Saturday 22nd September 1917

A and C Companies in trenches on the Blue Line; B and D Companies in Brigade Reserve.

A fine, largely quiet day.

Overnight 22^nd/23^rd the Battalion was withdrawn to reserve at Railway Dugouts.

Pte. Arthur Prestwood (see 5^th July) was severely wounded in action, suffering a fractured left thigh; he was evacuated to one of the casualty clearing stations based near Godewaersvelde, east of Poperinghe, but died of his wounds; he would be buried at Godewaersvelde British Cemetery. 

Pte. Edward Westle (see 5^th July) was also severely wounded, suffering a fractured skull. He was evacuated to 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station but died there and would be buried at the adjacent Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Pte. Westle’s brother, George, had been killed in action in July 1916 while serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers and their widowed mother, Elizabeth, would be awarded an Army pension of 12s. 6d. per week for life.

L.Cpl. Fred Davis (see 20^th September) died at one of the Casualty Clearing Stations at Remy Sidings; he would be buried at the adjacent Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Pte. Joseph Binns MM (24162) (see 20^th September) died of wounds at 17^th Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings; he would be buried at the adjacent Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery. Pte. Arthur Hird (see 21st  September), who had suffered severe wounds to his back and abdomen, died at 2^nd Canadian Casualty Clearing Station at Remy Sidings; he would be buried at the adjacent Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

Sgt. William Allen Sayer (see 20^th September), who had been wounded two days previously, was evacuated to England onboard the Hospital Ship St. David; on arriving in England he would be admitted to Bannow Red Cross Hospital, St. Leonards on Sea. Pte. William Axton (see 20^th September), who had been severely wounded two days previously, was evacuated to England (details unknown). Pte. George Bernard Hardy (see 25^th June), who had been wounded two days previously, was evacuated to England onboard the Hospital Ship St. David; on arriving in England he would be admitted to Kingswood Park Hospital in Tonbridge Wells.

Ptes. Patrick Sweeney (see 19^th September) and Reginald Dayson (see 19^th September), who had been reported as deserters three days previously, were apprehended and placed in confinement awaiting trial.

Among the ‘trophies’ taken by the Battalion in the action around Veldhoek had been an Alsatian dog; according to a memoir apparently compiled by Maj. James Christopher Bull (see 11^th September), and Pte. Harold Charnock (see 8th January 1916), “‘Fritz’, a particularly fine specimen of the Alsatian Sheep Dog, which had been trained as a messenger dog by the Germans.  He was found in a German dug-out and became the Battalion mascot.  He was captured with a message in the tube attached to it’s collar”. 

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

The same memoir also refers to the subsequent presentation to the Battalion of “a silver bugle presented by Madame Curier, the Lady of the Manor of Veldhoek.  This was inscribed with the Regimental crest and badges and battle honours of the Battalion”. The present whereabouts of the ‘Veldhoek Bugle’ are unknown.

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Pte. Charles Smith (12380) (see 30^th April), serving in England with 36^th Northumberland Fusiliers, was transferred to 301^st Reserve Labour Company.

A payment of £2 15s. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Tom Close Naylor (see 14^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June; the payment would go to his widow, Harriet. A parcel of his personal effects (contents unknown) was also sent to his widow.

A payment of £2 10s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Fred Brown (see 29^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June; the payment would go to his mother, Alice Ann.

A payment of £2 19s. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Charlie Long (see 8^th June) who had been killed in action on 8^th June; the payment would go to his father, Joseph.