Mexborough and Swinton Times February 6, 1915
Conisborough constable promoted on the Field
Chatty Letters
Interesting letters from the front have been received by superintendent A.J.Minty, of the Doncaster West Riding Division. PC Dobson, who was stationed at Conisborough and was called at the outbreak of hostilities is now a bombardier in the 109th battery R.F.A., 23rd Brigade, writes under date of January 24:
“I have been wondering whether you could send me one or two books on First Aid, as applied to the treatment of bleeding wounds, fractures, bandages and stretcher work.
I have had so many of our chaps enquiry how to attend to this and the other that I have decided to hold one or two classes during the week for instruction, believing that if we had one or more men capable of dealing with wounds etc in the firing line it will reduce the loss of life to a minimum, and not only that, but a wounded person could receive such assistance and would enable him to proceed to the hospital etc.
I am quite well at present, thank God, and hope you and the family are quite well. If you have a St John Ambulance book, such as is issued to the police, such would just suit me. You will be pleased to know that I have been recommended for promotion.
Writing the following day, thanking Mr. Minty for a parcel of gloves, tobacco and cigarettes. He says: “You may rest assured that if I do get half a chance I shall certainly fulfil my promise re the sausage – (he refers to a return gift to his colleagues of sausages from Berlin). Please thank all concerned for their kindness and informed them that I had been promoted to Bombardier so that they may know that their wishes are beginning to materialise.”
Dobson also writes to Sgt Townend in the West Riding Police Office at Doncaster thanking him for a parcel.
“Businessman is very slack,” he says, “at present. I’m sorry for poor Richards( a fellow policeman at Conisborough at present a prisoner of war in Germany). I think their (prisoners) parcels are confiscated, as it were, but I have heard of several cases where parcels havimg been been sent have never arrived at their destination.