Sunday 28th February 1915

23^rd Division marched a further 20 miles from Maidstone to Ashford en route for Folkestone (94 miles in six days).

Lord Kitchener carried out his inspection of 23^rd Division (see 27^th February). In a letter written the following day Priestley recalled his encounter with Kitchener: “Yesterday (Sunday) we were inspected by Lord Kitchener. It was kept very quiet, and took place five miles from anywhere. We marched past him, and I was only about two yards from the great man, and so got a very good view of him, not much like the portraits of him – older and greyer, with huge, staring eyes. Recalling the event some years later, Priestley elaborated on his impression, “an image not of an ageing man, already bewildered by, reeling under, the load of responsibility he refused to share, but of some larger-than-life, yet now less-than-life figure, huge but turning into painted lead … something immensely massive and formidable but already hardening and petrifying, nearer to death than to life”.

Lance Corporal Charles Edgar Shuttleworth, who had originally been a member of Tunstill’s Company, but had been transferred to ‘D’ Company (see 5^th January) was reprimanded by Captain Gill having been late falling in for parade.

Saturday 27th February 1915

On the fifth day of their march to Folkestone, 23^rd Division covered a further 14 miles from Tonbridge to Maidstone (74 miles in five days).

Information was received that the Division was to be inspected next day by Lord Kitchener. The author of the Divisional History later recalled the confusion which followed:

“the official notification of his intention to do so was only received late on the preceding day. His visit was to be kept secret, but the short notice at which the telegram announcing it was received necessitated cancelling certain orders already issued for the following day. The adjutant of one of the battalions guessed the reason of this alteration to orders, with the horrifying result that Lord Kitchener’s secret visit was announced that evening on the screen at the local theatre. It was confidently anticipated that half the countryside would turn out the next day, but, thanks probably to no hour having been mentioned, none of the inhabitants appeared, and all was well. Lord Kitchener expressed his approval of the troops he saw”.

Friday 26th February 1915

23^rd Division covered a further 13 miles towards Folkestone, going from Edenbridge to Tonbridge (60 miles in four days).

2Lt. Robert Clement (Bob) Perks (see 21^st January) left home and travelled to Folkestone where he would report for duty with 10DWR once the Battalion completed its march from Aldershot. On arrival he sent a picture postcard to his sister, Joy, addressed from what he described as his “perfectly topping billet” at ‘The Riverlet’, Radnor Park Avenue, Folkestone.

(I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for her kind permission to quote from Bob Perks’ correspondence).

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

Thursday 25th February 1915

The third day of 23^rd Division’s march to Folkestone saw them cover more than 23 miles from Dorking to Edenbridge (47 miles in three days).

Wednesday 24th February 1915

23^rd Division continued its march towards Folkestone, covering 13 miles from Guildford to Dorking (24 miles covered in two days).

The recommendations that Pte. Robert Newhouse (see 10^th February) and Pte. William Barker should be discharged on medical grounds (see 19^th February) were endorsed by the administrative staff of 23^rd Division.

General Sir Archibald Hunter, GOC Aldershot Training Centre, wrote to the War Office, requesting that they confirm the appointment of Daniel William Paris Foster as Temporary Quartermaster, 10^th Battalion, West Riding Regiment; this was a post which he had held since September 1914 (see 18^th September).

At home in Rastrick, Sarah Elizabeth Lever, wife of Pte. John Lever, gave birth to the couple’s third child; the boy would be named Fred. John Lever had enlisted aged 28 and working as a cotton twiner.

Tuesday, 23rd February 1915

23^rd Division, including 10^th West Riding Regiment, and of course Tunstill’s Company, began their extended march from Aldershot to Folkestone. Their first stopping-off point at the end of the day was at Guildford, following an 11-mile march.

Monday, 22nd February 1915

Pte. Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 16^th November) who had been taken ill during training at Frensham and subsequently transferred to 11^th Battalion West Riding Regiment, underwent an operation (location and details unknown).
 

Priestley wrote to his family, telling them that he, along with the whole 23^rd Division, was about to begin an extended march which would take them from Aldershot to Folkestone: “We are spending all day in preparation for the great event”. He also shared his clear sense of apprehension about the rigours of the march:“This is a test march and Kitchener inspects us on route (Priestley had clearly heard the rumours which had resulted in the issue of khaki uniforms to the Division – see 16^th February). We travel with full pack and what a weight it is, I assure you. We carry rifle, ammunition pouches, greatcoat – folded, bayonet, water bottle, shirt, drawers, socks, towel and soap, razor etc etc, mess-tin – a sort of combination frying-pan, pot and plate etc etc. It is no joke marching with that lot”. He also shared his view that, “The Great New Armies have started moving, slowly, but surely, and the end of the war is in sight, though afar”.

Sunday, 21st February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Aldershot.

Saturday, 20th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Aldershot.

Friday, 19th February 1915

The recommendation by Battalion Medical Officer Lt. Jack that Pte. William Barker should be discharged on medical grounds (see 12^th February) was formally confirmed by a Lieutenant Colonel in the RAMC.

Thursday, 18th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Aldershot.

Wednesday, 17th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Aldershot.

Tuesday, 16th February 1915

Tunstill’s Company resumed their training at Aldershot, following their return from Eversley.

It was at some point in the next few days that Major General Babington, commanding 23^rd Division, was at last able to secure the khaki uniform to replace the detested ‘Kitchener Blues’ which they had been wearing to date. The author of the Divisional History later related how this came about,

‘The secret of the diplomatic coup which secured this can now for the first time (1925) be made public. To relate it in General Babington’s own words: “The issue came about in this wise. I happened to be in the C.O.O.’s office and found him talking on the telephone to his chief at the War Office. I said, ‘Tell him to draw us khaki’. The answer was, ‘Impossible’. I then said, ‘Tell him Lord K. is going to inspect us’. We got the khaki at once!” Discretion forbids too close an inquiry as to the grounds the Divisional Commander had at that time for his statement’.  

The truth appears to be that Babington had bluffed his way into securing the new uniform; he had no intimation at the point that he made his claim that ‘Lord K.’ (Kitchener) had any plans to inspect the Division, even though Kitchener was indeed shortly to do so (see 28^th February).

Monday, 15th February 1915

Tunstill’s Company, along with the rest of the Battalion, returned to Aldershot, following three weeks in training at Eversley.

Sunday, 14th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Saturday, 13th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Pte. Charles Smith (12380) (see 6^th February) was reported as having been ‘drunk in the Lynchford Road about 9pm’; on the orders of Maj. Mayor he would be ordered to be confined to barracks for five days and to forfeit three days’ pay.

Friday, 12th February 1915

A medical examination conducted by the Battalion Medical Officer, Lt. Jack, found Pte. William Barker to be of ‘poor physique’ and specifically suffering from varicose veins in his legs. He recommended that Barker be discharged, and the recommendation was confirmed by Colonel Crawford.

William Barker had originally enlisted at Silsden on 16^th September and had joined Tunstill’s Company with the detachment from Keighley. Before joining the army he had been working as a labourer. He was 21 years old and the eldest of seven children of David and Minnie Barker, with whom he lived in East Parade, Steeton.

A letter, from Sgt. Herbert Henry Hoddinott (see 4^th December 1914) to the secretary of Primrose Red Cross League at Brighouse, was published in The Brighouse Echo: ‘On behalf of the men from Brighouse and district now serving in the 10^th West Riding Regiment I beg to offer my sincerest and warmest thanks for the shirts, socks and mittens received from you this week. Same will be distributed to all as soon as possible. I am unable to get them all out this week as part of the men remain at Headquarters, Aldershot, and we are at present billeted at Finchampton. The garments will be very useful and they are very much appreciated by the men. Again thanking you most sincerely on behalf of the Brighouse men’.

Thursday, 11th February 1915

10DWR remained in training at Eversley.

Pte. Albert Buckley was reported by Sgt. Percy Cole (see below) and Cpl. Spencer for being ‘drunk and using obscene language to an N.C.O.’ and also by Sgt. Wild and Cpl. Smith for ‘breaking away from escort; on the orders of Maj. Mayor he would be confined to barracks for five days and deprived of three days’ pay. Albert Buckley was a 26 year-old coal miner from Heckmondwike; he was married, with two children.

Sgt. Percy Cole was an original member of the Battalion. He had enlisted in Halifax in September 1914, aged 39. He was from Huddersfield and had been working as a commercial traveller; he was married with three children. Being an ex-regular soldier, having served with 2DWR, he had been immediately promoted Sergeant and posted to the newly-formed 10DWR.

Wednesday, 10th February 1915

Whilst based at Eversley, the Battalion’s allowance of wire and sandbags was doubled and increasing emphasis began to be placed in training on entrenching and constructing obstacles, especially at night.

The recommendation that Pte. Robert Newhouse should be discharged from the army in grounds of deafness (see 29^th January) was confirmed by Col. Crawford.

Tuesday, 9th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Monday, 8th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Pte. John Henshall was sentenced to 21 days’ detention; the nature of his offence is unknown. He was a 23 year-old miner from Bradford and had enlisted in September 1914.

In Pontefract, Alice Talbot gave birth to a baby boy who would be named Harry. Alice was unmarried but the child was accepted as being the son of Harry Holmes. He was a 22 year-old dyer’s labourer from Girlington, Bradford who had enlisted in Bradford on 8^th September 1914 and had been posted to the newly-formed 10DWR, although not to Tunstill’s Company.

Sunday, 7th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Saturday, 6th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Pte. Charles Smith (12380) was reported by Sgt.Edward Hunter (see 30^th October 1914) as ‘drunk and creating a disturbance in his barrack room at 9.30pm’; he would be ordered to be confined to barracks for four days. Charles Smith was a 30 year-old labourer; originally from Hull, he had enlisted in Huddersfield in September 1914.

Ptes. Patrick Conley (see 17^th January), Thomas Riding (see below) and Ernest Wilson (11751) (see below) were reported for “making a complaint in an irregular manner”; their offence was reported by Acting CQMS Thomas Doyne (see below) and Acting CSM William Henry Mears (I am, as yet, unable to make a positive identification of this man). On the orders of Col. George Rainier Crawford (see 25th January) they were all to be confined to barracks for ten days. 

Thomas Riding was 21 years old and from Darwen, where he had worked as a carter. He had enlisted in Halifax on 9^th September 1914 and had been posted to the newly-formed 10DWR nine days later. He had married Mary Almond in May 1914. Ernest Wilson was a 28 year-old labourer, originally from Bradford, but living in Keighley; he was married with two daughters and had previously served with 3^rd (territorial) Battalion. Thomas Doyne was born in Celbridge, County Kildare, and was a career soldier who had first joined the Duke of Wellington’s in 1881. Doyne served much of his time abroad in Nova Scotia, Bermuda, Barbados, South Africa, and in India rising to the rank of Sergeant on 24th June 1897. In 1899 he had married Bridget O’Hara at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Bangalore, India and had retired from the army in 1907 after 20 years service. He returned to Dublin, living at 2 Irvine Cottages, where he worked with the LNWR as a labourer. Although in his fifties and an army pensioner he joined up at the outbreak of war. He had then been an original member of 10DWR, having officially re-enlisted on 9^th September 1914.

Pte. William Johnson Simpson, serving with 12^th West Yorks, was promoted Lance Corporal; he would later be commissioned and serve with 10DWR. He had enlisted on 21^st September 1914, aged 28 (born 3^rd April 1886). He was the eldest of three surviving children of John Richard and Annie Elizabeth Simpson; three other siblings had died and his father had died in 1897. William had been working as a joiner before joining up and was still living with his widowed mother in Bishopthorpe, near York.

Friday, 5th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.


2Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram, (see 26^th January) wrote home to his parents with news of forthcoming plans for the Battalion, although in actual fact the arrangements would subsequently be revised, with the various moves deferred for a further week beyond the dates which Ingram expected.

5^th Feb. 1915

c/o J.W. Martin Esq.

“Bannisters”

Finchampstead

My Darling Mother and Father


We have just heard our plans for the near future. Next Tuesday, 9/2/15, we return to Oudenarde Barracks. The whole 23^rd Division is to concentrate in Aldershot and on the 14^th and 15^th the whole 18-20,000 moves into huts, billets and barracks in the Hythe-Shorncliffe-Sandgate district. The 10^th Dook’s (sic.) may, therefore, be in any of these places. It is some way up to Town (ie London) but the boat expresses from Folkestone are very good. Motor buses run from Hythe to Folkestone. We shall do our shooting on the Hythe ranges. That will take about 3-4 weeks. After that anything may happen. It hardly seems worthwhile coming home next Sunday for 3-4 hours. The trains here are very bad. But I’ll try to get home next Saturday week, ie. the day before we go to Hythe.

I wonder if I might have some plain chocolate sent to Oudenarde? Sometimes one has a great longing for plain choc, probably because one doesn’t smoke.

We are working extremely hard at present down here. For the last fortnight we have been on the move with one thing or another from 8am to 5pm then an hour’s lecture from the OC for officers, and then a Diary of the day’s work for subalterns. For higher officers an appreciation of the situation of next day’s Special Idea as outlined by the OC.

Would some kind person be good enough to have my private compass sent on to me at Oudenarde, together with its case? Tom brought it back as he has no more use for it.

Love to the family. Tom, I suppose, is now in the trenches. Has Lilian returned to Welford yet? She must have been rather worried at Tom’s departure once more.

Your ever loving son.

Robert

The references to ‘Tom’ are to Ingram’s elder brother, Capt. Thomas Lewis Ingram (see 30^th October 1915); ‘Lilian’ was Tom’s wife.

Thursday, 4th February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Wednesday, 3rd February 1915

Pte. Walter White, who, although not one of the original recruits, had been attached to Tunstill’s Company when they first arrived at Frensham (see 23^rd September) was awarded ten days’ detention for a breach of military discipline (details unknown).

Tuesday, 2nd February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.

Monday, 1st February 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Eversley.