Tuesday 20th February 1917

Trenches near Observatory Ridge (I.24.d.7.1 to I.24.d.8.6)

An overcast day, with persistent drizzle. Between 5pm and 8pm there was a heavy artillery bombardment from both sides, which was associated with a large-scale trench raid being conducted by 47^th Division to the south. There was considerable German shelling of the British lines, in the course of which two men were killed and two others wounded. The two men killed were Pte. Herbert Bayfield (see 16^th January) and Pte. Robert Cheshire (see 16^th January); both had been with the Battalion for less than six weeks and both were buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground. They were part of the draft which had originally been posted to 9DWR, but, within days, had been re-posted to 10DWR, joining the Battalion on 16^th January.

One of the wounded men was Tunstill’s Man, Cpl. James Shackleton MM (see 14^th September 1916).; he suffered shrapnel wounds to his back and arm and was treated locally in the fist instance.  The other wounded man was Pte. Harry Read (see 2^nd October 1916); his wounds were not serious and he remained at duty.

Cpl. James Shackleton MM

L.Cpl. Albert Bradley (see 15^th February) was promoted Corporal.

L.Cpl.  Thomas Robinson (16490) MM (see 7^th February) began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held it on an unpaid basis.

Several men who had been away for some time re-joined the battalion. Pte. Thomas Manuell (see 8^th February) had been taken ill in early December 1916; Cpl. John Stewart (see 20^th November 1916), who had been taken ill suffering from dysentery in November 1916; and Pte. Sam Shuttleworth (see 17^th June 1916) had been away from the Battalion for the previous eight months, most of which time he had spent at 23^rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Cpl. John Stewart (see 20^th November 1916), who had been taken ill suffering dysentery three months earlier, re-joined the Battalion.

Pte. Sam Shuttleworth (see 17^th June 1916) who had been away from the Battalion for the previous eight months, most of which time he had spent at 23^rd Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, re-joined the Battalion.

Cpl. John William Cooper (see 9^th December 1916) was posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, from where he would be posted back to England. It would appear that he had reported sick as he would later state that he had suffered from “bleeding piles and a cough”.

Pte. Henry Jarratt (see 16^th January) was admitted to 69^th Field Ambulance, suffering from myalgia; he would be transferred to 23^rd Divisional Rest Station, where he would spend six days before being discharged to duty.

Pte. Albert William Knight (see 2^nd February), who had been in hospital for almost three weeks suffering from ‘trench foot’, was evacuated to England from 32^nd Stationary Hospital at Wimereux; he travelled onboard the Hospital Ship, St. David.

2Lt. Harold Watthews (see 14^th February) , who had arrived in France a week earlier, reported for duty with 10DWR. 

 

2Lt. Harold Watthews