Friday 23rd March 1917

‘L’ Camp, near Poperinghe

Another very cold day. Training continued alongside a continuation of the inter-Battalion competitions. 

‘A’ Company lost one of their most experienced men when Sgt. William Eley MM (see 8^th December 1916) was posted back to England. Eley was suffering from ‘neurasthenia’ (commonly known as shell shock) and deafness in his left ear.

Pte. Ernest Ashness (see 22^nd February) again found himself on a charge, this time having been found to be “dirty on parade”; on the evidence of Sgt. Alfred Dolding (see below) and on the orders of Capt. Alfred Percy Harrison (see 9^th March) he was to undertake two extra drills. Pte. Alfred Whittaker (9^th February) was also reported as being “dirty on parade”; he was reported by Cpl. Dennis Bradbury (see below) and was also ordered by Capt. Harrison to undertake two extra drills. Pte. Joseph McDermott (see 16^th January) found himself on a charge for being “unshaven on parade”; his punishment was also to be ordered to undertake two extra drills. 

Alfred Dolding 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 peiods 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 9^th September 1914 he had volunteered in Deptford and had been posted to his old regiment. He was posted to the newly-formed 10^th Battalion as a Private on 18^th 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 25^th October 1915. He had been slightly wounded at Contalmaison in July 1916, after which he spent three weeks in hospital in Rouen before re-joining the Battalion. He had then had two further, short, stays in hospital in August 1916, being treated for pyrexia (high temperature) and influenza.

Dennis Bradbury had been an original member of the Battalion and had been promoted Corporal at some point whilst the Battalion was in France. He was 33 years old, from Guiseley, and before the war had worked as a bookkeeper, whilst living with his two sisters, Edith and Emily; both of their parents having died.

One month after being taken ill with influenze Pte. Willie Cowgill (see 24^th February) re-joined the Battalion.

Once conditions had been improved there was time for the annual Brigade competitions, in which the Battalion fared rather poorly, although they did win the Lewis gun competition.

Battalion M.O., Capt. Cecil Berry (see 13^th March), who had married whilst home on leave in England, re-joined the Battalion; his temporary replacement, Capt. T.L. Llewellyn, re-joined 69^th Field Ambulance.  

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Pte. Ronald Bray (see 28^th February) returned to duty after being under treatment for trench foot for the previous month.

L.Cpl. George Holmes (10794) (see 12^th October 1916), serving with 8DWR, was promoted Acting Sergeant and posted for duty to Etaples (details unknown). 

Pte. Thomas McDonald (see 29^th July 1916), who had been in England since having been wounded in July 1916, was posted back to France; he was due to join 2DWR but would instead be re-posted to 9DWR.

Pte. Patrick Conley (see 24^th October 1916), serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead, was examined by Capt. Joynes of the RAMC. The report reviewed Conley’s current condition, with an emphasis on his stated disability of bronchitis “He states that in August 1913 he had an attack of pleuro-pneumonia and since that he has had bouts of asthma. Sent out to France on 25^th September (sic.) 1915. On the 20^th (sic.) of July he was knocked down by a fuse and sustained three fractured ribs. Sent to 2^nd Canadian General Hospital and transferred to Middlesex Hospital. Then sent to North Shields and joined 83^rd Training Reserve at Gateshead. Done only light duty. He complains of shortness of breath and dizziness”. He also found that Conley had a deformed right foot due to a fracture in 1906. On the basis of his examination, Joynes recommended that Conley should be discharged as permanently unfit.

Pte. Charles Davey (see 28^th August 1916), who had been in England since having been wounded in June 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer fit for service due to ‘valuvular disease of the heart’.

Capt. John Atkinson (see 10^th January), who had been on sick leave in England since September and had recently been declared unfit for further service overseas was formally struck off the establishment of 10DWR.

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton