Section 2 above covers Arthur's time in France - an eventful couple of months. His wounding is recorded in the official casualty list of 29th August 1917, which were usually published about a month after the actual date of wounding. The list, where I have been able to match the list to service records, records those men wounded during the opening stages of the Third Battle of Ypres on the 31st July 1917, or in the day or so following the opening of the battle.
Considering the subsequent timeline of events it is likely that this wound was serious enough to cause Arthur's evacuation back to England for hospitalisation.
This brings us to the final section - his transfer to the Labour Corps and on to the Royal Defence Corps. Again there is a recognisable grouping of men transferring from the Northamptons on to the 61st Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps. Again there is the grouping by surname:
William Chapman, Northamptonshire Regiment 16072, Labour Corps 589507, Royal Defence Corps 78302 (Service Record exists)
Jesse T Cadd, Northamptonshire Regiment 12848, Royal Defence Corps 78303
Walter F Edmonds, Northamptonshire Regiment 28026, Royal Defence Corps 78304
Septimus Ficken, Northamptonshire Regiment 43077, Royal Defence Corps 78306 (Previously 6th Bedfords 26959) (Service Record exists)
Robert W Howards, Northamptonshire Regiment 40564, Royal Defence Corps 78308 (Previously Suffolks 45209)
Alfred G Loveday, Northamptonshire Regiment 8492, Royal Defence Corps 78310
Albert E Merrick, Northamptonshire Regiment 14862, Royal Defence Corps 78312 (Service Record exists)
Frank Mole, Northamptonshire Regiment 14861, Labour Corps 541789, Royal Defence Corps 78313 (Service Record exists)
William J Rainbow, Northamptonshire Regiment 7602, Labour Corps 318542, Royal Defence Corps 78314
Arthur Sharp, Northamptonshire Regiment 40398, Royal Defence Corps 78315 (Previously Essex 35659)
Gilbert Thompson, Northamptonshire Regiment 22639,, Royal Defence Corps 78320 (Service Record exists)
Alfred J Underwood, Northamptonshire Regiment 20001, Royal Defence Corps 78321
Ralph White, Northamptonshire Regiment 8850, Labour Corps 318635, Royal Defence Corps 78323
Henry Wilson, Northamptonshire Regiment 27145, Royal Defence Corps 78324
Again, there are enough service records surviving of these men to work out that they all followed a similar route through from the 3rd Northamptons to the 61st Protection Company of the Royal Defence Corps.
The best example of the above movements is Frank Mole of Kettering, formerly number 14861 of the 6th and 1st Northamptons and later number 78313 of the Royal Defence Corps:
Wounded, hand (slight), 26-9-1916. Depot, 13-11-1916. Hospital discharge furlough, 6-1-1917 to 15-1-1917. 3rd Bn., 16-1-1917. 17 I.B.D., 3-3-1917. 1st Bn., 3-3-1917. Returned from France, 23-4-1917. Depot, 23-4-1917. Hospital discharge furlough, 9-6-1917 to 18-6-1917. Thetford Command Depot, 18-6-1917. 3rd Bn., 12-11-1917. 600 Home Service Employment Coy., Labour Corps, No. 541789, 19-3-1918. To 61st Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps, 5-7-1918. At Lewes, 8-7-1918.
As you can see Frank Mole was wounded, twice actually, and after his second wound was medically downgraded and transferred to the 600 Home Service Employment Coy., Labour Corps, No. 541789, on 19 March 1918, being subsequently transferred to the 61st Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps a few of months later on 5 July 1918. I would suggest that the latter date of transfer would be exactly the same day that Arthur Sharp did the same transfer, and that the earlier March date would also be not far from when Arthur Sharp joined the 600th Company of the Labour Corps. If we had a Labour Corps number we could probably narrow it down a bit better.
The main question I would like to answer is actually what Arthur Sharp did between enlisting on 3 June 1916 and joining the Essex Regiment in February 1917. He may have served with another Regiment that is not shown on the certificates, or alternatively he may have been granted exemption from call up due to his job. Do you know what Arthur did prior to joining the Army?
Do you have a wartime address for him as well?
Anyway, I hope this makes some sense!
Steve.
P.S. I don't have Beryl or Brian in my family tree at the moment, but they probably figure somewhere!