Monday 19th March 1917

Eperlecques

On a morning marked by a very cold wind, the Battalion marched off at 8.24am and covered the ten miles back to Bollezeele, via Ganspette, Watten Bridge and Wulverdinghe.

Pte. James Hotchkiss (see 11^th February) was briefly admitted to hospital (cause unknown) but would be discharged to duty next day.

Pte. Edward Grayshon (see 20^th December 1916) was admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station; he was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) ‘general’.

Pte. Tom Darwin (see 5^th March), who had been in England since being wounded on the Somme in July and was currently serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead, was again reported absent without leave.

Pte. James Thomas Sagar (see 1^st November 1916), who was serving at Northern Command Depot at Ripon, having been posted back to England, was reported absent without leave. He would return to duty on 21^st and would be sentenced to seven days confined to barracks and forfeit three days’ pay.

Maj. Stephen Minchin Mercer, ASC (see 21^st May 1915), who had taken a prominent role in raising recruits in the Craven area in the Autumn of 1914, appeared before an Army Medical Board assembled at York and was declared unfit for service (reason unknown) for a period of four weeks.

A pension award was made in respect of the late Pte. Frederick Blackwell (see 2^nd February 1917), who had died of wounds in August 1916; his widow, Daisy, was awarded 10s. per week.

A pension award was made in respect of the late Pte. Bertram Stanley Temperton (see 29^th July 1916) who had been killed in action in July 1916; his widow, Alice, was awarded 10s. per week.

Official notice was issued by the War Office to the families of Ptes. William Mitchell (see 6^th March) and Arthur Moore (see 5^th July 1916), both of whom had been reported missing in action near Contalmaison on 5^th July 1916, that their sons would now be considered as having died on or since that date.

Pte. William Mitchell