Wednesday 31st October 1917

Zudausques

Training and range practice.

At 11.40am, near Leulingham, the Battalion, along with the rest of 69^th Brigade, was inspected by Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig. At the close of the inspection Haig addressed Babington and the senior officers of the Division and confirmed their impending departure for Italy, “He congratulated them and thanked them for the good work they had done in France and in the recent heavy fighting in front of Ypres. In bidding goodbye to the 23^rd Division he was parting with one of his best divisions. He was sure that no matter what lay before them in Italy, they would uphold the good name of their Division and the great traditions of the British Army”. According to the official Divisional History, “to the rank and file the announcement came as an inspiring revelation. Throughout the war there was an unreasoning, though natural, desire with all for a change of scene … Italy was new ground for British divisions; the name of the country and the nature of the venture alike made a strong appeal to all”.

Capt. William Norman Town (see 28^th October), who had arrived in France three days previously, reported for duty with the Battalion. He would take over as 2IC from Maj. Charles Bathurst MC (see 29^th October). Lt. Thomas Beattie (see 28^th September), who had arrived in France a month previously, also reported for duty with the Battalion.

Pte. Bertie Thurling (see 20^th October) was appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal. 

Pte. Charles Walton (see 7^th May) was reported by Sgt. Lionel Vickers (see 29^th October) for being “unshaven on early morning parade”; on the orders of Capt. Dick Bolton (see 22^nd October) he was to be confined to barracks for four days. Ptes. Daniel Mackenzie (see 29^th October) and Herbert John Wicks (see 29^th October) were also reported for the same offence; however, having been reported by Sgt. Ernest Craddock (see 24^th July), their sanctions were on the orders of Capt. Henry Kelly VC (see 28^th October). Pte. Mackenzie was ordered to be confined to barracks for seven days, while Pte. Wicks was subject only to a reprimand.

Pte. Fred Riddiough (see 30^th September), serving with the Brigade Light Trench Mortar Battery, was appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Sgt. John William Dickinson (see 17^th October), who had been wounded on 20^th September, was discharged from 3^rd Convalescent Depot at Le Treport and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Four former members of 10DWR were commissioned Second Lieutenant at the completion of their officer training. 2Lt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 15^th August) would be posted to the Royal West Kent Regiment, while 2Lts. Christopher Longstaff (see 5^th July), Cpl. Fred Swale (see 5^th July) and Harry Waddington (see 24^th April) would all join battalions of the West Yorks.

2Lt. Charles Archibald Milford (see 27^th January), serving as an Assistant Anti-Gas Instructor based at Etaples, was promoted Lieutenant.

Pte. Francis John Bottomley (see 16^th August), serving with 2/4^th DWR, was deprived of seven days’ pay for ‘falling out on the line of march without a cause”.

Pte. Thomas Angus McAndrew (see 19^th October), formerly of 10DWR but now serving with 37^th Company, Labour Corps, was promoted Corporal and transferred to the Chinese Labour Corps.

2Lt. Leopold Henry Burrow (see 8^th September), serving at no.14 Convalescent Depot at Trouville, departed to England on ten days’ leave.

Ptes. George Bernard Hardy (see 22^nd September) and Herbert Ridley (see 23^rd September), both of whom had been in England since having been wounded on 20^th September, were discharged from hospital and posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.

Pte. Milton Wood (see 7^th September), who had been in England since being taken ill in July, was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

A payment of £4 6s. 5d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Cpl. James Edward Kaye (see 9^th June), who had died of wounds on 9^th June; the payment would go to his mother, Eliza.


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. William Ackroyd (see 12^th September), who had been killed in action in May while serving in France with 2DWR; his widow, Edith, was awarded £1 8s. 9d. per week for herself and her four children.

Casualties for the month were officially recorded as being:

Killed                                 27 other ranks

Accidentally killed           0

Died of wounds               4 other ranks 

Wounded                          1 officers and 48 other ranks

Accidentally wounded    0

Missing                              6 other ranks

The official cumulative casualty figures for the Battalion since arriving in France were now:

Killed                                   275

Accidentally killed                5

Died of wounds                  20

Wounded                       1,280

Accidentally wounded       53

Missing                               178