Throughout the morning and into the early afternoon there
was a prolonged artillery barrage against Contalmaison in preparation for the
main infantry assault which was to be launched in the afternoon. In response, the
Germans shelled the British positions, including those held by 10DWR in Shelter
Alley and Quadrangle Trench, intermittently through the day. At 4pm the British
assault on Contalmaison, from the west, was ready. The main attack had been
entrusted to 8th and 9th Yorkshires and over the next two
hours there was fierce fighting as the men advanced over desperate ground and
in the face of fierce German resistance. However, by 6pm British troops had
finally secured a foothold in Contalmaison.
When the main British attack had been launched in the late
afternoon German shelling of 10DWR’s advanced positions in Shelter Alley and Quadrangle Trench had become intense. However,
despite the ferocious bombardment, Capt. Bull
(see 9th July) “constantly
walked up and down the trench setting a magnificent example of coolness and
personal ability” and Capt. Atkinson
(see 9th July) “commanded
his Company when under very heavy artillery fire with the greatest coolness and
devotion to duty. By his example he inspired his Company with the greatest
confidence”. The advanced Lewis Gun post was manned with similar courage by
2Lt. Kelly (see 27th June) who “displayed the greatest gallantry
throughout and handled his garrison so well that the enemy had to abandon a
machine gun (south-east of the village at the point which later became known as
Bell’s Redoubt). He undoubtedly saved many casualties by the prompt way in
which he dealt with the hostile machine guns”. Kelly was ably assisted by
L.Cpl. John Davis who “handled his gun with great ability and coolness and
throughout showed the greatest gallantry, setting a magnificent example to the
remainder of the team. The work of this gun undoubtedly saved our advancing
troops heavy casualties”. The effectiveness of this party was attested by the
fact that when the Battalion eventually reached the former German machine gun
post they found the bodies of fifteen German soldiers. The captured German
machine guns were later sent back by the Battalion to the regimental depot at
Halifax.
From 6pm the men of 8th and 9th
Yorkshires who had occupied Contalmaison were in urgent need of reinforcement
due to the heavy losses they had suffered in the assault and the threat from
repeated German counter-attacks. Tunstill’s Men (‘A’ Company), together with B
Company, were therefore ordered to move forward to join the advance party in
Shelter Alley and Quadrangle Trench and be ready to advance to Contalmaison itself.
Just as the trenches became packed with men the Germans put down an intense
artillery bombardment on the crowded positions causing many casualties. It was
not until 8pm that C and D Companies were able to advance, across the open, and
under continuing heavy shell fire, to occupy Contalmaison. Capt. Atkinson
suffered a wound to the forearm and was rendered unconscious by a shell
explosion; he was unable to lead his Company, but he did later arrive in the village,
despite having been repeatedly ordered to retire for treatment. The other two
Companies (including Tunstill’s Men) remained in Shelter Alley until at 10pm a
party from 10th Gloucestershire Regiment arrived to take up their
positions. At that point A and B Companies began their move to Contalmaison,
still under heavy German shelling.
The situation in Contalmaison was still
precarious and on their way forward Tunstill’s Men met with large numbers of
men who were retreating from the village reporting “that we had evacuated
Contalmaison and orders had been given for retirement”. 2Lt. Redington
(see 6th July) and Sgt. Thomas Edmondson (see 12th October 1914) were able to rally many of the
men who were withdrawing and take them forward again. It was said that
Redington, “Displayed great coolness and bravery during the confusion caused by
the retirement of certain parties. He continually rallied men of the Battalion
and brought them on with his platoon. He
set a fine example to his men and rendered very valuable assistance throughout
the advance”. Edmondson was commended for “rallying the men and pulling them
together. He displayed the utmost gallantry and coolness throughout the
advance”. 2Lt. Perks (see 5th July) carried
out a similar role leading C Company in the absence of Capt. Atkinson who had
been wounded. 2Lt. and Acting Adjutant, Hugh William Lester (see 10th
June), was wounded but remained at duty; he had, “rendered the most
valuable service throughout the operations. He continually went forward to
ascertain the situation under heavy fire, displaying the utmost disregard for
personal safety”.
Once the whole Battalion had arrived in Contalmaison their
task was to secure control of the village against an expected German
counter-attack. Tunstill’s Men were positioned at the northern edge of the
village, just north-west of the ruins of the chateau. Two other companies were
placed at the south-western and south-eastern exits of the village and the
fourth company was held in close reserve.
Even though the Battalion had not been involved in the
principal assault on Contalmaison, casualties on 10th July were
still heavy. One officer, 2Lt. Isidore
David Marks (see 24th May)
of ‘D’ Company, and seven men had been killed; seven more were reported ‘missing
in action’ and more than fifty others wounded. The bulk of the casualties had
been caused by the German shelling of the trenches where the troops had
assembled for the advance on the village. 2Lt. Marks would be buried, “End of
trench, just S. of Contalmaison, 3 ¾ miles E.N.E. of Albert, Map. Ref. Sheet
57d. Square X, 16.d.6.0.”; his remains would later be exhumed and reinterred at
Gordon Dump Cemetery near Pozieres.
The men from 10DWR (though not from Tunstill’s Company)
killed or missing (and later presumed dead) on 10th July were:
Killed:
Pte. Algie Clarkson
(see 11th September 1915).
**Pte. Walter Edwards;
he was a 41 year-old brass moulder from Huddersfield and had been married, with
five children.
**Pte. Anthony
Ellingworth; he was a 28 year-old railway signalman, originally from
Lincolnshire, but had enlisted in Bradford.
** Pte. John McGlynn
(see 3rd February).
** Pte. Willie
Normanton (see 7th
November 1915).
** Pte. Hartley
Snowden; he was a 31 year-old waggoner originally from Bingley but had
lived for some years in Keighley. He had originally served with 8DWR and had
been posted to Gallipoli in July 1915; in the absence of a surviving service
record, the date and details of his transfer to 10DWR are unknown.
Pte. John Edward Whiteley; he was 20 years old and had worked at a confectionary works in Elland. He had enlisted in January and had joined 10DWR in one of the drafts in May or June (details unknown).
Missing:
CSM Alfred Swan; (see 6th July).
L.Cpl. James Gordge
(see 9th June).
**L.Cpl. Sam Lister;
he was a 41 year-old grocer and farmer from Hipperholme and had been married,
with two children.
**Pte. William Edward
Banner; he was a 22 year-old married man, a miner from Liversedge.
**Pte. Thomas Berry;
he was a 30 year-old corn miller from Keighley.
**Pte. Charles Rushworth;
he was a married man from Bradford.
**Pte. Ernest Watson;
he was a 26 year-old railway engine fireman, originally from Scarborough.
Of these all but two have no known grave and are
commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Pte. McGlynn was originally buried close
to Contalmaison but his remains would be exhumed in 1919 and re-interred at
Pozieres British Cemetery. Pte. Rushworth was originally buried near Shelter
Alley Trench but in 1919 his remains were re-interred at Gordon Dump Cemetery,
Ovillers-La Boiselle.
 |
| 2Lt. Isidore David Marks |
 |
The grave of 2Lt. Isidore David Marks.
He was originally buried close to Contalmaison, but his remains were subsequently
re-interred at Gordon Dump Cemetery, Ovillers-La Boiselle.
|
Whilst none of Tunstill’s men were killed outright on the
day, at least nine are known to have been wounded. The successful evacuation of
the wounded owed much to the heroic efforts of the Battalion’s
stretcher-bearers, who were commended for their conduct throughout the
action. Skipton-born (though not a
member of Tunstill’s Company) Pte. John
William Atkinson was awarded the Military Medal for his conduct and it was
said of him that he, “Did invaluable work as stretcher bearer. He continually
carried back wounded regardless of his own safety. The work of the stretcher
bearers was magnificent and I select him as being the senior”. He was 27 years old and had been an original
member of the Battalion; he was married with one daughter and had worked before
the war as a stoker at the Skipton Gas Works.
The condition of the wounded men among Tunstill’s Company
varied considerably. At least one of them was attended to by Pte. Atkinson; he
was one of the stretcher bearers who helped to evacuate Pte. Tommy Cartman (see 26th August 1915). Atkinson was assisted by Pte. Charlie Branston (see 28th September 1915), who was Tommy’s cousin and had
enlisted with him in September 1914. Atkinson told Tommy’s family, “He (Tommy) was
very badly wounded in the legs when we carried him out on the stretcher, but we
did our level best for him. There were a lot of killed and wounded lying all
over the trench, but we got them all away as quickly as possible. I thought it
my duty to write to you with carrying him out, and being a lad I have known for
years. I am pleased to say Charlie only got a slight wound and will soon be
back again. He helped us to carry Tom out of the trenches to the dressing
station and he worked very hard”. Another of Tommy’s pals from among Tunstill’s
recruits, Pte. Tom Greenwood (see 5th February) also passed
on news to Tommy’s family, “Both your Charlie and Tommy were hit, Charlie very
slightly in the knee. I was close to him and we shook hands before he turned to
walk back to the dressing station”. Tommy Cartman was evacuated by hospital
train to the 38th Casualty Clearing Station at Heilly Station.
Atkinson was right in thinking that Charlie Branston’s
wounds were not serious. He was treated at one of the Australian General
Hospitals in France and he would soon be back on active service. However, he would
not re-join 10th Battalion, but would be instead posted to 2DWR.
 |
| Pte. Tommy Cartman |
 |
| Pte. Charlie Branston |
 |
| Pte. Tom Greenwood |
Another man badly wounded was Pte. John Bruce Davidson (see 7th
September 1914), who had been one of the Battalion signallers. He suffered
severe facial wounds and was evacuated to one of the many hospitals in the
Rouen area.
 |
| Pte. John Bruce Davidson |
Pte. Thomas Rigby
(see 1st February) had
been one of the Battalion’s stretcher-bearers and had suffered shrapnel wounds
to his left arm in the course of his duties; Capt. Tunstill was to recommend
that he should be recognised for his, “very brave and gallant conduct in
bringing in wounded across the open under very heavy fire”. Rigby was evacuated
to England for further treatment. On arrival in England, he was taken to
Frensham Hospital he would be visited by his parents, “who found him in capital
spirits, in spite of the fact that he had undergone a couple of operations. He
was anxious to get to a hospital nearer home, and as his parents left, he
expressed his thanks that he had escaped so fortunately”.
 |
| Pte. Thomas Rigby |
Scotsman, Pte. James
Tuddenham, known to all as ‘Tudd’ (see
21st November 1915), was wounded and evacuated to England where
he would be treated in hospital in Bradford. He did recover sufficiently to return
to active service, but would be posted to 1st/6th
Battalion, rather than back to 10DWR.
Pte. Reginald Hancock
(see 29th October 1915) was
wounded in the chest and evacuated to a Canadian Hospital at Etaples.
L.Cpl. Allan Wharton
(see 12th May) suffered
wounds to his left arm and both legs; he was evacuated to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be
taken next day by no.9 Ambulance Train to Rouen. Following treatment he would
not re-join 10DWR but would instead be posted to 27th Northumberland
Fusiliers.
The other man from Tunstill’s Company formally reported as
wounded was Pte. Richard Eddlestone.
To date it has not been possible to make a positive identification of this man,
beyond the fact that he was subsequently transferred to the Labour Corps, and
then also served with the Royal Fusiliers and the Royal Engineers.
A number of other men, not from Tunstill’s original Company
have been identified as wounded.
Sgt. Alfred Dolding;
he had been only slightly wounded and would spend three weeks in hospital in
Rouen before re-joining the Battalion. He was from Camberwell, London, and had
first joined the West Riding Regiment as an 18 year old in April 1902. He had
served three years as a regular, during which he had a number of brushes with
military discipline, including several periods of absence without leave and a
convictaion for stealing from a fellow soldier for which he had been committed
to prison with hard labour for eight weeks. He had been discharged on the
completion of three years service, with his character on discharge described as
‘very bad’. He had then remainedon the Army Reserve for the next five years,
with this period terminating in April 1914. During that period he had been
living in Camberwell, Dartford and latterly in Peckham and working as a
plumber. He had married Alice Farran in 1907 and the couple had four children.
On 9th September 1914 he had volunteered in Deptford and had been
posted to his old regiment. He was posted to the newly-formed 10th
Battalion as a Private on 18th September and promoted Lance Corporal
in October and Corporal in December in 1914. He had then been promoted Lance
Sergeant in June 1915 and, after arriving in France with the Battalion in
August, Sergeant on 25th October 1915.
Sgt. Wilfred Hall
(see 23rd September 1915)
suffered a gunshot wound to his left hand; he would be admitted via 51st Field Ambulance to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be
taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to 10th General Hospital in
Rouen.
Sgt. Ernest Taylor (12370) suffered shrapnel wounds to his right leg; he would be evacuated via 51st Field Ambulance and 22nd Casualty Clearing Station at Bruay to 10th General Hospital in Rouen. He would be evacuated to England on 16th July; the details of his treatment in England are unknown but he would not return to active service and would serve the remainder of the war with 3DWR. He was a 23 year-old upholsterer from Sowerby Bridge.
L.Cpl. Harry Barnes suffered wounds to his left eye; he would be evacuated to 34th Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to Rouen. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or establish any details of his service beyond the fact that he would subsequently be transferred to the Army Service Corps.
L.Cpl. Robert
Sylvester Downey (see 26th
June) suffered shrapnel wounds to his left buttock; three days later he
would evacuated to England and admitted to Middlesex Hospital, London.
L.Cpl. Robert
Holdsworth (see 9th
February) the details of his wounds are unknown.
L.Cpl. William Swift
(see 24th December 1914); the details of his wounds and
treatment are unknown but he would re-join the Battalion.
Pte. Arthur Bilton
suffered wounds to his right shoulder; he would be admitted to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be
taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to Rouen. In the absence of a surviving
service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or
establish any details of his service.
Pte. Herbert Cooper; the details of his wounds and treatment are unknown. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or establish any details of his service, beyond the fact that he would be subsequently transferred to the Labour Corps.
Pte. Thomas Delaney (see 8th June), brother of John, suffered multiple shrapnel wounds to his chest, right arm and leg and was evacuated to the Australian General Hospital at Wimereux. The following day he would be evacuated to England and admitted to University College Hospital, Gower Street, London.
Pte. Henry Gardner suffered shrapnel wounds
to his chest; he would be admitted to 34th Casualty Clearing Station
at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be taken, two days
later, by no.9 Ambulance Train to Rouen. In the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible
to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any details of
his treatment. He would be subsequently transferred to the Northumberland
Fusiliers, but I am unable to establish any details of his service.
Pte. Fred Hargreaves (13528) suffered
gunshot wounds to his left hand; he would be admitted to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be
taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to 10th General Hospital in
Rouen. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a
positive identification of this man or to establish any further details of his
military career beyond the fact that he was subsequently transferred to 9DWR.Pte. Ellis Hey suffered gunshot wounds to his right arm; he would be admitted to 34th Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to 10th General Hospital in Rouen. He was a 33 year-old moulder’s labourer from Keighley. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable establish any further details of his military career beyond the fact that he was subsequently transferred to 2DWR.
Pte. Dick
Hinchliffe suffered severe wounds (details unknown). He was a 19 year-old
twister from Huddersfield.
Pte. Harold Holt
(see below) suffered shrapnel wounds
to his right foot and would be evacuated to England and admitted to hospital in
Ipswich. He was a 22 year-old weaver from Todmorden; he had enlisted in
December 1915 but it is not known exactly when he had joined 10DWR.
Pte. Frank Johnson
suffered multiple shrapnel wounds to his legs, abdomen and face; he was
admitted via 1st Field Ambulance to to 13th Stationary
Hospital at Boulogne and from there, on 15th July, evacuated to
England onboard the Hospital Ship Cambria
and admitted to the King George Hospital in London.
Pte. Gilbert
Johnson; the details of his wounds are unknown and, in the absence of a
surviving service record, I am unable to make a positive identification of this
man or to establish any further details of his military career.
Pte. Ramoth Kendall;
the details of his wounds are unknown. He was a 19 year-old textile worker from
Bradford. He had originally served with 2DWR and had first gone to France in
November 1914. In the absence of a surviving service record, I am unable to
establish any further details of his military career, beyond the fact that he
would later be transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment.
Pte. John Edwin
Mamwell was severely wounded and would be evacuated to England and admitted
to hospital in Leeds. He was a 22 year-old carter from Todmorden.
Pte. William McEvoy (see 26th January 1915) suffered relatively minor
shrapnel wounds and would be treated locally before re-joining the Battalion.
Pte.Thomas Walter
Mellin (see 6th June)
suffered relatively minor wounds to his right arm; he would be evacuated to one
of the hospitals in Etaples.
Pte. William Thomas Moseley shrapnel wounds
to the right leg; he was admitted via 51st Field Ambulance to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. On 16th
July he would be taken by no.16 Ambulance Train to hospital in Boulogne. He would be treated
in France and, once sufficiently recovered, would be transferred to 2DWR. He had
been an original member of the Battalion and was 20 years old and originally
from Camberwell.
Pte. Reginald Jerry Northin (see 29th December 1915) suffered
wounds to his head and back and would be admitted to 23rd General
Hospital at Etaples; he would be evacuated to England on 18th July
and admitted to St. Thomas’s Hospital in London.
Pte. Norman Nutton suffered a gunshot wound
to the head; he would be evacuated to England but the details of his treatment
are unknown. He was a 20 year-old cotton piecer from Stainland, near Halifax.
Pte. George Pashley suffered wounds to his
right shoulder and face; he was admitted via 51st Field Ambulance to
34th Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens.
From there he would be taken by no.6
Ambulance Train to Boulogne. He was a 25 year-old cellarman from Wakefield. In
the absence of a surviving service record I am unable establish any further
details of his military career beyond the fact that he was subsequently
transferred to 9DWR.
Pte. Harry Pratt; the details of his wounds
are unknown. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to
make a positive identification of this man or to establish any further details
of his military career beyond the fact that he would subsequently serve with
9DWR and 2DWR.
Pte. Harry Rostron suffered a gunshot wound
to the head; he would be admitted to 34th Casualty Clearing
Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there he would be taken next day by
no.22 Ambulance Train to Rouen. In the absence of a surviving service record I
am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any
further details of his military career beyond the fact that he would
subsequently be transferred to thee Northumberland Fusiliers.Pte. Harry Siddall
suffered shrapnel wounds to his back and a gunshot wound to his left hand; he
was admitted via 64th West Lancs Field Ambulance and 34th
Casualty Clearing Station to 24th General Hospital at Etaples.
Pte. John Whitham
(see 15th May) suffered
shrapnel wounds to his right thigh and hand, which would result in the
amputation of his right index finger; he was admitted via 51st Field
Ambulance and 45th Casualty Clearing Station at ‘Edgehill’, near
Dernancourt to no.12 General Hospital at Rouen. He would be evacuated to
England on 16th July and admitted to 2nd London General
Hospital, Chelsea.
Pte. Wilfred Wood; the details of his wounds and treatment are unknown. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any further details of his military career beyond the fact that he would subsequently be transferred to the 52nd Trench Mortar Battery in 17th Division.
L.Cpl. Harry Clark
(see 20th June) also
reported sick, suffering a recurrence of the back injury he had suffered in
April; he was admitted via 34th Casualty Clearing Station to 2nd
Stationary Hospital at Abbeville.
Several men were reported as suffering from shellshock:
Pte. William Postill
Taylor (see 17th June)
was among those reported as suffering from shell shock; he would be evacuated
via 2nd Field Ambulance and 45th Casualty Clearing
Station at ‘Edgehill’, near Dernancourt to no.12 General Hospital at Rouen.
L.Cpls. James William
Booth (see 5th July)
and Arthur Fawbert (see 24th February); and Ptes.
Pte. Herbert Burgess (see 26th February), Edward Burnside (see 26th February), Tom
Darwin (see 2nd July),
John Mendon Hall, B Company, (see below), Frank Humphries (see below),
Lawrence Meacham (see below) were all admitted to 34th
Casualty Clearing Station at Vecquemont, east of Amiens. From there they would
be taken next day by no.22 Ambulance Train to hospitals in Rouen. Pte. Ernest Kaye would be evacuated by no.9
Ambulance Train, also to Rouen, on 12th July. L.Cpl. Booth and Pte.
Humphries would later be transferred to 2DWR and Ptes. Hall and Meacham to 9DWR.
Lawrence Meacham would also later
serve with three other Dukes’ battalions; he was a 32 year-old coal miner from
Walsall. In the absence of surviving service records I am unable to make a
positive identification of either John
Mendon Hall or Frank Humphries
or to establish any further details of their military careers.
Pte. Alec Newman
was also reported shell-shocked. He was only 17 years old and had enlisted
under-age would later serve with both the Labour Corps and the North
Staffordshire Regiment.
L.Cpl. Michael Kenefick
(see 10th March) would be
awarded the Military Medal for his part in the actions around Contalmaison.
The War Diary of 69 Field Ambulance gives some indication of
the ferocity of the fighting and its impact on the Brigade as a whole: “after the capture of Contalmaison search parties were
organised under various MO’s to cover field of operations; 100 men of 9th
South Staffs being sent up by ADMS 23rd Div. at my request to supplement
the two bearer divisions. The majority of wounded were in by 8am on 11th
when 23rd Div. was relieved”.July 7th 431
July 8th 380
July 9th 180
July 10th 150
TOTAL 1141
The men from 10DWR (though not from Tunstill’s Company)
killed or missing (and later presumed dead) on 10th July were: CSM
Alfred Swan; L.Cpls. James Gordge
(missing) (see 9th June) and
Sam Lister; Ptes. William Edward Banner, Thomas Berry, Algie Clarkson (see 11th
September 1915), Walter Edwards, Anthony Ellingworth, Joseph Haywood,
J.McGlynn, Willie Normanton, C. Rushworth, Hartley Snowden, Ernest Watson and
John Edward Whiteley. Of these the majority have no known grave and are
commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Pte. McGlynn was originally buried close
to Contalmaison but his remains were exhumed in 1919 and he was re-interred at
Pozieres British Cemetery. Pte. Rushworth was originally buried near Shelter
Alley Trench but in 1919 his remains were re-interred at Gordon Dump Cemetery,
Ovillers-La Boiselle. The case of Pte. Willie Normanton is curious. He is
officially recorded as having been killed in action on 10th July and
yet he is commemorated on the Giavera Memorial in Northern Italy, along with
men from the Battalion who were killed in the Italian campaign of 1918 and who
have no known grave.
Pte. George Henry Scotford of ‘D’ Company died of wounds in
hospital at Boulogne (presumably suffered in the actions around Horseshoe
Trench; he was buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.
Pte. Sam Tinkler
who had been wounded in the actions around Horseshoe Trench (see 5th July) was sent back
to England aboard the hospital ship ‘St. David’; he was then admitted to 1st
Southern General Hospital (Dudley Road Section), Birmingham, for further
treatment to his wounded hand.
L.Cpl. Matthew Best
(see 9th July) who had been
treated in hospital at Wimereux for injuries to his left arm and leg was
evacuated to England, where he would be admitted to hospital in
Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
 |
| Pte. Sam Tinkler |
 |
| L.Cpl .Matthew Best |
2Lt. Henry Dawson
(see 16th June) having
been wounded at some point in the actions of the previous week, was evacuated
to England; this officer has not yet been positively identified beyond his name
and rank.
Pte. Harold Howlett
(see 8th July), who had
suffered shrapnel wounds to his right thigh
two days previously, was now evacuated from 2nd General
Hospital at Boulogne, onboard the hospital ship Cambria, to England.
Pte. Robert Cresswell
(see 6th July), at 34th
Infantry Base Depot at Etaples following recent hospital treatment, was posted
to active service. However, rather than re-joining 10DWR, he was temporarily
attached to 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.
Pte. William Leach
(see 6th June) was
transferred from 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth to hospital
in Weybridge (details unknown), where he continued to receive massage therapy
for the wounds to his left arm.
The father of Lt. Leonard
Hammond (see 8th July)
received a letter, following the previous correspondence conducted by telegram,
confirming that it was indeed his son who had been killed in action on 5th
July. At some point (the precise date has not been established), letters were
also received from Battalion CO, Lt. Col. Sidney
Spencer Hayne (see 26th June) and from another (unidentified) officer. Hayne told the family, “He
died a most gallant death leading his platoon. He was a most popular officer
with all ranks and his place will be exceedingly hard to fill.” The other
officer told them, “He was worshipped by the Transport men, and was equally
liked and respected by the Company. He was immensely popular among the
officers, all of whom, in spite of his habit of self-depreciation, recognised
and admired his wonderful cleverness and his other qualities as a soldier. His
bravery, tact and cheerfulness endeared him to us all”.
 |
Pte. William Leach
Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth
|
 |
| Lt. Leonard Hammond |
Also killed on 10th July, while serving with 8th
Yorkshires in their attack on Contalmaison, had been Sgt. John Thomas (Tom)
Limmer; he was the elder brother of Tunstill’s recruit Pte. Walter Limmer (see 12th September 1914). It seems probable that Walter
was able to seek out news of his brother whilst both 8th Yorkshires
and 10DWR were in occupation of, or close to, Contalmaison. So it was that
Walter was given the news by two of the sergeants who had served with his
brother. In a letter home Walter told his mother, "they both told me that
he was quite well and cheerful up to the time he was killed, and that he did
not suffer at all; he was killed outright, the bullet going right through his
heart." Tom left a widow and one child. He has no known grave and is
commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
 |
| Pte. Tom Limmer |
 |
Pte. Walter Limmer
Photo by kind permission of Henry Bolton
|
2Lt. William Neville
Dawson (see 7th July),
wrote (giving his address as Cavendish Club, Piccadilly, London) to the War
Office in response to their recent decision that he should relinquish his
commission:
“I have the honour to request that you will forward to the
proper authorities this, my appeal to the Army Council, communicated to me by
the War Office. In making my appeal I wish to call the attention of the
authorities to the following points:
I. That the reports of the military authorities overseas
make no personal reflexions of any kind upon my character.
II. That in these reports no mention is made of the fact
that I have served in the Army since November 1914 and that I have held a
commission since February 23 1915. In other words, that with the exception of
the first three months, I have been in the service of my country since the
outbreak of war.
III. That these reports have been rendered on very specific
questions, ie. That I have no grasp of the men and that I am very
short-sighted. In view of these points may I suggest with regard to the first
that the fact of “relinquishing my commission” is calculated to give rise to
suspicions regarding my character, which the facts of the case do not warrant.
That some consideration is due to one who has devoted practically the whole of
his time since the outbreak of war to the service of his country. With regards
to the second that it is more than a little hard that one who has a commission
for a year and four months, including six months in the firing line with the
Expeditionary Force, should now be subjected to the odium which attaches to
those who join under the Military Service Act. With regards to this may I
suggest that though I have failed in the task of handling men, that there are
other military spheres, not demanding these qualities in which I have been
found wanting, wherein I might do useful service to my country while earning my
pay as an officer.
Finally, in the event of the Army Council adhering to its
decision, may I suggest that as one of the grounds in these adverse reports was
short-sight, that I might be allowed “to relinquish my commission for reasons
of ill health” which, if it would not save my position, would at least save my
face.”
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