Sunday 30th June 1918

Support positions near Mount Torle.

Work with the Royal Engineers continued.

L.Cpl. Smith Hesselden (see 25^th May) was wounded by shell fire; he suffered severe wounds to his back and to both thighs and would be admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 39^th Casualty Clearing Station. Pte. Frank Patterson (see 5^th July 1917) was also wounded, but his head wounds were relatively minor; he would be admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 29^th Casualty Clearing Station.

Pte. Walter Gibson (see 10^th May), serving at XIV Corps Reinforcement Camp at Arquata Scrivia, was admitted via 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 38^th Stationary Hospital in Genoa, suffering from pleurisy.

Pte. James Stott (see 1^st June) was transferred from 57^th General Hospital in Marseilles to 16^th Convalescent Depot, also in Marseilles; he had been suffering from myalgia.

Capt. John Atkinson (see 5^th January), who had been in England since September 1916 and had previously been declared unfit for further service overseas as a result of trench fever, was posted back to France. However, on arrival, he was immediately admitted to hospital in Le Havre, with a diagnosis of trench fever. 

Pte. Mark Beaumont (see 6^th May), serving with 169^th Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps, was transferred to 27^th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry at Herne Bay.

Casualties for the month were officially recorded as being:

Killed                                 2

Accidentally killed           0

Died of wounds               0

Wounded                          1 officer (2Lt. Archibald (Archie) Allen) and 24 other ranks

Accidentally wounded    0

Missing                              1 officer (2Lt. Lawrence Tindill MM) and 2 other ranks

The official cumulative casualty figures since arriving in France in August 1915 were thus:

Killed                                   277

Accidentally killed                5

Died of wounds                  21

Wounded                       1,312

Accidentally wounded      53

Missing                               181

A concert was performed in Grassington to raise money for St. Dunstan’s Institution for Blinded Soldiers and Sailors. In the words of a subsequent report in the Craven Herald (6^th July) the performers were, “Mr. Nicholas Smith’s Ladies Concert Party of Skipton; the artistes were Miss M. Fisher, Mrs. N. Smith, violins; etc etc. There was a good audience and every item was encored. The programme was one of the best entertainments given in the village for some time. The object was especially of interest to local people as one of the Grassington lads – Lt. W. Oldfield (see below) – has lost the sight of both eyes in the recent fighting. Over £17 was the sum realised”.

2Lt. Billy Oldfield MM (see 10^th June), had recently relinquished his commission having been severely wounded while serving in France with 1^st/4^th DWR and was currently being treated at 2^nd Northern General Hospital, Leeds.

2Lt. Billy Oldfield MM