Harrogate Herald - 9th May 1917

Private W Beer, sending thanks for the Herald, says : 

It is good to read about all the Harrogate boys, a lot of whom I had forgotten until I saw their names in the paper; then I remembered going to school with them. When I landed in France this time I had a pleasant surprise. I met my old school teacher (Miss Thripleton), late of Grove Road School. She is nursing out here, and I was surprised when we met. It is almost five years since I last saw her. We are in this place for six days. At present we are using Fritz's old dugouts, but we are safe, as they are about 30 feet deep and have concrete entrances. If you could see them you would think they were vaults in a bank. I guess this is all this trip, wishing you and your paper the best of luck. PS - We came out last night (30th April), and I got another Herald, so I can have a good read now.

Harrogate Herald - 30th May 1917

Photo Page

In Hospital - Private W Beer, Canadian Highlanders, is in DE Walden's Court Hospital, Eastbourne, suffering from a fractured ankle.

Harrogate Herald - 11th July 1917

W H Breare letter

I was glad to see Private W Beer, of 4th RHC, which you will understand means a Canadian lot. He has been wounded twice, and is now fresh from Eastbourne, and will soon be on his way to some reserve camp. He was first wounded in the head and knee on the 16th of September, 1915; the second time on the 10th of last May, when he was sent to a Canadian convalescent hospital at Hastings from a hospital on the other side.