Friday 2nd February 1917

Winnipeg Camp

The Battalion was employed mainly in training, with the provision of some working parties. The weather remained fine and cold.

Pte. Victor Alexander Wildman (see 16^th January) was reported “unwashed at 10am parade” and sentenced to five days confined to barracks. His offence was reported by Sgts. Smith (unidentified) and Thomas Edmund Troop (see 29th July 1916), and the punishment ordered by 2Lt. George Stuart Hulburd (see 29^th January).

Pte. Joseph Barber Taylor (see 16^th January) was reported by Sgt. Joseph Bona (see 5th July 1916) as “unshaved on 2pm parade”; on the orders of 2Lt. George Stuart Hulburd (see above) he was to be confined to barracks for three days.

Pte. Albert William Knight (see 17^th October 1916) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 10^th Casualty Clearing Station to 32^nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux; he was suffering from a severe case of ‘trench foot’.

Ptes. Frederick Abbot (see 29^th June 1915) and Thomas Warburton (see 4^th April 1916) departed for England on ten days’ leave.

Brig. Genl. Thomas Stanton Lambert returned from his one months’ leave in England (see 2^nd January). This released 10DWR C.O., Lt. Col. Robert Raymer (see 2^nd January), who had been in temporary command of 69^th Brigade, to return to the Battalion, but in fact the Battalion remained under temporary command of Major Ashton St. Hill (see 28^th January), while Raymer went on three weeks’ leave.

(I am greatly indebted to Juliet Lambert for her generosity in allowing me access to Brig. Genl. Lambert’s diary and letters).

Pte. Frank William Rabjohn (see 4^th October), who had been in England since having been wounded in October 1916, was admitted to the Military Hospital at Shorncliffe, suffering from influenza; after four days he would be transferred to Bevan Military Hospital, Sandgate, where it was noted that he was ‘sweating all over body, nervous and debilitated’.

2Lt. John Keighley Snowden (see 27^th January), who had been wounded at Le Sars, appeared before a further Medical Board; he was declared unfit for duty, with his case to be reviewed in another month.

Pte. Keith Sagar Bain (see 17^th December 1916), who had remained at no.7 Infantry Base Depot, Le Havre, since arriving in France seven weeks earlier, was transferred to No.8 IBD, still at Le Havre; he had recently submitted his application for a commission and would later serve with 10DWR.


A payment of £13 14s. 7d. was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Robert Emson (see 8^th October 1916), who had been killed in action in October 1916; the payment would go to his father, William.

A second payment, of 5s. 11d. was authorised, being a further amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Frederick Blackwell (see 12^th December 1916), who had died of wounds in August 1916; the payment would go to his widow, Daisy.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported on the recent leave enjoyed by Pte. Arthur Herbert Procter (see 21^st January) and his brother.

AUSTWICK

On Leave:

Pte. E.A. Procter, of the West Yorks, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Procter, Eldroth, has been home on ten days’ leave. He has seen heavy fighting and during the very wet weather he got trench feet, and was afterwards invalided to England. He has since returned to France and rejoined his Regiment. Signaller A.H. Procter, brother of the above, has also been home on ten days’ leave. He was wounded on October 5th with a shrapnel ball in his chest and side, and shortly afterwards he was sent to England, and since then he has been in hospital at Aberdeen. He enlisted in September 1914, in the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, and was the first who joined the company formed by Capt. Tunstill at Settle. Private James Harrison, of the West Yorkshire Regiment, has been home on 48 hours leave before leaving for India. Pte. R. Ewbank and Pte. T. Robinson have also been home on short leaves.