Tuesday 13th November 1917

On trains.

Sgt. George Richard Goodchild (see 12^th November), again described the day’s travel,

“Throughout the night we travelled eastward and on Tuesday at 5.00 am stopped for our morning halt at Savonna where rations for the day were drawn and we breakfasted, washed and cleaned up.  This town had gaily painted houses which from a distance looked very nice and clean.  On close inspection, however, they were found to be not quite so clean as their outward appearance would lead one to believe.  Quite a large number of the buildings had painted friezes under their eaves much the same as we have in England in the rooms of our homes.  These looked very nice but could not be adopted in England because of the dirty and chemical nature of our atmosphere.  In Italy, however, the sun shines gloriously.  We were told on the Riviera that they had only had four showers in as many months!!  Our welcome at Savonna was very cordial indeed.  Ladies of the town greeted us and gave us Italy’s favours and small Catholic emblems in addition to regaling us with fruit and drink.

Savonna, however, was quite outdone by Genoa which we reached at 9.30 am.  At this famous maritime town the railway runs along a high viaduct overlooking the main street with its fine shops and busy thoroughfare.  Needless to say the cheering of the troops attracted considerable attention and from the byways and the off streets came hundreds of the inhabitants to wave their welcome.  At the station also we were again regaled with fruit and refreshment.  I noticed in the main street the famous name of Singer, which I have also seen in evacuated towns ‘up the line’.  That again was a reminder of home.  Lovely carnations were presented to us by the Genoese ladies – it was November remember – which later, we handed to Italian refugees at Piacenta.  On Genoa station were printed English welcomes such as “Welcome to Great Old England”, “Welcome to our Victorious Allies” – good indications of the faith and trust reposed in us by the Italians.  We left Genoa at 10.15 am with our train split in two and each portion drawn by an electric engine, built, be it noted, by the Westinghouse Company!!

Our way now lay through the heart of a high range of mountains, which necessitated the much burrowing of tunnels. We were in and out of tunnels as people dodging April showers, but each time we came out into the daylight lovely mountainous scenes greeted us and made our periods of blackness worthwhile.  In one place especially was there a beautiful and extensive view right up a valley.  In the foreground was the village through which ran a stream from the mountains.  All around were the mountains, fertile and cultivated at the foot, then wooded and ultimately lost in the clouds which wreathed their summits.  It was a wonderful sight.

Some idea of the difficulties which the engineers who built this railway had to contend with may be gained from knowledge of the fact that one ‘hole’ – the Barriere Ronco – was 8,925 metres in length.  Whilst in this tunnel we began to think we were never going to see daylight again.

On the eastern side of the mountains lay Tortogna where we arrived at 12.30 on the 13^th.  We were now on a plateau which extended as far as the eye could see. Over this plain we wended our way via Vochera (1.20 pm) where we stopped for dinner; Piacenza (4.10 pm) with its creepered city walls punctuated with guarded gates, its domes and spires and balls of welcome – where we saw the refugees; and Borgo san Donino which we reached at 7.25 pm.  Each of the places mentioned had specimens of the famous Italian Campaniles which tower over all the houses and contain fine peals of bells. The plateau was cultivated and fertile and indeed the whole area traversed by us that day was yielding of its fruit abundantly.  Parma was our next halting place.  It was here that a long distance express came into the station bringing with it once more thoughts of home by the agency of its cosy looking dining saloon containing shaded table lights and decorations, clean white linen  and flashing cutlery whilst civilians and Italian officers fared of the food set before them”.

Capt. William Norman Town (see 12^th November) again reflected on the performance of the Battalion Band, “Puffed up by their performance of the Marseillase, it essayed the Italian National Anthem a day or two later at Parma and had to run after the train, which was leaving without it.  Possibly the railway people did not recognise the air”. Pte. Harold Charnock (see 11^th November) also recalled how the Band were warmly received, “The band had, with great forethought, learnt the Italian National Anthem and were particular favourites and had no need to look at their army rations at all”. Town also recalled passing “that dreary spot, Arquata Scrivia, where the valley lies open to the north and receives all the storms like a funnel, destined, even then, to be the British Base”.

Pte. Frank William Rabjohn (see 20^th September), who had been reported ‘wounded and missing’ on 20^th September, was arrested by the Military Police near Dickebusch and immediately placed in confinement.

Pte. William Henry Luke (see 30^th October) was discharged from 10^th Stationary Hospital at St. Omer and posted to 34^th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples.

Pte. Edmund Peacock (see 19^th June 1916), serving in France with 9DWR, was admitted to 3^rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville having suffered an accidental bayonet wound to his right foot. On admission he was found also to be suffering from boils, which he reported had been troubling him for the previous for the previous year. 

Cpl. John William Cooper (see 20^th February) was transferred to the Army Reserve Class W and released to return to his pre-war employment. He had been examined by an Army Medical Board in Derby which found that, “he stated that he had suffered from bleeding piles and a cough in France, but that he is now quite cured”. It was also reported that Pte. Cooper had stated that he suffered from deafness in his left ear, but the Board no evidence of such.

Pte. Samuel Buckley (see 9^th March 1916) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of wounds suffered in action; in the absence of a surviving service record, it is unclear whether this related to the wounds he had suffered in March 1916.

The War Office wrote to Messrs. Goldberg, Barrett and Newall, solicitors, who were acting on behalf of the father of the late Capt. Leo Frederick Reincke (see 17^th August), who had been killed in action on 17^th August. The letter referred to a claim which the solicitors believed had been made by Capt. Reincke for compensation for kit which he had lost in a fire in the ‘B’ Company mess on 10^th April. The War Office now stated that, 

“I am directed to acquaint you that though enquiries have been made there is no record of his having submitted a claim. I am to add that, under the regulations, indemnification for loss of kit on active service is granted solely for the purpose of enabling an officer to re-equip himself for further service and is not extended to the relatives of a deceased officer in the absence of evidence that he had incurred expense in re-equipping himself in respect of the articles claimed for. In these circumstances I am to request you to forward to this office any evidence, such as dated and receipted bills in support of your claim”.