Wednesday 23rd December 1914

Tunstill’s Company returned to Aldershot at the end of their week’s leave. Writing many years later, the author of an anonymous memoir (almost certainly one of the Battalion officers) remembered that, “It speaks well for the keen and soldierly spirit of this Company that, although they had to return the day before Christmas (sic.), only one man was absent without leave”. (It has not been possible to identify the man who failed to return on schedule).

The Craven Herald (1^st January 1915) reported the departure of the men and the extensive list of gifts which they took with them. It is interesting to note that the whole Company, and not just Tunstill’s original Settle volunteers were included in the provision of the gifts:

THE SETTLE COMPANY’S RETURN
Captain Tunstill and the Settle contingent of ‘A’ Company 10^th West Riding Regiment returned on Wednesday 23^rd December to Oudenarde Barracks, Aldershot, after a week’s leave. Everyone was proud and delighted to see how fit and well they were all looking, in spite of a strenuous time and hard work. They were given a good send off by their various friends.

They took with them large sacks of Christmas gifts to be distributed on Christmas Day, and thanks to the help and kindness of friends Mrs. H.G. Tunstill was able to collect sufficient warm knitted articles, in addition to other gifts, to not only provide the Settle recruits with a parcel containing a body belt (or other knitted thing), handkerchief, socks (from Mrs. Sharp), cigarettes, chocolates, toilet soap, tobacco and spice or Christmas cake, but to give a similar parcel to each of the other 180 men who belong to ‘A’ Company. The following is the list of gifts given:

The teachers and children of Airton Council School: 8 pairs of socks, 6 belts, 6 mufflers;

Mrs. H.G. Tunstill (Otterburn), 20 socks, 30 mittens, 3 belts, 13 mufflers, 10 pairs of gloves, 96 handkerchiefs, 96 pieces of toilet soap, 1,200 cigarettes, 96 packets of chocolate, and a Christmas card for each man;

Mr. and Mrs. Sharp (Otterburn), 86 pairs of socks;

Mrs Yorke (Halton Place), 25 mittens, 10 belts;

Mrs. Frances Parker (Waddington), one pair of socks, 8 mittens, 7 belts, 4 mufflers, 1 pair of knee caps;

Mrs. Ecroyd (Armathwaite), 22 socks, 17 mittens, 4 belts, 15 shirts, 36 handkerchiefs, 500 cigarettes, 2 lbs. tobacco, 24 tins boracic ointment, 24 tins Vaseline;

Mrs. King-Wilkinson and the Slaidburn Working Party, 28 belts;

The Misses Hammond (Arncliffe), 3 mittens, 7 belts;

Mrs. Illingworth (Hanlith), 65 belts;

Mrs. Hubbard (Settle), 3 pairs socks;

Mrs. Atkinson (Settle), 1 pair socks, 1 pair mittens, 1 muffler;

Mr. Norman Illingworth (Woking), 20 lbs. tobacco.

 

A range of other gifts are also known to have been provided specifically for the Grassington recruits, including mince pies, cake and cigarettes (see 25^th December) and it is likely that the contingents from other parts of the District were similarly treated.