Tuesday 9th November 1915

Front line trenches near Fauquissart.

Orders were received for the Battalion to be prepared to be relieved next day, when they would proceed to billets in Laventie.

Three men from the Battalion were tried by Field General Court Martial assembled at Laventie. Pte. Richard Swallow (see 4^th November), who had suffered an accidental wound to his foot, was cleared of all charges. Pte. Herbert Ernest Sutcliffe (see 6^th November) was charged with having accidentally wounded himself by discharging his own rifle. He was found guilty and ordered to be imprisoned for one month; however, his sentence was then commuted to 28 days’ Field Punishment no.1. Pte. John Whitham (see 2^nd November) was charged with, “when acting as sentinel, leaving his post before he was regularly relieved”; he was found guilty and ordered to serve one year’s imprisonment with hard labour. However, it was ordered that he should not be committed to prison until further orders; the sentence would then be suspended under orders dated 3^rd December.

2Lt. George Reginald Percy (see 12^th June) arrived in France to serve with the Royal Engineers; he had originally been a member of Tunstill’s Company and had been promoted CQMS, but had left in June to take up his commission.