Thursday 1st July 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Wednesday 30th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Tuesday 29th June 1915

Heavy rain in the Bramshott area made conditions very difficult, as reflected in a letter home to his Father from Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram, (see 26^th June):

29^th June 1915

(Regimental headed notepaper)

Bramshott Camp

Hampshire

My Darling Father

Thank you so much for forwarding so many letters etc. and for sending the parcels to Jack. I can’t make out whether you are with Nell now or not. I had intended to bicycle over to Headley this afternoon, but it has been so frightfully wet all day. This morning we got very wet, so I didn’t want to get my second lot of things wet too. From Wednesday 9pm till Thursday 9pm the whole Brigade goes into trenches; absolute service conditions to prevail the whole 24 hours. If very wet this may possibly be off. Then on Friday and Saturday a Divisional march, bivouacking Friday night by the roadside wherever night finds us. 

With much love to darling Mother. I’ll come over whenever I can. 

Your ever loving son

Robert

It appears that, as Ingram anticipated, the wet weather lead to a postponement of the planned manoeuvres, as J.B. Priestley subsequently (see 3^rd July) referred to the trench exercise as being due a week later.

It is clear from subsequent correspondence that Ingram’s reference to ‘Jack’ relates to a friend of his from Harrow, 2Lt. Laurence Cecil Wilson, who had been severely wounded in action on 7^th July, while serving with 1^st Battalion Norfolk Regiment near Hill 60, south-east of Ypres. 

‘Nell’ was Ingram’s older sister, Helen.

Pte. Frederick Abbot (see below) was reported ‘absent off pass at 11.55pm’; he would remain absent until he was apprehended by the Military Police at 9.15pm on 30th, drunk, in Liphook Road, Bramshott. On the orders of Lt. Col. Hugh John Bartholomew DSO (see 19th June)  he would be sentenced to serve 168 hours’ detention and to forfeit one day’s pay. Frederick Abbot was a 35 year-old polisher from Aston, Birmingham; he was a widower with three children, the youngest of whom was aged 11.  

Pte. John Gaunt, brother of Tunstill’s recruit L. Cpl. William Gaunt (see 1^st May) arrived in France to serve with 1^st/6^th Dukes.

Monday 28th June 1915

Lance Corporal Frederick Griggs, a former member of Tunstill’s Company, (see 16^th June) was slightly wounded whilst serving with 2^nd Battalion West Ridings in the trenches near Voormezeele; two men were killed and six other wounded.
 

Corporal Harry Singleton, brother of original Tunstill recruit Robert Singleton (see 25^th January) was promoted Sergeant, whilst serving with the RAMC.

Sunday 27th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Saturday 26th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

There were a series of promotions for officers of 10DWR:

Capt. Harry Robert Hildyard, commanding Tunstill’s Company, (see 1^st March) was promoted Major.

Lt. Alfred Percy Harrison (‘B’ Company) was promoted Captain.

Lt. Adrian O’Donnell Pereira (‘D’ Company) was promoted Captain.

2Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram, (see 7th June) of Tunstill’s Company, was promoted Lieutenant.

2Lt. William Andrew Leo Kerridge (‘B’ Company) was promoted Lieutenant.

2Lt. Adolph Keith Lavarack (‘C’ Company) was promoted Lieutenant.

Friday 25th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Thursday 24th June 1915

Pte. Frederick William Jesson (see 27^th March) was home on leave. Jesson was from Lidget Green, Bradford and had enlisted at the age of 22, while working as a warp dresser in the Bradford textile mills of Messrs. Isaac Holden Ltd. His father, Frederick snr., worked as a tram conductor, and Frederick jnr. had three younger sisters. Whilst home on leave, according to the later recollection of his sister, Annie, she had asked him about whether he had made a will. She recalled that he had replied, “Yes, of course, we all make a will before we go out”. When she asked to whom he had made it out, he confirmed, “My mother of course, who do you think I’d made it to?”.

Wednesday 23rd June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Tuesday 22nd June 1915

Rev. Wilfred Leveson Henderson (see 15^th June) reported for duty at Bramshott, as Acting Chaplain to 69^th Brigade.

Pte. Matthew Woodward was reported by L.Cpl. Michael Loughlin (see below) for ‘not complying with an order’; on the orders of Capt. Robert Harwar Gill (see 25^th April) he would be confined to barracks for three days. Matthew Woodward was a 25 year-old woolcomber from Haworth; he had enlisted in Keighley on 30^th September 1914. Michael Loughlin was a 30 year-old labourer; originally from County Mayo he had lived for some years in Bradford and was married but had no children.

Monday 21st June 1915

The Battalion was engaged in a major Brigade exercise which would see them spend the night in trenches which they had dug on Ludshott Common.  After the war, the author of the Battalion Memoir recalled that, “We found out later that these trenches differed a good deal from what we were to see in France and elsewhere”.


Pte. William Henry Yarnold was released from the Battalion to take up employment with Messrs. Clegg & Howgall Ltd, Steelworks in Keighley. He had been an original member of the Battalion having enlisted in September 1914, aged 43, while working as a labourer in Keighley, although he was originally from Nottingham. He had previously served 13 years with the Notts. & Derbys. Regiment.

Sunday 20th June 1915

Back in the rather more comfortable conditions at Bramshott, Priestley wrote home to his family, reflecting on his recent experiences at Longmoor and Whitehill and looking forward to what still lay in store over the coming days;

 “We were glad to get back from Longmoor and Whitehill Camps; they were wretched places and the food was very bad. We were on the big ranges day long there – Saturday and Sunday as well. The heat was terrific and on the last Sunday and Monday – that is a week ago – large numbers of our men had to be taken to hospital suffering from sunstroke.

They are certainly trying to make us as comfortable as possible here at Bramshott. The food is very good. First thing in the morning – at 6am – we have what is called ‘gunfire’ – tea and sweet biscuits. Then at eight comes breakfast when we have bacon or a couple of boiled eggs. For dinner we have roasts and stews – sometimes meat and potato pie and also jam or currant puddings or stewed rhubarb. For tea we have jam or cake or tinned fruits. Our battalion has a recreation room with the day’s papers, illustrated weeklies and every kind of game.

Tomorrow our Brigade is going to spend the night in some trenches we have dug in the neighbourhood, and later in the week, the whole Division is going to bivouac”.

Pte. William Sutcliffe Wood (see 11^th September 1914) was transferred for duty with 23^rd Division Headquarters.

Saturday 19th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

L.Cpl. Harry Waddington (see 7^th April 1915) was ‘severely reprimanded’ by Lt. Col. Hugh John Bartholomew D.S.O. (see 6^th June), having been found guilty of insubordination.

Friday 18th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Thursday 17th June 1915

10DWR remained in training at Bramshott.

Pte. George Frederick Barkham (see 11^th September 1914) was reported by Cpl. Albert Edgar Palmer (see 6^th April) for ‘refusing to obey an order and insolence to an NCO’; on the orders of Maj. James Christopher Bull MC (see 2^nd February) he would be confined to barracks for three days. 

Pte. William Duffy was reported as absent; he would return to duty six days later and would be ordered to forfeit six days pay. He was a 23 year-old carpet printer from Halifax.

Susannah Moran, wife of Pte. James Moran (see 14^th May) gave birth to the couple’s fifth child, a daughter who would be named Mary.

Wednesday 16th June 1915

Lance Corporal Frederick Griggs (see 10^th May), who had previously served with Tunstill’s Company, before being posted to 2^nd Battalion West Ridings, was promoted Sergeant.

Tuesday 15th June 1915

Priestley sent a postcard home to his family in which he told them that he was currently, “in camp at a tiny place called Whitehill – firing a musketry course”.

Rev. Wilfred Leveson Henderson (see 13^th April) was appointed Acting Chaplain with 69^th Brigade, stationed at Bramshott, and instructed to report for duty by 22^nd June.

The discharge of Pte. Abel Moore (see 27^th May) from the Army was formally concluded; Moore himself did not sign his discharge papers; in place of his signature was entered the word ‘insane’.

Nothing has been established as to what happened to Abel Moore following his discharge from the Army, other than that he died in 1961.

Monday 14th June 1915

Extreme hot weather made training conditions on the musketry ranges at Longmoor and Whitehill very taxing. In a letter to his family, Priestley remarked that, “The heat was terrific and on the Sunday and Monday … large numbers of our men had to be taken to hospital suffering from sunstroke”.

Pte. John Charles Brison Redfearn (see 21^st December 1914) was disciplined for “making an improper remark to an NCO”, as witnessed by Sgt. Smith and L.Cpl. Waterhouse. He was ordered to be confined to barracks for three days.

At 11pm Pte. Stephen Grady (see 10^th June), who had been absent off pass for the previous four days, handed himself in the Royal Military Police at Bramshott Camp. Next day he was ordered to forfeit five days pay and be confined to barracks for fourteen days.

Sunday 13th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Saturday 12th June 1915

Priestley’s Company arrived at Whitehill Camp, from where they would spend the following days firing their musketry courses on the ranges at Longmoor and Whitehill. Priestley observed the increased urgency of the training as, “We were on the big ranges day long there – Saturday and Sunday as well”. As these musketry exercises were undertaken by half the Battalion at a time (see 8^th June), it is unclear whether Tunstill’s Company were actually at Whitehill at this point, but their experiences must have been similar to those which Priestley related in letters and postcards written to his family over the next few days.

CQMS George Reginald Percy (see 13^th April) was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant and left Tunstill’s Company to join the Royal Engineers.

It seems likely (though the precise date has not been established) that it was at this point, following the departure of Percy, that Lance Corporal Frank Stephenson (see 18^th May) was promoted Company Quartermaster Sergeant; he certainly held this post by the end of the month. Stephenson also had as one of his clerks, whom he later described as ‘my right hand man”, Pte. Arthur Bearpark (see 13^th April); Bearpark was promoted Corporal.

Sgt. John William Headings (see 4th March) was promoted Company Sergeant Major.

CSM John William Headings (standing).
(Photo by kind permission of Jill Monk)

Friday 11th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott

CSM William Clarke (see 18^th September 1914) was discharged to a commission as a Temporary Second Lieutenant; he would serve in England with 11DWR.

Pte. Herbert Willis Pickles was admitted to Connaught Hospital, Aldershot, suffering from scabies; he would be discharged and return to duty after one week. He had enlisted in Halifax on 13^th January and had been posted to 10DWR in April. He was 21 years old, from Elland and had been working as a ‘wireman’.

Thursday 10th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Ptes. Patrick Conley (see 6^th February) and Stephen Grady (see 22^nd March) were both reported absent off pass, having not returned to camp by 11.55pm; the reports were made by Cpl. Golding (I am, as yet, unable to make a positive identification of this man) and Sgt. Henry Carrodus (see 25^th April).

Wednesday 9th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Sgt. Edward Hunter (see 6^th February) was placed under arrest to await trial by District Court Martial; the nature of his offence is unknown. He would be tried on 18^th June and be ordered to be reduced to the rank of Corporal.

Pte. Louis Feather was admitted to Frensham Hospital suffering from heat exhaustion; he would spend ten days in hospital before returning to duty. He was 23 years old, from Keighley, and had enlisted in October 1914, having previously served some time with the 6^th Territorial Battalion.

Tuesday 8th June 1915

Service rifles at last having been issued to the Battalion (see 7^th June), the pace of training now quickened further and the author of the 10^th Battalion Memoir later recalled that, “half the Battalion at a time went to Longmoor to fire the Musketry course and, until the middle of August, we were very busy with musketry and final divisional field days”.

Monday 7th June 1915

Service rifles were issued to the rest of the Battalion (see 6^th June), as noted in a further letter to his Mother written by 2Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 6^th June):

7^th June 1915

(Regimental headed notepaper)

Bramshott Camp
Hampshire

My darling Mother

Wonder if you would please ask Janet to send me in a cardboard box,
1 pair clean white flannel trousers
1 clean white flannel shirt
1 pair white tennis socks
1 pair white tennis shoes
My Old Harrovian blazer and my yellow and blue striped boxing scarf.

There is a prospect of some cricket and tennis here. Quite like more peaceful days. The local club are lending us all necessaries. The bike Lilian is sending has not come yet, but am expecting it any day now. Lilian tells me Tommy celebrated his arrival at the Priory by spilling a bottle of wine. According to present news we are here till about August 1^st.

The rifles were all issued today and shooting begins on Monday next for the right half Bn.

Much love to Father and the rest of the family, your ever loving son
Robert


(‘Lilian’ refers to Ingram’s sister-in-law, wife of his elder brother ‘Tommy’, currently serving with the RAMC, see 6^th June).

John Bradley, younger brother of Tunstill’s Man, Pte. Willie Bradley (see 16^th September 1914) volunteered in Skipton. His story, and that of his brothers was reported in the Craven Herald edition on 11^th June;

Patriotic Cowling Youths

On Monday another recruit from Cowling enlisted in the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment (Territorials) stationed at Skipton, in the person of John Bradley, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Bradley, of Keighley Road, Cowling. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley have now three sons in training (all who are eligible). At the outbreak of the war all the sons enlisted in Kitchener’s Army at a recruitment meeting held in Cowling. The eldest, Willie, is now at Bramshott Camp, near Aldershot, where he, along with a number of Cowling boys, are completing their training, and in a few weeks expect to be sent to the Front. Johnny, the next was rejected on account of insufficient chest measurement, but after a course of physical culture this has been remedied and he has enlisted as stated above. Archie, the youngest of the three, was rejected on account of height, being just under the regulation standard. This was a great disappointment to him, and he journeyed to various recruiting offices to endeavour to join his brothers and the other Cowling boys Company, but without avail. Ultimately, he was accepted in the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment (Territorials) and is now stationed at Derby.

Sunday 6th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

After the usual Church parade had been held, half the Battalion was finally issued with new service rifles (see 24^th May), as noted in a letter to his Mother written by 2Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 24^th May):

6^th June 1915

(Regimental headed notepaper)

Bramshott Camp

Hampshire

My own darling Ma

Thank you so much for your letter which came this morning. I was most awfully sorry to hear our Nell was again ill. No doubt the good Dr. Hadin will put her to rights again.

Is there anything more from Tom or Mabel? There’s no news here at all. Working very hard indeed. Five long days a week, 3 lectures a week, and night operations 3 times a week. Our new C.O., Lt. Col. Bartholomew, D.S.O., (see 4^th May) is an excellent soldier. 

The Battalion is just as good as, or better than, when our old C.O. had to retire. Very soon the 10^th Dooks (sic) will be quite the most efficient Battalion in the whole 23^rd Division. Half the Battalion was issued with new service rifles this morning after church parade, so range work should be beginning soon.

My letter to Miss Roberts has done its work well. She showed my letter to the Mayoress of Brighton apparently and between them they have already let me have 120 pairs of socks. I wish now I’d asked for 250 pairs. I must now write to thank the good ladies. How does one address a Mayoress? I propose to write thus,

The Mayoress of Brighton

Dear Madam

Is that alright?

Love to Father and all the family, your ever loving son

Robert

(The references to ‘Nell’ and ‘Mabel’ are to two of Ingram’s older sisters; his elder brother, Tom, was serving with the RAMC, see 5^th February).

Saturday 5th June 1915

A letter from Gladys Bartholomew and Geraldine Tunstill appealing for support for 10^th Battalion (see 3^rd June) was published in the Yorkshire Post.

Priestley sent a postcard home to his family in which he described conditions at Bramshott as, “not, dusty and uncomfortable – as usual!”.

Friday 4th June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Thursday 3rd June 1915

Gladys Bartholomew and Geraldine Tunstill (see 25^th May) wrote to the editor of the Yorkshire Post appealing for his readers to support the 10^th Battalion; their appeal further illustrates the fact that the equipping of so many men was continuing to be a major logistical problem, and that they were still reliant on voluntary donation to support their official Army issue. The letter was published two days later:

“Sir – May we, through your columns, appeal on behalf of the men of the 10th Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment? They are in urgent need of socks and shirts, and as they cannot at present be obtained in sufficient quantities from other sources, it is possible that your readers may be willing and glad to help one of the county regiments (which consists entirely of Yorkshiremen).

We need urgently 2,000 pairs of socks and the same number of shirts, which will be most gratefully received and acknowledged by yours etc.
GLADYS BARTHOLOMEW (wife of Lt. Col. H.J. Bartholomew, DSO, commanding 10th Duke of Wellington’s)

GERALDINE TUNSTILL (wife of Capt. H.G. Tunstill, 10th Duke of Wellington’s)

Royal Anchor Hotel, Liphook, Hants

3rd June 1915.”

 

Wednesday 2nd June 1915

Tunstill's Company remained in training at Bramshott.

Pte. Fred Atkinson (see 25^th April) was reported by Sgt. Arthur Manks (see 25th April) as “absent off pass”; he would remain absent until “reporting himself to the Orderly Sergeant about 8am on 4^th June”. On the orders of Lt. Col. Hugh John Bartholomew (see 25^th May), he would be admonished and forfeit three days’ pay.

Pte. William Turner was also reported 'absent off pass'; he would not return until 8th June and would then be ordered to forfeit seven days' pay. He was a 24 year-old labourer from Bradford; his wife, Amy, was pregnant with their first child.