Thursday 1st November 1917

Billets in the Zudausques area.

A fine day. The Battalion continued its training and range practice.

The prepartions for the impending move to Italy and the journey itself are known in some considerable detail due to the survival of three independent, though related accounts. Sgt. George Richard Goodchild (see 22^nd October), who had been a journalist before enlisting, would write an extensive, often florid, and very detailed contemporary account of the journey, which he seems to have completed soon after arriving in Italy. A second account forms part of a ‘memoir’ of the whole war compiled by Maj. James Christopher Bull (see 29^th October), and Pte. Harold Charnock (see 22^nd September). The portion relating to the journey must have been the work of Charnock, as Bull was, at that time, still in England, having been wounded on 7^th June. The third version was written in 1926 for the Regimental magazine, The Iron Duke, by Capt. William Norman Town (see 31^st October). These three will form the basis of the narrative of the journey to Italy.

Sgt. George Richard Goodchild

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Goodchild echoed some of the anticipation of events to come which would also be noted, in rather more formal style, in the official Divisional History (see 31^st October). He began his account with a quotation from H. Rider Haggard:

OUR LONG “TREK”

By GRG

“Our life is granted, not to pleasures round

Or even love’s sweet dream, to lapse content

Duty and faith are words of solemn sound

And to their echoes must their soul be bent”

Italy!  Italy needs help!!  Not only in England but also amongst the troops in France and elsewhere the cry was heard and, knowing that Britain – unlike some of her so-called Allies and friends – would stand by those with whom she had made compacts under any circumstances and in good or evil fortune, the cry was not made in vain. At once the soldiery fell to asking themselves the question, “shall we be sent,” no doubt a vast number were disappointed at not being selected to make the journey south to Italy’s aid, but all could not go. Some must remain on the Western Front where, despite what anybody may say to the contrary, the ultimate issue of the war will be decided.  The Division my Battalion was in was fortunate in being selected to go to Italy and we were all delighted at the prospect of leaving Ypres and district where we had spent over a year after coming from the Somme.

I had been on leave from 17^th to 27^th October and did not know the news until my return to the Battalion, which was then in rest at Zudausques.  From the time the first definite news was received we were all busily engaged in preparation for this great move.  Everything had to be cleared up which could be possibly dealt with before we went away and everybody found plenty to do in their respective spheres of activity – we in the Orderly Room were busy night and day finishing off such work as we could, “dumping” and burning papers and records which would not be required in Italy, besides the ordinary matters of routine which had to be attended to as usual; the Quartermaster’s department were called upon to deal with enormous masses of clothing (renewals and winter issues) and to cut down their stores to establishment; the Transport had to be got into a good state of repair and made fit for the long journey; Officers had to cut down their kits, some of which had, in the course of time, assumed large proportions by the constant addition of articles of use; and even the men were busy collecting articles which they would require in Italy and which might not be obtainable there and seeing that their equipment and clothing were in a good state of repair.

At times such as this excitement becomes somewhat tense – very much the same as before an elaborately prepared attack – and one wonders whether all the arrangements so carefully planned and laboriously executed will work out in practice as well as they do in theory.  This feeling of worry is only dissipated when the plan has been worked out to its conclusion.  Thus it was on this occasion and the following will show whether or not the arrangements made were adequate and sufficient for the ‘Long Trek’.

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 22^nd September), who had deserted on 19^th September and had been in custody for the previous six weeks, appeared before a Field General Court Martial. He was charged with desertion and was found guilty and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. 

Pte. Alexander Wallace (see 7^th July) was appointed Corporal. Ptes. James Edward Hollingworth (see 16^th January) and Victor Munnery (see 10^th October) were appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Pte. Herbert Crowther Kershaw (see 27^th September), who had suffered relatively minor shrapnel wounds a week previously, was posted from 6^th Convalescent Depot at Etaples to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, en route to a return to active service.

Pte. William Henry Gray (see 25^th September), who had been in England having been wounded on 20^th September, was discharged from Bath War Hospital and posted (after ten days’ leave) to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Duncan Roberts, brother of 2Lt. Norman Roberts MM (see 27^th July), was formally discharged from the Army on account of the wounds he had suffered in March while serving with 1^st/6^thDWR.

A payment of £2 14s. 1d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Fred Greenwood (12115) (see 7^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June; the payment would go to his widow, Beatrice.