Tuesday 1st May 1917

Billets at Steenvorde

The weather was described as ‘glorious’ and the Battalion was engaged in training exercises.

In a postscript to his letter of the previous day, Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 30^th April) again reflected on the fine, hot weather, recalling his service in India and telling his wife, “Today is a regular Kashmir morning!!”.

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

Ptes. William Ackroyd (see 25th December 1916) and William Greenwood (see 5^th July 1916), serving in France with 2DWR, were killed by German shelling of British trenches near Fampoux. Pte. Ackroyd would be buried at Brown’s Copse Cemetery, Roeux, but Pte. Greenwood has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

Sgt. Robert William John Morris (see 25^th January), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was severely reprimanded having been reported for ‘neglect of duty whilst Company Orderly Sergeant, viz. not getting a man medically inspected according to orders’.

Ptes. George Barber (see 6^th April) and Albert Ellis (see 24^th October), serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead, were transferred to 26^th Durham Light Infantry.

Pte. Charles Edward Lund (see 15^th April), who had spent the previous two weeks under instruction at no.5 Convalescent Depot at Bayeux, was now posted to take up employment (presumably clerical work, based on his pre-war occupation) at no.10 Convalescent Depot at Ecault, south of Boulogne.

Pte. Fred Kershaw (see 28^th March) was transferred from 5^th Northern General Hospital in Leicester to the convalescent hospital in Ashton-in-Makerfield; he had been suffering from ‘trench foot’.

Pte. Sydney Charles Nicholls (see 12^th January), who had been found unfit for further military service by an Army Medical Board three months earlier, due to myalgia contracted on active service in the Summer of 1916, was now formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class P. This classification of the reserve had been introduced in October 1916 and applied to men “whose services were deemed to be temporarily of more value to the country in civil life rather than in the Army”.  

Frank Widdup, aged 32, elder brother of Acting L.Cpl. John Widdup, and 2Lt. Harry Widdup (see 16^th March), was called up for service with the Royal Garrison Artillery.

A payment of £13 2s 1d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Sgt. John Hartley (see 8^th December 1916), who had been killed at le Sars. The payment would go to his father, Watson.

Sgt. John Hartley

A payment of £3 3s was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. William Priestley (17833) (see 12^th December 1916) who had died of wounds in December 1916. The payment would go to his mother, Elizabeth.

Monday 30th April 1917

Billets at Steenvorde

Another fine hot day, which was spent in resting and cleaning. The detachment of two officers and 75 men who had spent the previous three weeks attached to 2^nd Canadian Tunnelling Company (see 7^th April) re-joined the Battalion. The marked improvement in the weather, and the effect on the collective mood, was expressed by Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 20^th April) in a letter home to his wife; “It has again been almost like a Summer’s day and everyone has been sunning himself in it! For the present we are in comfortable quarters, the men in big barns which are pleasant enough in this weather, and officers mostly in cottages … I suppose we shall be off to the hurly burly soon but I have no news of that sort. When we do move I daresay we shall want to be out of it again but at present everyone is feeling pleased and we are certainly all glad that we may not miss the whole thing”.

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

After spending two weeks at no.32 Stationery Hospital at Wimereux being treated for influenza, Pte. Richard Marsden (see 14^th April) was transferred to no.1 Convalescent Depot at Boulogne.

Capt. Adrian O’Donnell Pereira (see 31^st March), returned to France en route to re-joining the Battalion. He had been in England for the previous six months having been treated for shellshock.

 

Capt. Adrian O'Donnell Pereira

Ptes. Herbert Ridley (see 3^rd March) and Pte. Richard Swallow (see 5^th January) were reported absent without leave having failed to return to Tynemouth off their final leave pass from 3DWR; both would return to duty four days overdue and be ordered to forfeit four days’ pay and serve four days’ field punishment number two.

Pte. George Hayes (see 23rd April), who had been absent without leave from 3DWR at North Shields for the previous week, returned to duty; the nature of his punishment is unknown.

Pte. Thomas Bulcock (see 23^rd February), who had been in England for the previous two months, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

2Lt. Charles Crowther Hart (see 8^th March), was among a number of junior officers, from a variety of regiments, seconded for service with the King’s African Rifles and posted to serve in East Africa. Hart would join 3/3^rd Battalion.

Back at home in Huddersfield Elizabeth Leeming gave birth to her first child, Ernest Arthur; her husband, Pte. Arthur Leeming (see 16^th January) was serving with 10DWR.

A further payment of £2 3s 11d was authorised, being the final amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Thomas Robinson Barwick (see 11^th January). An initial payment had been made to his mother in January and this further payment was now noted as having been made “at request of brother, William”; it would appear that William had initially been granted money in his brother’s will, but had passed the entitlement to their widowed mother. The payment was duly made to Mary Ann Barwick.

Pte. Thomas Robinson Barwick

A payment of £9 17s 10d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Kit Ralph (see 16^th March) who had been killed at Le Sars. The payment would go to his brother, John. 

Pte. Kit Ralph

A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Herbert Milton Wood (see 13^th March), who had been killed in action in October 1916; his mother, Sarah, was awarded 14s. 6d. per week.

As had been the case at the end of March, the Brigade War Diary again has no surviving list of casualties for the month. However, the Battalion war Diary does give the following figures:

10DWR’s casualties were recorded as:

Killed                                       1 (Pte. Walsh, see 22^nd April)

Accidentally killed                0

Died of wounds                    0

Wounded                              1 officer (Crocker) and 6 other ranks

Accidentally wounded        1

Missing                                  0

The official cumulative casualty figures for the Battalion since arriving in France were now:

Killed                                  158

Accidentally killed                4

Died of wounds                    7

Wounded                           779

Accidentally wounded       50

Missing                               116

Sunday 29th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

On a fine and hot afternoon, at 3.06pm, the Battalion left Scottish Camp and completed a hot and dusty eleven-mile march east via Abeele to billets at Steenvorde.

L.Cpl. Harry Raistrick (see 5^th March) began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held the rank unpaid.

Just eleven days after being released from hospital, Pte. Charles Smith (29004) (see 18th April) again reported sick; he was admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance at Waratah Camp, near Poperinghe suffering from a high temperature (officially “pyrexia of unknown origin”); four days later he would be transferred to the Divisional Rest Station at the same location.

After a one night stay at 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from a loss of power in his right arm, Pte. Harold Dale (see 28^th April) was now transferred to no.4 Stationary Hospital at Arques for further treatment.

Pte. Herbert Willis Pickles (see 24^th November 1916), serving with 11DWR at Brocton Camp, Staffs., was admitted to hospital in Lichfield, suffering from syphillis.

Frank Hird, Church Army Commissioner, Third Army, and elder brother of the late Lt. Frederick Hird (see 25^th April) replied to the War Office regarding the administration of his late brother’s estate. No payment of Frederick Hird’s outstanding pay and allowances had yet been made due to the uncertainty over Hird’s marital status. Frank now confirmed that his late brother’s Christian name had been ‘Etta’, but that he was unaware of her maiden name and know little more about her and was unable to confirm the date of divorce; “In September 1914 my brother told me that his wife had left him some considerable time previously, that she had taken proceedings for divorce against him, and that he had entered no defence. He also said he had filled in his enlistment papers as unmarried … In May 1916, whilst staying with me on leave from the front, at my home, Escombe, Hadlow Down, Buxted, Sussex, my brother told me his wife had married again in America … I know nothing about his former wife except that she was an American”.

Following further enquiries over the coming weeks the War Office would conclude that Frederick’s widow would have claim to his estate as no separation had ever been confirmed and that they were therefore not in a position to make any payment to Frank Hird. The case clearly remained open for some years as several speculative claims against the estate were subsequently made by people with relatives named Frederick Hird, although none of these were accepted by the War Office. A credit balance of £76 10s 7d remained outstanding on Frederick Hird’s account.

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Saturday 28th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

Another “very fine day”. While the Battalion was engaged in training and route marching the semi-final of the Divisional football competition was held, with 69^th Brigade defeating Divisional HQ 3-1 (see 5^th April).

69th Brigade football team, featuring Sgt. John Thomas Hall (back left, see 5th April) and Lt. John William Pontefract (front row with ball at his feet, see 5th April)

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Pte. Thomas Ward (see 14^th January) departed for England on ten days’ ‘special leave’.

Pte. Harold Dale (see 26^th April) who had, two days earlier, been admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance, suffering from ‘neuritis’ (nerve pain), was now transferred to 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station suffering from a loss of power in his right arm.

Pte. Patrick Conley (see 13^th April), serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion at Gateshead, was reported absent at 11.55pm; he would not return until 8.30am on 30^th April and would be sentenced to ten days confined to barracks.

Sgt. Herbert Lawton (see 14^th November 1916) was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

At least four original members of the Battalion were transferred to the newly-formed Labour Corps; they had been serving with 25^th Durham Light Infantry, a home service works battalion, which was now re-designated 7^th Battalion, Labour Corps. The men known to have been serving with this Battalion at the time were: Pte. Thomas Eccles (see below); Pte. James Mason (see 22^nd April 1916); Pte. Fred Richmond (see 24^th February); and Pte. Harry Smith (see 30th October1916).

It has not yet been possible to make a positive identification of Thomas Eccles but he was identified in the Ilkley Gazette as being one of the local men who had volunteered in September 1914 and been posted to serve with Tunstill’s Company; he had gone out to France with the Battalion in August 1915. When, and in what circumstances, he had left the Battalion is unclear, but most likely he had been taken ill or wounded at some point and transferred to 25DLI.

Gnr. Harry Beaumont who had recently been called up for service with the Royal Garrison Artillery was transferred to 13^th Mountain Battery; he was the elder brother of Pte. Mark Beaumont (see 29^th March), who was in hospital in England having suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his left thigh when the Battalion billets in Ypres had been shelled in January.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury (see 11^th March) who had been in an officer’s convalescent hospital following an operation to remove his appendix, appeared before an Army Medical Board. They found him to be unfit for either general or home service, but fit for light duties at home. However, they granted him a further three weeks leave, to 18^th May, on the expiry of which he would resume light duties with 3DWR at North Shields.

Lt. Paul James Sainsbury

A payment of £9 5s 6d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Frank Peel (see 10^th October 1916) who had died of wounds following the actions around Le Sars. The payment would go to his married sister, Emily Peach.

Friday 27th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

The Battalion was engaged in training and route marching. One platoon from each Battalion of 69^th Brigade was inspected by the Divisional Commander. There was a conference of Battalion C.O.’s, en route to which Lt. Col. Robert Raymer (see 25th April), suffered a fall from his horse, though it appears he was not seriously injured.

Pte. Nathaniel Bather (see 25^th March) was admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station; he was suffering from rose measles.

Pte. Herbert Greenwood Audsley (see 11^th April) was transferred from duties at 24^th General Hospital at Etaples to join the Wireless Depot Company at BEF Headquarters.

Pte. William Cox (see 8^th July 1916), who had been in England since having been wounded in July 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of his wounds; he was assessed as having suffered a 20% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 8s. per week.

Pte. John Russell (see 12^th September 1916), who had been in England, serving with 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, since having been wounded in July 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of a ‘disordered action of the heart aggravated by military service’; he was awarded the Silver War Badge and an Army pension of 13s. 9d. per week.

A payment of £1 1s was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Harry Shaw (see 24^th April), who had been discharged from the Army in September 1916 due to illness; the payment would go to his widow, Sarah.

Thursday 26th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

Another fine, warm day saw the Battalion engaged in training and route marching.

The day after being promoted Lance Corporal, Fred Light Pashley (see 25^th April) was promoted Lance Sergeant.

Pte. Harold Dale (see 11^th February) was admitted to 70^th Field Ambulance, suffering from ‘neuritis’ (nerve pain).

Sgt. Edward Isger (see 17^th February) was evacuated to England and would be admitted to hospital; the reason for his departure is unclear, but it seems likely that he had been taken ill, rather than having been wounded.

Pte. George Bernard Hardy (see 15^th April) was transferred, via hospital at Wimereux, to a Convalescent Depot at Boulogne; he had been suffering from influenza.

Although he was currently serving a sentence of twelve weeks detention, having deserted from 3DWR, Pte. William Postill Taylor (see 11^th April), was among a large draft posted from 3DWR to reinforce 9DWR in France. The draft arrived at no.34 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Cpl. Ronald Ferguson (see 30^th December 1916), who had been in training with the Inns of Court OTC, was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant with the West Ridings; he would subsequently be posted to 10DWR. 

In a ceremony held at the Infantry Barracks at York, Lt. Gen. Sir John Maxwell, commanding Northern Command, presented medals to the relatives of 27 officers and men who had been been killed subsequent to having been awarded their decorations. Among them was Pte. Myer Freedman MM (see 1^st February) who had been killed in action near Contalmaison in September 1916.

Wednesday 25th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

The Battalion was engaged in training and route marching. The recent fine, warm weather continued.

Pte. Fred Light Pashley (see 28^th February) was promoted Lance Corporal.

Pte. Matthew Henry Jubb (see 16^th March) was in trouble for the fourth time in recent weeks; he was reported by Sgt. William Alfred Walmsley Gaunt (see 5^th April) as being “improperly dressed and not shaved on 9am parade” (with evidence also from Cpl. Robinson??); his punishment was sanctioned by Lt. Col. Robert Raymer (see 6^th April), who authorised 14 days Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. Frederick William Warner (see 3^rd March) was reported by Cpl. Harry Holmes (see 6^th April) for ‘disobeying Battalion orders; ie having an empty water bottle on guard mounting’; on the orders of Capt. Edgar Stanton (see 5^th April) he was to be confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. John Killerby (see 30^th March) once again found himself on a charge, this time for having a “dirty bayonet on parade”; he was ordered to be confined to barracks for five days.

2Lt. Bob Perks, DSO (see 5^th April) wrote a short note home to his father:

My Dear Dad

Thank you very much for your letter and Mother for a Westminster which I have just read in its entirety. I imagine Mr Compton must be bucked with his life but I am more interested in when and how your next H of Lords case proceeds.  I am returning still another paper which I find in my possession but have no use for.  Before I forget, thanks very much for sending the gramophone which I gather was, a great deal of it, your work.

I have the Oxford appointments committee’s papers still with me, so am filling them up.  As a step towards it, I have asked Edwards to send you a testimonial for you to send me a copy.  I intend to do the same with Merton please.

Do you remember my saying I had met Tommy Ostler at the bus 9 on my way home last August.  I met him the other day.  He is in our Brigade.

I notice you have addressed the envelope this time according to my idea.  We had a lecture on etiquette etc. the other day and most of it was, “Don’t let your friends address you as Lieut.”!

Having just written to Joy and Mother I cannot last out any longer so cheerio.

Love to all

Bob

 

2Lt. Bob Perks DSO

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

Cpl. John Stewart (see 5^th March), who had spent the previous seven weeks on temporary service with 40^th Light Railway Operating Company, now re-joined the Battalion, “owing to inability to pass trade test”.

Having completed his officer training course, Pte. Conrad Anderson (see 8^th January), previously serving with 26^th Royal Fusiliers, was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant with the West Ridings; he would subsequently be posted to 10DWR.

The mother of 2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards (see 18^th April), who had been officially reported ‘missing in action’ following the action at Munster Alley in July 1916, again wrote to the War Office, following her previous acceptance of the death of her son:

“I should like to take steps to insert an obituary notice in the newspapers at an early date and should be glad if you would kindly inform me whether I should be at liberty to state in this connection that my son “is officially presumed to have been killed”.

In reply the War Office would confirm that an official statement of death would not be permissible until at least six months had elapsed and that no official certificate of death could yet be issued but the statement of ‘likelihood’ by the War Office would suffice for all official purposes.

2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards

The War Office replied to the recent enquiry made by Frank Hird, Church Army Commissioner, Third Army and elder brother of the late Lt. Frederick Hird (see 14^th April) regarding the administration of his late brother’s estate. No payment of Frederick Hird’s outstanding pay and allowances had yet due to the uncertainty over Hird’s marital status. The War office now requested the full name of Frederick’s ex-wife and confirmation of the date of divorce and of when it was made absolute.

  

A payment of £2 6s 11d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Harold Anderton (see 1^st January); the payment would go to his father, Thomas.

Tuesday 24th April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

Conditions remained fine and warm and the Battalion was engaged in training and route marching.

Pte. Michael Edward McCuen (known as ‘Teddy’) (see 16^th April), who had been severely wounded a week earlier and had had his right arm amputated, died of wounds at 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings. He was buried at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery which served the complex of medical facilities at Remy Sidings.

2Lt. John Selby Armstrong Smith (see 22^nd January), who had previously served with 10DWR, but was now with 9DWR was reported wounded and missing in action after an attack on German lines near Monchy-le-Preux, east of Arras. Also wounded in the same action was Pte. Gilbert Bell (see 8^th July 1916) who had been posted to 9DWR after having recovered from shellshock suffered while serving with 10DWR on the Somme in July 1916.

A payment of £1 18s 2d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Frank Oddy Waddington (see 14^th November 1916) who had died of wounds in November 1916; the payment would go to his father, Craven.

A pension award was made in the case of the late, Pte. Harry Shaw (12316) (see 21^st February), who had died from pulmonary TB in February; his widow, Sarah, was awarded 18s. 9d. per week.

Monday 23rd April 1917

Scottish Camp, south-west of Brandhoek

The Battalion was engaged in training and route marching, with the recent improved weather continuing.

Pte. George Hayes (see 17^th March), who was about to be posted back to France, was reported absent without leave from 3DWR at North Shields.

A payment of £2 5s 8d was authorised, being the amount outstanding in pay and allowances to the late Pte. John Greenwood (see 7^th January) who had died of wounds following German shelling of Ypres in January. The payment was divided in equal shares among his five siblings, Harry, Grace, Marian, Sarah and Susannah.

A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Rowland Greenwood (see 6^th October 1916), who had been killed in action in October 1916; his widow, Alice, was awarded 26s. 3d. per week for herself and her three children.

A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Edward Kilburn (see 26^th January) who had been killed in action in October 1916; his widow, Ethel, was awarded 22s. 11d. per week for herself and her two children.


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Herbert Ernest Sutcliffe (see 6^th October 1916), who had been killed in October 1916; his widow, Hannah, was awarded £1 per week.

Sunday 22nd April 1917

Trenches in the Hill 60 sub-sector, opposite the Caterpillar

A very fine, warm day. In the evening the Battalion was to be relieved by 8^th KOYLI and march back to Scottish Camp, via Kruistraat. Guides rendezvoused with the incoming Battalion at 8.30pm at Transport Farm, near Railway Dugouts and the relief, according to the War Diary, passed off without incident. However, one man is officially recorded as having been killed in action on the day. The dead man was Pte. Stephen Walsh, who is buried at Railway Dugouts Burial Ground. He was not an original member of the Battalion but had been drafted out to France to join 10DWR on 10^th March 1916 after signing up in Bradford on 12^th July 1915, shortly after his nineteenth birthday. He had trained with 11^th Battalion, during the course of which he had three times been found to have been absent from duty.  He had been working as a plumber’s labourer before joining up and was the second of seven children of John and Mary Walsh.

2Lt. Frank Wilkinson (see 16^th April) who had arrived in France a few days earlier, now reported for duty with 10DWR; I am, as yet unable to make a positive identification of this officer.

Pte. Edward Grayshon (see 13^th April) was evacuated to England from 16^th General Hospital at Le Treport; he had been suffering from ‘trench foot’, but the details of his treatment in England are unknown.

It seems to have been around this date that Pte. Johnny Smith (see 15^th April) wrote a further letter home to his family, reflecting on events since the sinking of the troopship SS Cameronia; “They did not give us long at Malta to get over our shock, but never mind, we are now safe in Egypt. It only took us about 70 hours, but I can tell you they seemed like 70 days to me. There is nothing to grumble at here; it is very hot and dusty, but I think I can stand that all right. We are here for equipment, then I expect we shall go forward to Mesopotamia”.

 

Pte. Johnny Smith

Pte. William Henry Thornton (see 2^nd January 1916), serving at Northern Command Depot at Alnwick, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Saturday 21st April 1917

Trenches in the Hill 60 sub-sector, opposite the Caterpillar

Conditions were again quiet, with nothing recorded in the War Diary. A fine, warm day. Overnight one of the Battalion sentries spotted a German patrol close to the British lines; he opened fire and killed one of the Germans. The body was later recovered by the British and identification obtained.

Cpl. George Wallace Fricker (see 31^st March) reported sick; he was suffering from myalgia and would be treated first at 70^th Field Ambulance at Waratah Camp, near Poperinghe before being transferred to 23^rd Divisional Rest Station at the same location.

After six weeks treatment for scabies Pte. Fred Heppinstall (see 9^th March) was discharged from 4^th Stationery Hospital at Arques and returned to duty.

Pte. Leonard Ellis (see 17^th October 1916) was evacuated to England for treatment to severe wounds to his right forearm; it is not known exactly when he had sustained the wounds.

Friday 20th April 1917

Trenches in the Hill 60 sub-sector, opposite the Caterpillar

Another quiet day, with the weather again somewhat milder. By now the effects of the intensive repair efforts could be seen and, with a visit by Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 15^th April), it was reported that, “the trenches were once again in a fair shape”.

Sgt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 5^th April) completed his application for a temporary commission.

Pte. Bertie Constantine (see 7^th March), serving in France with 2^nd/4^thDWR, was admitted to 11^th Casualty Clearing Station at Varennes, suffering from diarrhoea.

Pte. Stanley Basil Studd (see 1^st September 1916), serving in France with 9DWR, was admitted via 27^th Field Ambulance, 59^th Casualty Clearing Station and 6^th Stationary Hospital to 5^th Convalescent Depot at Cayeux; he was suffering from ‘trench foot’ to his right foot.

Pte. Patrick Ferguson (see 12^th December 1916), who was still at 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, was sentenced to 21 days’ Field Punishment no.1, having been found to have been absent without leave.

Thursday 19th April 1917

Trenches in the Hill 60 sub-sector, opposite the Caterpillar

Conditions remained quiet and the weather began to improve.

Less than two weeks after re-joining the Battalion, Pte. Arthur Lumb (see 8^th April) was wounded in an accident in the trenches. He suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh; he would be evacuated via 17^th Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings to 13^th General Hospital at Boulogne. The injury proved to be severe and would result in the amputation of his leg. An investigation of the circumstances concluded that the injury was accidental and that no blame should be attributed.

L.Cpl. George Heeley (see 8^th March) was promoted Acting Corporal.

Pte. James Wilson (see 25^th October 1915), who had been transferred to the ASC as a lorry driver with the Motor Transport Section in October 1915, was evacuated to England, suffering from dysentery. On arrival in England he was admitted to Addington Park War Hospital, Croydon.

Pte. William Frederick Ackrill (see 6th April), who had been in hospital since having been wounded in January, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

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Wednesday 18th April 1917

Trenches in the Hill 60 sub-sector, opposite the Caterpillar

There was heavy snow in the early hours. In the evening an intra-Battalion relief was carried out with ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies moving into the front line and ‘A’ and ‘C’ retiring into support and reserve positions.

Cpl. John Stephenson (see 2^nd March) was promoted Acting Sergeant.

L.Sgt. John William Dickinson (see 5th April) was admitted to 23^rd Division Rest Station, suffering from bronchitis.

After being treated for a week for myalgia Pte. Charles Smith (29004) (see 12^th April) returned to duty from the Divisional Rest Station at Waratah Camp, south-east of Poperinghe.

Having received a reply to his earlier letter, Frederick Ernest Green, who was the uncle of 2Lt. Maurice Tribe MC (see 11^th April), again wrote to the Labour M.P. and member of the War Cabinet, Arthur Henderson;

Barings Field

Newdigate

Surrey

To Rt. Hon. Arthur Henderson MP

Thank you for your prompt and sympathetic reply.

The name of my nephew who has lost his eye is Maurice Odell Tribe, 2nd Lieut (Military Cross). His Battalion, 10^th Duke of Wellingtons. He would be sent after his leave to the reserve 3^rd Battalion at North Shields. The Medical Board which examined him was the No.2 Special at Caxton Hall.

As far as I can gather the Board did not actually pass him for General Service, but gave him six weeks’ leave; from the 9^th of May, putting him down for two months Home Service and verbally informed him that he could not be passed for any other branch of the Regular Army; that two eyes were a luxury (this may have been a joke) and that he would certainly go to the front line. He now says that he shall apply for another Medical Board (“because it looks from the leave paper they sent me rather as if they intended me to do so”).

The CO of the Radley OTC (his old school) is applying to the WO to have him as adjutant for the two months of Home Service. What he is really suitable for is the continuation of a job such as that of a Machine Gun Instructor at a Base Camp but for nothing more as far as I can see, for his fighting days are over.

The mother of 2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards (see 4^th April), who had been officially reported ‘missing in action’ following the action at Munster Alley in July 1916, again wrote to the War Office:

“In your letter of 4^th April you said you would take no action regarding official acceptance of the death of my son, Second Lieutenant R.H.W. Brinsley-Richards, of the West Riding Regiment, until you received a further communication from me. I regret to say that the rumours which reached me of the possibility of his being a prisoner on being investigated has proved to be without foundation. I must now relinquish all further hope of his being alive and leave you to take the official action you mention in your letter regarding the winding up of his accounts.

I thank you for the leaflet you enclosed about the Enquiry Department of the Red Cross at 18 Carlton House Terrace. I had already applied to that Department who gave me all the information and help at their disposal for which I was most grateful.”

2Lt. Roland Herbert Wyndham Brinsley-Richards