Monday 23rd August 1915

Major General Sir James Babington, commanding 23^rd Division, replied to the message which had been sent by the King the previous day:

“I desire very respectfully to express, on my own behalf and that of the Division I have the honour to command, my very great thanks for His Majesty’s most gracious message. The deep interest taken by him in the 23^rd Division is most keenly felt and appreciated by all ranks, who respectfully beg to assure His Majesty of their devotion and loyalty, and of their earnest determination to do their utmost to uphold the honour of their King and country”.

A number of promotions took place ahead of the Battalion’s departure for France. 

Cpl. Albert Edgar Palmer (see 22nd July) was promoted Sergeant.

Pte. Frank Shackleton was appointed (Acting) Sergeant. He was a 29 year-old labourer from Bradford; he was married, with three children.

L.Cpl. Billy Rawlinson (see 15^th April) was promoted Corporal.

L.Cpl. William Edmondson Gaunt was confirmed in his rank and paid accordingly, having been appointed to the rank, unpaid, earlier in the year (see 1^st May). 

Ptes. Henry George Headings (see 14^th October 1914), John Thomas Matthews (see below) and James Shackleton (see below) were appointed Lance Corporal. John Thomas Matthews was 33 years old and from Bradford; he was married, with two daughters. James Shackleton had enlisted in Keighley on 19^th September 1914 and had been posted, along with a contingent of other Keighley recruits, to supplement Tuntill’s Company. He was 23 years old when he joined up and working as a draper’s assistant. He was one of five children of Arthur and Lavinia Shackleton but both his parents were dead; Lavinia had died in 1907 and Arthur (who had re-married soon after) had died in 1912.

L.Cpl. Henry George Headings (seated, right), along with his brothers.

Image by kind permission of Jill Monk

L.Cpl. James Shackleton

The first elements of 69^th Brigade began to depart from the Bramshott area. Among the first to leave was the Brigade Field Ambulance, which struck camp at Borden at 9pm and arrived at Southampton at 1am the following morning. 

Detailed orders were received regarding the departure of 10DWR. The Battalion was to move in three parties.

The first party, under the command of Major Lewis Ernest Buchanan (see 25th July) would consist of the Battalion Transport (Transport Officer, Lt. Leonard Hammond); the Machine Gun Section (Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison); and some men of A (Tunstill’s) Company, under the command of 2Lt. Frederick Hird (see 8^th January), whose task was to assist with the loading and unloading of Transport and equipment. In total this party would number 110 men of all ranks, and be accompanied also by four ASC drivers.

The second party would be the whole of C and D Companies, under the command of Captain Robert Harwar Gill (see 27th July).

The third party would be made up of Battalion HQ, B Company and the remainder of A (Tunstill’s) Company.