Sunday 10th October 1915

Jesus Farm, Erquinghem

Orders were received for the Battalion to move into the Bois Grenier Line to relieve 8^th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. This relief was duly completed in the evening and the Battalion occupied trenches either side of Ferme Desplanques, in support of the front line section north-east of Rue du Bois.

Prior to the move Pte. William Knox (see 7^th October) wrote to his wife, Ethel. His letter gives an indication, just days after his arrival in France, as to his concern about his personal hygiene, commenting, as he does, about his washing arrangements and requesting a range of creams and ointments to, as he would explain in a subsequent letter, “make some ointment to prevent me getting scabies again and the Harrison Pomade is to keep me clear from getting chatty (meaning infested with lice) as there is such a lot like that here”. (I am most grateful to Rachael Broadhead and family for allowing me access to William’s letters).

“Well Dear we are expecting going into action for the first time tonight, Sunday, so we must trust to God to bring us through safely. We have done a lot of travelling since we started from home. When you write to me will you please send me a new razor. Get Jimmie to get one for me, about 2/6 or 3/-, one of Rogers. Also ½ dozen handkerchiefs. Also 2 ozs. Unguentum, 2 ozs. Amanon, 2 ozs. Unguentum Sulphur, a 4½ d. tin of Harrison Pomade.

My address is Pte. W. Knox, no.14186, A Company, 4^th Platoon, 10^th Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, BEF.

… We can hear the guns going off where we are now. You would have laughed at us this morning getting washed as we only had a biscuit tin to wash in and had to get the water out of a canal. We had a very good send off. Sgts. Maj. Booth and Rollinson and nearly all the Sergeants came and shook hands with me and wished me good luck”.

In actual fact Pte. Knox would not be sent into the trenches as he would be among the men left in reserve in the village of Bois Grenier.

L.Cpl. William Murphy (see 25^th September), who had been severely wounded on 25^th September, was evacuated to England from 13^th General Hospital in Boulogne. On arrival in England he would be admitted to The King George Hospital, Stamford Street, London, where it would be noted on admission, ‘General condition good; mentally quite clear’.