Tuesday 31st July 1917

Billets between Zudausques and Boisdinghem.

The weather was fine in the morning but became very wet in the afternoon and the rain continued through the evening and overnight.

Cpl. Albert Harold Hanson was admitted to 4^th Stationary Hospital at Arques, suffering from ‘dental caries’; he was an original member of the Battalion and from Huddersfield, where he had worked as a ‘doffer’ in a worsted mill, before enlisting, aged 17, in 1914. His older brother, Ernest, had been reported missing, presumed killed, while serving with 2^nd/5^th DWR at the Battle of Bullecourt, in May 1917.  

Lt. Arthur Halstead (see 14^th June), who had been posted temporarily to X Corps to undertake a course of instruction in bombing was severely injured during a training exercise: “during instruction in the throwing of live bombs, a bomb was accidentally dropped. Lt. Halstead placed himself between the bomb and the soldier who had dropped it, in order to screen him, and tried to kick the bomb away, but it exploded, fatally wounding him. The soldier was slightly wounded and there can be little doubt that Lt. Halstead’s gallant action saved the soldier’s life.”

Lt. Halstead would die at 12.40am the following morning at 7^th General Hospital, St. Omer. He would be buried at Longuenesse (St. Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, and would be posthumously awarded the Albert Medal (Gold).

Pte. Arthur Cerenza King (see 14^th July), who had been wounded two weeks previously, was transferred from 18^th General Hospital at Camiers to 6^th Convalescent Depot at Etaples.

Sgt. Charles Leonard Chorley (see 15^th April 1915) was commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant with the Lancashire Fusiliers. He had previously served with 10DWR but, as yet, I am unable to establish details of his promotions with the Battalion or when he had been posted back to England to begin his officer training. He was the brother of L.Cpl. Richard Cleasby Chorley (see 12^th May).

Pte. Charles William Hird (see 18^th June), who had suffered a relatively minor wound to the arm on 8^th June and had been evacuated to England ten days later, was now fit enough to be posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.

Maj. James Christopher Bull (see 8^th June), who had been wounded on 7^th June, appeared before an Army Medical Board in London. The Board found that, “while attacking he sustained a through and through shrapnel bullet wound of right shoulder …fracture of accronoid end of clavicle and splintering of accronoid process”. He was declared unfit for service and was to be re-examined in xix weeks’ time.

At 9.30am the body of Gnr. John George Waggitt (see 30^th July), who had been in Addingham on leave from France, was found in shallow water just below the bridge at Heber's Ghyll, on the edge of Ilkley Moor. He was the brother of L.Cpl. Willie Waggitt (see 30^th July), who had been killed at Le Sars in October 1916. An inquest into his death would be held the following day.

Casualties for the month were officially recorded as being:

Killed –                               1 other rank

Accidentally killed           0

Died of wounds               0 

Wounded                          2 officers and 38 other ranks

Accidentally wounded    0

Missing                              0

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

Killed                                   210

Accidentally killed                4

Died of wounds                    9

Wounded                        1,012

Accidentally wounded       51

Missing                                129


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. George Wilson Thompson (see 8^th May), who had died in January; his mother, Susan, was awarded 4s. per week.