Wednesday 6th September 1916

Billets south-east of Bailleul

The Battalion was once again on the move, this time to the training and reserve area near Eperlecques (north-west of St Omer). Reveille was at 6am, with the Battalion assembled by 8am ready to move off. Company officers were ordered to, “inspect all packs before parade and see that nothing is carried outside ordinary kit. All parcels etc must be sent by lorry which will be provided for Officers’ kits”. The journey to Eperlecques took the Battalion first on a short march in to Bailleul. Here the boarding of trains was supervised by Major Robert Harwar Gill (see 21^st August). The main body of the Battalion boarded a train for St Omer at 9.28am from Bailleul main station while the cookers, mess carts, water carts etc. left from Bailleul West station two hours later. The Battalion Transport Officer, Lt. Charles Wolfe (see 24^th June) was put in charge of transport arrangements for the whole of 69^th Brigade.

The rail journey to St Omer took one hour and twenty minutes and on arrival the men formed up for a seven mile march to billets in and around Eperlecques, arriving at 3pm. Lt. Dick Bolton (see 5^th September) was billeted at Gandspette, just north-east of Eperlecques, as evident from a photograph which he kept among his personal possessions.

Lt. Dick Bolton

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Ptes. Daniel Brennan (see 21^st August) and Isaac Robinson (see 21^st August) had, for the second time in three weeks, been reported by Sgt. Edgar Shuttleworth (see 3^rd September) as “unshaven on am parade”; as before, on the orders of Capt. James Christopher Bull (see 21^st August) both were to be confined to barracks for three days.

Pte. William Stokes (see 17^th July) was reported by Sgt. Edgar Shuttleworth (see 3^rd September) as having a “dirty rifle parade”; on the orders of Capt. James Christopher Bull (see 21^st August) he was to be confined to barracks for three days.

Pte. George Henry Collinson (see 1^st September), who had been treated at 2^nd Casualty Clearing Station near Bailleul having been wounded five days previously, died of his wounds; he was buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension.

Pte. Charlie Wilman (see 15^th August), who had been wounded on 29^th July, was posted from 2^nd Convalescent Depot at Rouen to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. James Bentley Crosland (see 31^st August), who had been gassed a week earlier was evacuated to England from 14^th General Hospital at Wimereux, travelling onboard the Hospital Ship St. David.

Pte. Arthur Hall (see 29^th July) was also evacuated to England having suffered wounds to his left forearm at some point in the recent actions. The details of his wounds and treatment are unknown.

Pte. Bertie Constantine (see 29^th July), who had been wounded on 29^th July, was evacuated onboard no.31 Ambulance Train from Bailleul to Hazebrouck; the details of his treatment are unknown.

Pte. Sam Tinkler (see 28^th August), embarked from Folkestone to France, arriving next day at the Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, where he would await a posting back to active service.

Pte. Sam Tinkler

A payment of £2 2. 3d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances due to the late L.Cpl. Albert Henry Nutter (see 4^th August), who had been killed in action on 5^th July. The payment would go to his widow, Ethel.

L.Cpl. Albert Henry Nutter