Wednesday 1st March 1916

Hesdigneul

With the weather described as ‘indifferent’ the Battalion remained in training, although it was acknowledged in the War Diary that, “our movements are uncertain; we are simply instructed to “stand to”’. Information was received that the Brigade would be inspected next day by Sir James Wilson, commanding IV Corps. J.B. Priestley observed that “For two days we had no proper rations and had to depend on what we could buy”. 

Pte. Frank Peel (see 13^th January) was reported by Cpl. Michael Loughlin (see 2^nd June 1915) as having been ‘absent from his billet at 10.45am’; on the orders of Capt. Gilbert Tunstill (see 10^th January) he would be confined to barracks for three days.

L.Cpl. Matthew Best (see 22^nd February) who had suffered an accidental injury to his chest during training in January and  had been in hospital, reported to the Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, en route to re-joining the Battalion.

L.Cpl. Matthew Best

A payment of £4 16s. 5d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances for the late L.Cpl. Samuel Holroyd (see 3^rd November 1915), who had been killed when a dugout had collapsed in November 1915; the payment would go to widow, Maria.