Pete Sayers, of Adelaide South Australia, sent me the pictures I have used below.  From the date it would look as though L Cpl Dunkley was killed in the battle that took place at that time in Hooge, not far from Ypres. I have a photo of the cemetery at Hooge on my page for the battlefield tour.

 My Grandfathers brother, Thomas Walter Dunkley, Lance Corporal 9573 of B Coy 2 Bn York and Lancashire regiment was killed in or on the 8th August 1915 at 23.  He is buried in Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, grave ref. I.D.1.

http://www.cwgc.org.uk/commemoration.asp?casualty= 139175

I have taken the information below from the Battalion History.

For more information surrounding actions at Hooge go to the separate page.

From the Battalion History.

On the night of the 5th-6th the Battalion relieved the 9th King’s Royal Rifles of the 42nd Brigade, 14th Division, in the Hooge trenches, spending the three following days in careful preparation and reconnaissance of the position to be attacked. Every morning and evening the German position was shelled, and the enemy’s retaliation was severe, the 2nd York and Lancaster incurring in consequence a good many casualties.  [It is likely that L Cpl Dunkley was one of these as his death occurred on Sunday, 8th August.]

At midnight on the 8th the companies started moving into their battle positions and the following were the officers who went into action with the Battalion: Lieut.-Colonel W.F. Clemson, D.S.O., in command; Captain H.P. Philby, adjutant, Captain H.A.W. Cole-Hamilton, transport officer, Lieutenant J.A. Reid, machine-gun officer, Lieutenant E.C. McGuire, quartermaster, and Captain J.R.R. Trist, R.A.M.C.

“B” Company [Dunkley’s company] Captain F.K. Hardy, Lieutenants G.F. Bailey, H.B. Davis and A.B. Sanders (also bombing officer), and 2nd Lieutenant C.R. Atkinson.

The Battalion went into action already somewhat reduced in strength by losses experienced from the 1st to the 8th of the month, during which period Captain H.F Rycroft, 2nd Lieutenant G.P. Munson and twenty other ranks had been killed, Lieutenant J.A Reid and fifty-eight men had been wounded, while three men were missing, “believed killed”.

The attack was launched on the 9th August at 3:15 a.m. on a front of about 1,000 yards, the 18th Infantry Brigade attacking on the right....the 16th Infantry Brigade on the left, with the 1st K.S.L.I (King’s Shropshire Light Infantry) and the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment in front line, and the 1st Buffs in support, with the 17th Brigade in reserve.  The following is from the Battalion War Diary.  “At 2.45 a.m. the artillery bombardment commenced and at 3.05 “A” and “C” Companies dashed forward to the assault, the enemy trench being captured with practically no opposition from the German infantry, though their artillery and bombers were very active; about twenty prisoners were taken in the trench and also one trench mortar, while many enemy dead and wounded were found in the position, which was at once improved and strengthened.  The enemy made many attempts at counter-attack, but these were all checked by the divisional artillery or the brigade bombers, though at times the state of affairs on the flanks gave rise to some anxiety, and throughout the battle the enemy shelling of the support and communication trenches was very heavy and well-sustained.”

Towards 10 a.m. the German artillery fire began to die down, and about this time three German officers and one hundred and two other ranks, mostly of the 126th and 132nd Regiments, came in and gave themselves up.  Finally at 11.30 p.m. the Battalion was relieved in the front line by the 1st Buffs and was withdrawn to the ramparts in Ypres, having experienced a loss of nearly three hundred of all ranks during the battle. There were 4 officers and 44 other ranks killed or died of wounds, and 197 non-commissioned officers and men were wounded, while 42 were missing, “believed killed.”

The attack was looked upon as a model of really close co-operation between infantry and artillery, and it seems to have been the first occasion upon which steel helmets were issued for wear by some of our infantry as an experimental measure; unfortunately, however, some of the men wearing these were mistaken for Germans and were fired upon by their own comrades.

“Clasp to the 1914 Star”.  Posthumous certificate issued to his mother, Rebecca Dunkley, in 1921

“British War and Victory Medal” also sent in 1921 to his mother.

In Memory of
 

Lance Corporal THOMAS WALTER DUNKLEY

9573, "B" Coy. 2nd Bn., York and Lancaster Regiment
who died age 23
on Sunday 8 August 1915.
Lance Corporal DUNKLEY, Son of Thomas Walter and Rebecca Sophia Amelia Dunkley, of Walthamstow, London.

Remembered with honour
POPERINGHE NEW MILITARY CEMETERY

The Record of Commemoration on the Commonwealth War Graves site.