Harrogate Herald - 23rd May 1917

Letters

Private H Sharpe writes : 

I am in the same battalion as Sgt Sibson, who you will no doubt have seen whilst he was on pass but a few days ago. We are out for a few days' rest, and as luck happens we have been dumped near a YMCA. A few days ago we passed through Bapaume, which on looking round has been a very nice town. We had the divisional band playing to us the other day, and it just reminded me of the band in the Valley Gardens. (W have forwarded Pte Sharpe some games we had in hand - Ed)

Wednesday Gossip

Among the articles despatched to the soldiers this week are a game of Merrils, draught board and men and two packs of playing cards to Private H Sharpe, in France; two packs of playing cards to a shell-filling factory for soldiers on guard; safety razor to Pioneer S Mann; cigarettes, Boy Fred Bussey; two shirts to soldier in France; razors to two soldiers.

Harrogate Herald - 11th July 1917

W H Breare letter

Sergeant Dobby, of one of the West Yorks regiments, who had arrived on ten days' leave, came in to see me. In conversation he assured me that any feeling of unrest or despondency at home affected the spirits of the boys at the Front. By the way, it is twenty months since Dobby had his last leave. He has been in Egypt, but was transferred to France. He has seen a number of Harrogate boys, for instance, Lancaster, Sibson, Sharpe, Ashby, Robson, all Starbeck lads, where Dobby comes from. At Thiepval Dobby was buried for thirty minutes as a result of an upheaval from a shell. When he called he was wearing the ribbon of the Italian Medal, which he won on the Somme. His home address is 25 Diamond Place.