Thursday 12th August 1915

In mid-August the men of Tunstill’s Company were awarded their period of one week’s embarkation leave (see 5^th August), although their date of departure and destination had not yet been confirmed.

The Craven Herald (20^th August) later reported the return home of another of Tunstill’s recruits, Wilson Pritchard (see 8^th October 1914):

Mr. Wilson Pritchard, son of Mr. William Pritchard, builder and contractor, Austwick, has been home on final leave for six days. Pritchard joined on September 7^th at Settle, the 10^th Duke of Wellington’s, with Mr. Tunstill of Bell Busk. After training with the regiment he was transferred into the 23^rd Divisional Cycle Company and is at present stationed at Bordon, Hants. He has been twice promoted, first to Lance Corporal and is now at present sanitary inspector at the same place.

Lt. Robert Stewart Skinner Ingram (see 11^th August) wrote to his parents with news of the death of two of his contemporaries from his time at Harrow School.

12th Aug. 1915 

(Regimental headed notepaper)

Bramshott Camp

Hampshire

My darling Mother and Father

I can’t thank you enough for letting me have the car this morning, and it was most awfully good of Jim to come down too. He’s told you all about everything I’m sure. This has been a most unfortunate week. After Jack, perhaps one of the finest men I knew at Harrow was one H.N.L. Renton. Played against Eton last year. We boxed together, we track-raced together. About 5 days ago he was reported killed in action with the 9th Bn. KRRC. And now Jack. But I suppose it is all part of the great game of war and all an infinitesimally small part of the price of Empire. And if Mrs. Wilson can look upon it as such (as of course it most certainly is) then it seems altogether out of place for me to make any comment of regret. But so terribly hard not to. Just got a wire Jack passed peacefully away this afternoon.

Your ever loving son

Robert

‘Jim’ refers to Ingram’s younger brother, James Skinner Ingram.

‘Jack’ was 2Lt. Laurence Cecil Wilson; he 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. He was invalided back to England but died, aged 19, in hospital at 17 Park Lane, London, on 12^th August. He is buried at St. Andrew’s Church, Thorpe-next-Norwich, close to the family home.

Lt. Harry Noel Leslie Renton, aged 20, was killed in action with 9^th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps in an attack on German positions astride the Menin Road, near Hooge, east of Ypres. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.