Friday 15th June 1917

Le Coq de Pailie, close to Berthen

A beautiful, hot day. Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 14^th June) rode round to see Maj. Charles Bathurst (see 12^th June) and 10DWR.

Lambert also spent a large part of the day writing up descriptions, honours lists etc and the photographer he had arranged the previous day took a series of four photographs at Brigade HQ. When he received the prints Lambert regarded them as, “not very successful. In fact some are rather appalling … The trophies look well even if we do not. The man took us staring at a blazing sun and it was most trying”. 

Brig. Genl. T.S Lambert (seated centre)

The 10DWR officers featured are Maj. Charles Bathurst (seated second from right); Capt. Hugh William Lester MC (middle row, third from left), Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips (back row, fourth from right) and Lt. Charles Frederick Wolfe (see 9th April) 

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Image by kind permission of Juliet Lambert

Image by kind permission of Juliet Lambert

It seems to have been the same day that a series of photographs were also taken of the officers and men of 10DWR. Copies of the photographs were kept by Capt. Dick Bolton (see 13^th June) and, although undated in his album, the images can be dated by reference to the officers present. 2Lt. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see 14^th June) and Rev. Hugh Wilfrid Todd (see 14^th June) had only arrived the previous day and on the same day. Lt. Arthur Halstead and 2Lt. Leopold Henry Burrow (see 14^th June) (not featured in the photograph) had left to attend courses; Capt. Hugh William Lester MC (see 3^rd June)  would leave the Battalion on the following day; Capt. Hugh William Lester MC (see 3^rd June)  would leave the Battalion on the following day.

Officers and NCOs of 10DWR

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Second row, officers seated, from left to right

1.            Capt. Cecil Berry (see 13th June)

2.            2Lt. Bob Perks DSO (see 14^th June)

3.            Capt. Adrian O’Donnell Pereira (see 28^th May)

4.            Capt. Hugh William Lester MC (see above) 

5.            Maj. Charles Bathurst (see above)

6.            Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 4th June)

7.            Capt. Dick Bolton (see above)

8.            Capt. John Edward Lennard Payne (see 20^th May)

9.            Lt. Herbert Sparling (see 26^th October 1916)

Third row, officers standing, from left to right

1.            2Lt. David Lewis Evans (see 23^rd October 1916)

2.            2Lt. Arthur Lilley (see 14^th March)

3.            Lt. Arthur Poynder Garratt (see 19^th December 1916)

4.            2Lt. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see above)

5.            2Lt. John Robert Dickinson (see 10^th June).

6.            2Lt. Charles George Edward White (see 30^th May)

7.            Lt. John William Headings (see 23^rd February)

8.            2Lt. William George Wade (see 11^th June)

9.            2Lt. John William Pontefract (see 5^th April)

10.          2Lt. Vincent Edwards (see 6^th June)

11.          Rev. Hugh Wilfrid Todd (see above)

The officers of 10DWR

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Front row, seated, from left to right: White, Lilley, and Garratt

Second row, seated, from left to right: Berry, Lester, Bathurst, Phillips and Bolton

Third row, standing, from left to right: Perks, Edwards, Pereira, Headings, Wade, Sparling and Payne

Back row standing, from left to right: White, Dickinson, Pontefract, Biggs and Todd

Officers and men of 'A' Company

It is worth noting that the photograph features just 109 men and 5 officers; the Company, at full strength, would have numbered in excess of 200.

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Five officers seated along the second row, from left to right are Evans, Wade, Bolton, Dickinson and Biggs. 

Pte. Albert Hoggarth (see 13^th January) was promoted Lance Corporal. Ptes. Paul Bland (see 17^th June 1916); Alfred Exley (see 11^th January); Fred Greenwood (24522) (see 12^th November 1916); John Smith Hodgson (see 7^th June); Arthur Lee (see 7^th June); Frank Mallinson (see 7^th June); Edward Shaw Powell (see 8^th February); Victor Race (see 8^th June), Joseph Edward Robinson (see 12^th November 1916) and Albert Edward White (see 11^th February) was were all promoted (unpaid) Lance Corporal. Despite a recent series of minor brushes with military discipline, Pte. John William Mallinson (see 6^th May) was also promoted (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Pte. Joseph Holmes (see 22^nd December 1916) was charged with being drunk and crearing a disturbance; he was awarded 21 days’ Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. William Norman Whitehead (see 10^th June) who had been wounded five days earlier was evacuated to England for further treatment, though the details are unknown.

The remains of Pte. Hector Salembier (see 7^th June), who had been reported missing in action, were identified. However, the cross marking his grave would be destroyed in subsequent fighting and the site of his burial lost. He is now commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.

2Lt. Bob Perks DSO (see 12^th June) again wrote home to his mother, with an optimistic view of future prospects:

“You rightly guessed I was to be in the fighting, and, what is more, I was training “A” Company for it.  It is rather funny having been ages with “B” Company, a time with “A” and a little bit with “D” (when I was in Trench Stores) I should be put in charge of “C” the one I know nothing about.  However, I am progressing well and happily, and shall have “some” knowledge of the Battalion when I have finished.  As to our future, no one has any idea, but we expect a fairly decent rest and hope for decent trenches after that for a bit; but the division has done so well and been complimented so much that we seem quite likely to be rewarded by more.  I see in the papers a forecast of another push south of this.  I believe it, also activity here and a combined allied push.  What faith I have!  If only Russia had stuck it, we should have been running after them now.  By their own documents it is shewn they are short of munitions (cheers!) and also that they meant to stop this last attack of ours from its beginning, and yet they ran like rabbits.  They are beaten, but for the moment there are rather a lot of rabbits.  Most of the prisoners seem to hold that view and trust to submarines or some other miracle to save them”. 

(I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for her kind permission to allow me to quote from Bob Perks’ correspondence).

The Clitheroe Times reported news of Pte. Fred Brown (see 11^th June), who had originally been reported killed in action; the news that Brown had subsequently been reported wounded, rather than killed, had not yet reached England:

Private F. Brown, Waddington - Reported Killed, This Morning

Another Waddington family was plunged into mourning today when Mrs. Brown received a letter informing her that her youngest son, Private Fred Brown, Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regt., was killed in action on 7^th inst. The letter was signed “Pte. J. Walton”, the writer stating that he and Pte. Brown were comrades. On the date mentioned, they were together, and Private Walton went to procure a stretcher. When he returned, death had claimed Pte. Brown, who was 20 years of age and was the first to leave Waddington under the Derby scheme, on January 20^th 1916. Having been a member of the village band as a cornet player, he was selected as a bugler, but a short time ago he became a stretcher bearer. He had been in France 13 months and saw the recent fighting in the neighbourhood of Messines. His brother received a letter from him last Friday, in which he said he was alright and the news of his death came as a great blow, not only to the members of his family, but to a wide circle of friends and his former colleagues at Messrs. Holgate’s West Bradford Mill, where he was a weaver.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported on the death of Pte. Samuel Woodhead (see 9^th June):

BARNOLDSWICK SOLDIER'S PRESENTIMENT OF DEATH

On Wednesday evening, Mrs. Woodhead, 8, Calf Hall Road, Barnoldswick, received an intimation from a Casualty Clearing Station in France of the death of her husband, Private Samuel Woodhead, Duke of Wellington's. Deceased, who was 37 years of age, had been in France two years. He was wounded during the first big push on the Somme in July last, and after recuperating in England returned to the Front in October, after spending ten days leave at his home. The letter conveying the sad news is dated June 9th and reads as follows:-

"Dear Madam, - I am very sorry to have to tell you that your husband was brought to hospital yesterday dangerously wounded in the head. Everything possible was done to relieve him, but he died at 4p.m. this afternoon, never being conscious since admission. Tomorrow at 2 o'clock he will be buried in the military cemetery at Remy. There will be a cross placed on his grave with his name and regiment. I am very sorry I have so little to tell you about him, but he was quite unconscious all the time. All your husband's personal effects will be forwarded to you by the proper authorities in due course. M. A. WOODHOUSE."

By the same post Mrs. Woodhead received a letter written by her husband just before going into battle, which was found on him fully addressed, in which occurs the following passage: "It is a beautiful day and you wouldn't think there was a war on, but all the same, the Huns are going to get hell - one of the most terrible battles in the history of the world. If I should get knocked out I hope this reaches you all right."

Before the war Private Woodhead was a weaver employed by the Monkswell Manufacturing Co., Calf Hall Shed.

There was also news about Pte. Alfred Carey; he was the younger brother of Norman Carey (see 9^th January 1916) who had been one of Tunstill’s original volunteers. An older brother, Pte. Harold Carey, had already been killed in action:

BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND - Wounded

Word has been received that Pte. Alfred Carey and Pte. Joseph Moon are wounded and in hospital. Corporal W. Oddie and Pte. Geo. Harrison are reported as improving.