Tuesday 12th December 1916

Infantry Barracks in Ypres

The day was misty, with a threat of snow in the morning which soon turned to rain. Large working parties of around 200 men were provided overnight for the Royal Engineers; otherwise conditions were largely quiet.

Pte. Arthur Walton (see 9^th July) departed for England on two weeks’ leave.

Pte. Cain Rothera (see 12^th November) was reported by Sgt. Michael Kenefick MM (see 1^st September) for having a “dirty rifle on 2pm parade”; on the orders of Capt. Frank Redington MC (see 8^th December), he was to be confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. Thomas Ward (see 27^th September) was reported by Sgt. Smith (unidentified) for “irregular conduct; ie having a dirty rifle and being improperly dressed on parade”; on the orders of Capt. Leo Frederick Reincke (see 11th December) he would be confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. Henry Fielding (see 6^th June) was reported as having “dirty ammunition on 1.30pm parade”; on the orders of Capt. Reincke he would be confined to barracks for five days.

Pte. Arnold Robson (see 14^th November) was reported by Sgt. Alfred Dolding (see below) as having been “dirty on parade”; on the orders of of Capt. Frank Redington MC (see above), he would be confined to barracks for five days.

Pte. William Priestley (17833) died of wounds at No.13 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne. He was 21 years old (born 5^th August 1895) and from Bradford; he had not been an original member of the Battalion but had arrived in France at some point in 1916. The date and circumstances of his wounding have not been established.

Pte. Patrick Ferguson (see 30^th October), who was still at 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, following treatment for rheumatic fever, was admitted to 24^th General Hospital at Etaples, suffering from influenza. He would spend ten days in hospital before returning to duty at 34^th IBD. 

Lt. Daniel William Paris Foster (see 13^th November), Quartermaster, 10DWR, who had reported sick a month earlier, suffering from bronchitis, whilst on home leave, wrote to the War Office to request an extension of his sick leave until he could be examined by a Medical Board (he had already applied for an examination).

Lt. Daniel William Paris Foster

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Pte. Patrick Sweeney (see 16^th November), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was once again in trouble, following a series of previous offences. On this occasion he was found to have been absent off pass from 11.55pm the previous evening until 10am. He was sentenced to seven days’ detention.

Having recovered sufficiently from the wounds they had suffered at Le Sars in October, Sgt. Richard Farrar (see 4^th October) and Pte. George Hayes (see 4^th October) were posted to duty at Northern Command Depot at Ripon.

A payment of £2 16s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Frederick Blackwell (see 31^st August), who had died of wounds in August; the payment would go to his widow, Daisy.