be made ready to return to the front line next day. Company commanders were reminded that it was their responsibility to ensure that all men in their Company should, “rub their feet with anti-frostbite grease before starting”.

A decision was made at Brigade level for a redistribution of the Brigade when in the front line, “with a view to getting as much shelter as possible for the men and to afford them more facilities for drying their boots and socks”. The details are revealing as to the difficulties being posed by the weather. Henceforth each of the two Battalions holding the front line at any time would have only two companies actually in the fire trenches. The remainder of the Battalion would either be in close support in the series of ‘posts’ immediately in rear of the front line, or in the Bois Grenier Line. In both of these locations there would be more shelter for the men from the elements, but precautions were specified to ensure that they were ready to reinforce the front line if needed. All of the men in these close reserve positions were either to “always sleep in their equipment” or at the very least, “sleep in their boots, with equipment ready at hand so that they can turn out at the shortest notice”.

The new scheme also reflected the increasing importance being placed on the specialist bombers within each Battalion. It was specified that, “At intervals in the front line trenches there will be small groups of not less than a section, a proportion of whom should be bombers. There will be a bomb store near them and they will be prepared to counter-attack, right or left, in case the enemy should break through … At each Battalion HQ there will be a party of bombers and sufficient new sand bags will be kept in each bomb store to carry bombs”.

Sunday 12th December 1915

Reserve billets at La Rolanderie Farm.

Although the day itself was dry, there was by now serious flooding throughout the area. The River Lys was said to be at its highest levels for more than twenty years and Riviere des Laies which was normally no more than a shallow stream running north and east of Bois Grenier was now six feet deep in places (see 10^th December). The situation was such that all the Royal Engineers who had been constructing huts in reserve for winter accommodation had to be redeployed to try to keep the trenches accessible. Even the reserve areas had now been rendered little more than a sea of mud. The Battalion continued to provide working parties even though the men were about to be returned to the front line.

Looking back many years later on the winter of 1915, J.B. Priestley gave a graphic picture of the day-to-day conditions for men in the trenches; “For days and days on end, wearing six pairs of socks and high gum-boots and a sheepskin jacket that was either wet or caked in mud, trying to sleep on the fire-step or crawling into some hole in the wet clay, filthy and maddeningly lousy; never seeing anything that looked like hot food … Some of the worst nights in that winter of 1915 were spent carrying heavy coils of barbed wire up communication trenches, knee-deep in water and sometimes under shell-fire, continually slipping and then being pinned down by the coils of wire. I saw men, no weaklings but powerful fellows, break down and weep”.

Pte. Walter Robinson (14753) (see 5^th September) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 3^rd Casualty Clearing Station at Bailleul having suffered bruising to his legs (circumstances unknown); the following day he would be evacuated onboard no.24 Ambulance Train to hospital in Boulogne (details unknown) and subsequently to England where he would be admitted to Hampton Hospital, Bury St. Edmunds. 

Pte. Walter Robinson (14753)

Pte. Michael Hopkins (see 27^th July) was posted to 11DWR at Brocton Camp; it would appear that he had completed a jail term following a charge of assault which arose from an incident while on embarkation leave in Bradford in July.

2Lt. Arthur Poynder Garratt arrived in France to serve with 9^th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s who were then billeted in Ypres. He would later be transferred to 10DWR. He was the only child (born in 1893) of Herbert Alfred and Mary Rose Garratt. He had been educated at Haileybury School and had worked as a clerk at the Bank of England. He had been a member of the Inns of Court OTC since November 1913 and following the outbreak of war had applied for a commission with the Army Service Corps.

Saturday 11th December 1915

Reserve billets at La Rolanderie Farm.

This was to be only a short period out of the front line, and there was little rest to be had, with as much labour as possible to be provided in working parties in the front line trenches as they tried to combat the continually rising water levels. As the rain and cold continued unabated parties of forty men were despatched each morning and afternoon to assist in trench repairs.

Pte. William Knox (see 10^th December) again wrote to his wife, Ethel (I am most grateful to Rachael Broadhead and family for allowing me access to William’s letters).

“I now sit down and write you a few lines hoping they will find you quite well as I am very pleased to say that it leaves me very well at present. You will have to excuse me for not writing before as I have been in the trenches since last Monday and I can tell you we have had an awful time of it. We are jolly well lucky to be alive. We have been shelled every day by the Germans. Yesterday they sent over 850 shells in two hours so you may guess what it was like. I was in a bay all by myself and they were dropping shells every few yards and I thought every minute was my last. I lay flat on the ground in over two feet of water. The trenches are now in an awful state. All the parapets are falling in with the excessive rain which we have had just lately. We went into the firing line on Monday and came out into the reserve trenches on Friday but they are huts so we are very much better off. We stay here for four days then we go into the firing line again for four days. We are in for 24 days so we shall spend Christmas there after all. I wonder if we shall meet half way and have Xmas dinner together as they said they did last year? We have been over knee deep in water ever since we have been in the firing line but we have had gum boots on all the time so we were never wet footed at all. There is to be a very heavy bombardment here every day for three weeks so they will be giving them Hell. They are busy sending them over while I am writing this letter but we are far enough away from them today.

I had a very nice parcel from Teddy Firth at the dairy. He sent me two packets of chocolate, one pound of mint rock, some apples and oranges and a lovely pork pie, homemade, so I am going to have a good bust up this time with my pal Corporal Oldfield (Sgt. Billy Oldfield, see 8^th December for his promotion). I heard some very good news today and I was told by a Sergeant that all our leave was to be finished by the 24^th of February 1916 so if it is true we shall soon be seeing each other again shan’t we Dear”.

J.B. Priestley wrote to his sister, Winnie, with news of how he was faring in the trenches; “Of course, you know, we do not look at all like the soldiers you see at home. We have khaki caps with flaps on, very much like the caps civilians wear. Then we have rubber boots that reach up to our thighs, and fur jackets that we call our ‘Teddy Bear’ coats. Then, besides our overcoats, we have very long mackintosh capes. We have to keep rubbing our feet and legs with whale-oil and anti-frostbite grease. Yet, with all these things, we cannot keep ourselves either warm or dry. I had three pairs of thick socks under my rubber boots, yet my feet were both cold and wet”.

The Halifax Courier published a letter written by Pte. John Smith (13487) (see 6^th October):

“Life in the Trenches – how simple these few words sound but what a lot of meaning they have to Tommy Atkins. People at home cannot realise their true meaning as it is impossible for them to do so; only those who have to go into them know what it means. For some of us, perhaps, we will never see the outside of them again, but we will trust in providence and go into them to do our duty, whatever our fate may be. We move from our billets along a road liable to be sought by machine gun fire at any minute. We reach the communication trench, perhaps named after some well-known place, such as Piccadiily Circus and the Strand and other such names. Down we go in single file, sometimes up to our knees in water, twisting and turning and wondering what sort of trenches we are going into. At last we reach trenches. Each man knows his work and is shown his bay; some go for rations, others for filling sandbags and bettering the bags in the trenches, and a thousand and one jobs which Tommy Atkins knows are to be done. Others try to snatch an hour’s sleep on the fire step, but generally wake up with cold feet. The sentry takes his stand, looking over the parapet, listening and watching. In his turn he is relieved and the man waiting beside him takes his place, and then the old sentry tries to get warm and have a couple of hours sleep. Perhaps one man may be for patrol or in the sap or mending the wires in front of our trenches. Just before dawn the order comes to ‘Stand To’ and each man stands with his bayonet fixed ready for anything that may occur. No one knows what may happen, but men are always ready, looking over the parapet. We can see the German sentries and we get the order to post day sentries. Each man then cleans his rifle and also his part of the trench before he starts getting his breakfast cooked. Breakfast is finished; some start cooking the dinners, some are for fatigue and sundry jobs. At a certain hour work for the morning is finished. Some are tired and go to their dugouts, into which they have to crawl on their hands and knees; some write letters to those at home, perhaps to mother, wife or sweetheart – who knows? Each man knows the dangerous part of the trench or at least he soon finds out. Sometimes a shell bursts nearby and we wonder where the next one will drop. All at once message comes down the line for the stretcher bearers. A comrade has been hit and we wonder who it can be and where he is hit. Such is the life one leads in the trenches. It starts raining – and rain in the trenches means mud – sticky, slimy, slippery mud. After a week, perhaps more and perhaps less, we hear we are going to be relieved and we wonder what regiment is going to relieve us and where we are off to. The time comes for our relief and we are slowly but surely relieved. We get out of the communication trench, along the road and out of machine gun fire and within a short time pipes and cigarettes are alight and someone starts singing a well-known chorus and the other lads join in, forgetting the trenches and the dangers of the past few days. Such is the life of a Tommy in the trenches”.

Jim Coates, who had been among Tunstill’s original volunteers but had been discharged early in the Company’s training (see 25^th October 1914) re-enlisted, joining the recently-formed 21^st Battalion,  West Yorkshire Regiment.

George Clark, another of Tunstill’s original volunteers was promoted Acting Corporal (unpaid). He had gone absent without leave early in the Battalion’s training in October 1914 and had subsequently been discharged. However, two months later he had volunteered again and had been taken on as a driver in the Motor Transport section of the Army Service Corps (see 20^th December 1914). He had immediately been sent to France (22^nd December) and had served there until 10^th March 1915 before returning to England, where he had remained ever since.

Friday 10th December 1915

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

The German shelling of the previous days increased in intensity as the Battalion made preparations to be relieved by 8th Yorks. A ferocious German bombardment continued from 9 am until 11 am, with the shelling largely directed against Battalion HQ and the communication trenches, which may well indicate that the Germans were anticipating that a relief might well be underway. The War Diary reported that, “One whizz bang passed through the HQ signal station, one of the signallers having a miraculous escape”. J.B. Priestley told his family how, “the German artillery gave us a terrible bombardment in return for one that our artillery gave them the day before”. Pte. Matthew Woodward (see 22^nd July) would describe the bombardment, and conditions in general, in more detail in a letter to his sister, “We have just come out of the trenches for a few days’ rest after spending four days in them. I can tell you we have had a rough time, what with the state of the trenches and the heavy shelling by the Germans the day we came out. We have been flooded out owing to the terrible weather. The country round about here is very flat and when it rains the water stands where it falls, so you will understand why the trenches get so full. It is nothing new to be standing up to the waist in water, and we have had to pump the water out of our tavern every morning in order to keep it low. The dug-outs here have become very treacherous owing to the earth being sodden, so we cannot get much rest. The weather lately has been awful; it simply comes down in torrents when it starts, and when we come out we are plastered from head to foot with mud. Now, about the bombardment on the day we came out. We were just about to get our breakfast on December 10^th when all at once the Germans, who seemed to have been having a sleep lately, suddenly started to play havoc with our lines. They sent the shells over in mass formations for about four hours and, believe me, I am myself living my third time on Earth. Four of us were talking, all unconcerned of the shelling, when suddenly one dropped ayard short of our tavern, just behind where we sat, but fortunately the only damage it did was to chuck us all clean off the seat and against the opposite barrier. Though it stunned us all, we picked ourselves together and had a real good laugh. But, thank God, the shell failed to explode. This is the second time I have just missed losing my life with shells”. Pte. Reuben Smith (see 6^th December) for one seemed to hold no great malice towards the Germans who were raining shells upon him; “It is getting quite a hot shop out here. The shells are coming over from morning to night, and they make it quite uncomfortable for us, for they shell poor Tommy's trenches. But you cannot blame them, as our men also do the same to them - but it is no picnic, I can tell you.” Despite the ferocity of the barrage only six men were wounded. Pte. William Knox (see 6^th December) would tell his wife, Ethel (I am most grateful to Rachael Broadhead and family for allowing me access to William’s letters), “they sent over 850 shells in two hours so you may guess what it was like. I was in a bay all by myself and they were dropping shells every few yards and I thought every minute was my last. I lay flat on the ground in over two feet of water. The trenches are now in an awful state. All the parapets are falling in with the excessive rain which we have had just lately.”

One of the men wounded was Pte. George King (16475) (see 11^th September), who suffered minor shrapnel wounds to the head; he would be admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance and discharged to duty after a week.
Once the bombardment had subsided the relief began, with guides from the Battalion meeting the in-coming troops at the northern end of the Shaftesbury Avenue communication trench between 3.30 and 4.30 pm. The relief was then completed without further casualties, despite the difficult conditions in the trenches. It was reported that the water level of the stream, the Riviere de Laies, near ‘London Bridge’ on the main communication trench known as Shaftesbury Avenue, had now reached a depth of five feet nine inches, and would indeed rise a further three inches over the next twenty-four hours. It was no surprise then that 8^th Yorks, on taking over the front line, found “the trenches were in a very bad condition owing to the continuous rain and activity on the part of the enemy artillery. The front parapet was down in several places and the communication and fire trenches full of water …. The parapet was repaired during the night of 11^th/12^th and parties were at work all day pumping out water”.

Meanwhile HQ and three companies of 10DWR marched the two miles back to their billets in and around La Rolanderie Farm; ‘C’ Company, however, were billeted in Bois Grenier itself, with responsibility for holding Bois Grenier Post.

Pte. Thomas Richard Raylor (see 13^th November), who had suffered severe head wounds a month previously, was evacuated to England; the details of his treatment in England are unknown.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald provided an update on the fund-raising campaign in support of Tunstill’s Company, and also noted the fact that Tunstill was himself home on leave (see 5^th December).

COMFORTS FOR THE WEST RIDING REGIMENT

Mrs. Tunstill acknowledges with grateful thanks the following donations to the “Comforts Fund” for the 10^th West Riding Regiment: Already acknowledged, £111 10s.; Mr. T.B. Ecroyd, £5 5s.; Mrs. Birkbeck, £5; Rev. A. Whyte, 12s. 6d.; Mrs. H.G. Tunstill, £2 (monthly); in addition to the “comforts” as follows: 10 shirts, 36 pairs socks from Mrs. Peel (Knowlmere); 1 scarf, 3 pairs cuffs, 2 shirts, 2 belts, 3 helmets from Bolton-by-Bowland Work Guild (per Mr. Lambert); 18 pairs socks, 16 pairs mittens, 2 helmets, 3 scarves from Gisburn Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Comforts Guild (per Mrs. Nutter and Mrs. Starkie); 6 shirts, pairs socks from Slaidburn and District (per Mrs. King-Wilkinson); 3 pairs socks, 2 mufflers, 2 pairs mittens, 6 handkerchiefs, stationery, pencils, cigarettes, Vaseline and soap from “A Friend of the Soldiers” which have been despatched this week, with 300 writing wallets, 250 handkerchiefs, 2 pairs pyjamas, 2,500 cigarettes, 60lbs. sweets, 150 tablets of soap, 300 Christmas cards and 36 sticks of shaving soap.Captain Tunstill, home on a few days leave, said how delighted the men always were with their parcels, and how much they were appreciated, especially shirts, socks and mittens.

The London Gazette carried formal notice of the award of the Military Cross to Lt. Leslie Guy Stewart Bolland (see 15^th November). The citation confirmed the events of the action:

“For conspicuous gallantry near Red Lamp salient on the night of 4^th November 1915.  A German patrol of about 50 men attacked and enveloped the party covering some men working between the lines. Two of the covering party were wounded. After ascertaining that the working party had been safely withdrawn, Lieutenant Bolland proceeded to withdraw his covering party, carrying in one of the wounded men on his back, and receiving two bullets through his clothing while doing so. He displayed great coolness and courage throughout. This is not the first time that Lieutenant Bolland's name has been brought to notice for good service”.

Thursday 9th December 1915

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

Light rain continued to fall through most of the day and, as J.B. Priestley had noted in one of his letters home (see 6^th December), the Germans were suffering in equal measure with the British from high water levels in the trenches. In response, they had improvised a dam, behind which they were attempting to hold back some of the water which they were pumping from their trenches. This activity attracted the attention of the British artillery and, at 10am, the Battalion was warned that the dam was to be shelled. The information was passed to all men in the line so that they could take cover in the event that any of the shells might burst prematurely. It was reported that, “The bombardment was effective and the desired results obtained”. The Germans responded with a considerable barrage of their own, but little damage was done and no casualties were sustained. The overnight period saw much more activity than in recent nights, with German machine guns sweeping the British parapets, though without inflicting any casualties.

Orders were received for the Battalion to be prepared to be relieved next day.

Pte. John Edward Atkinson (see 11^th September) wrote to a friend in Halifax (an extract from the letter would be published in the Halifax Courier on 24^th December under the headline ‘Efficiency of the British Shells’):

“We have had some bad weather just lately and are up to the knees in mud and water and in some places it is even worse than this. It does not trouble us now we have all had top boots and waterproof capes issued. We have also got fur coats. Except for our artillery fire it is very quiet now and they don’t send many in return. We fire more shells in a day than the Germans do in a week. Their shells are much inferior to ours as the majority fail to explode. It would do your eyes good to see our shells playing pitch and toss with their parapets. I am writing this in the dugout. It is very slow work as my pals keep blowing the candle out. I wish there were a few more Halifax lads to help us on the way to victory, which I think will not be so long, at any rate I hope not, as I am looking forward to seeing the old town again. If there are any lads in Halifax who have not joined they had better hurry up before it’s too late. We will find them a nice little dugout and plenty of company”

 

Wednesday 8th December 1915

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

At long last the weather took a turn for the better and the day was generally quiet. However, exchanges of artillery fire were to become a regular feature of this tour in the trenches. In the afternoon British guns shelled the German lines; the War Diary reported that, “the shells fell with accuracy and were very effective”. In response, German artillery shelled Erquinghem, with around forty 5.9 inch shells landing in the town, but causing few casualties. Once again, German aeroplanes were in evidence over the British lines. As on the previous night, conditions were generally quiet overnight, but one man was killed and another wounded (neither of them from ‘A’ Company; the man killed was Pte. Anthony Hudson (13379); he was a 38 year-old weaver, originally from Padiham, but had been living in Barnoldswick, and had been an original member of the Battalion. He was buried at Ration Farm Military Cemetery, Chapelle d’Armentieres. His brother, Pte. William Hudson, had been killed in action in December 1914 with 1^st Battalion Loyal North Lancs.

There was a round of promotions in Tunstill’s Company, following on from the departure of CSM Harry Dewhirst (see 29^th November). Sgt. Alfred Lodge (see 7^th April) replaced Dewhirst as Company Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class II; in turn, his appointment as Sergeant went to Cpl. Billy Oldfield (see 25^th September). L. Cpl. John Hartley (see 21^st August) was promoted Corporal and Pte. George Oversby (see 9^th September 1914) was appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Sgt. Alfred Lodge

Tuesday 7th December 1915

Front line trenches east of Bois Grenier.

The weather remained dull and wet. At 11.30 am the British artillery began to shell the German lines; the War Diary reported that, “Much good work was done, the detonation satisfactory and very effective. The enemy retaliated feebly, about 40 shells: 4.5 and whizz bangs only”. A German aeroplane was later spotted flying over the British lines. Overnight conditions were described as “exceptionally quiet”.

View from the tower of Bois Grenier Church, taken the Winter of 1915-16 by Cpt. H.L. Oakley, 8th Yorkshires, who would relieve 10DWR at the end of their current tour in the trenches.
Photo reproduced by very kind permission of Jerry Rendell; for more on the fascinating story of Capt. Oakley, see Jerry's excellent book, Profiles of the First World War.

 

Mary Stott, sister of Pte. Barker Stott who had died in November 1915 (see 27^th November), wrote, on behalf of her father, to Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 19^th November) in response to a letter which he had clearly sent to the family regarding Pte. Stott’s death:

Miss M.E. Stott

14 Gladstone Street

Keighley

Dear Sir

I write these few lines to thank you for the kind sympathy you have sent us. It was a hard blow for us but it is a comfort to hear how you liked him. He was a good lad at home and it makes our hearts ache to think of him, though it is only what a lot more are going through. I wish the war were over and you were safely at home. We have another lad serving in France. Thanking you once again.

Good night and God bless you all.

Mr. John Stott

Pte. Barker Stott