Sunday 16th December 1917

Support positions between roads 12 and 13 on the Montello.

A cold and cloudy day.

Overnight 16^th-17^th the Battalion would take over the front line trenches on the Montello from 11^th  West Yorks in the right sector of the right brigade of the divisional front. Battalion HQ was at 2237, 2314; A Company on the right, B Company in the centre and C Company on the left, with D Company in support.

Pte. James Allen (see 5^th July) was appointed (unpaid) Lance Corporal.

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 8^th November) was awarded seven days’ Field Punishment no.2; the nature of his offence is unknown.

Battalion Medical Officer Capt. Leslie Fraser Eiloart Jeffcoat (see 7^th October) departed on leave for England; he would be replaced temporarily by Capt. Farquhar of 70^th Field Ambulance.

Officers and men from the draft which had been inspected by Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 15^th December) at Venegazzu the previous day now reported for duty with 10DWR. The two officers from the draft posted to 10DWR were Lt. Stephen Moss Mather (see 28^th September), who had spent just three days with the Battalion in September before being wounded and evacuated to England, and 2Lt. Fred Dyson (see 20^th November). The total number of men who joined is unknown and, to date, only a small number have been positively identified. 

Pte. William Sam Aldrich was a 32 year-old postman from Lancaster; he was married with two children. He had previously served in England with the RAMC. Pte. John Stanley Armitage was a 28 year-old cabinet maker from Huddersfield; he had enlisted in October 1914 and had served in France with 2^nd/5^th DWR between January and May 1917, before returning to England having been wounded. Pte. Edgar Baron was a 24 year-old weaver from Huddersfield; he had served in France with 2^nd/4^thDWR from January 1917 until being gassed in May, since when he had been in England. Pte. William Barber was a 25 year-old boiler firer, originally from Widnes but had been living in Cowcliffe; he was married with one son. Pte. Herbert Bibby was a 26 year-old drayman from High Bentham; he was married with one daughter. He had attested under the Derby Scheme in December 1915 but had not been called up until July 1917. Pte. Arthur Edward Bottomley was a 30 year-old warehouseman from Oakenshaw. He had attested in December 1915 and had been called up in March 1916. He had served briefly in France with 2^nd/7^th DWR before being wounded in February 1917, suffering wounds to his left leg and back, which had seen him spend two months in hospital. Pte. Walter Clarke was a 21 year-old plumber from Bentham. He had originally attested in February 1916 and had served in France with 2^nd/7^th DWR from March 1916 until suffering shrapnel wounds to his left arm on 14^th April 1917, since when he had been in England. He had been posted back to France on 24^th November and from there to Italy. Pte. Fred Clayton was a 20 year-old textile worker from Leeds; he had served one month in France with 1^st/4^th DWR before being wounded and evacuated to England in September 1916. Pte. Ernest George Denyer was a 39 year-old commercial traveller from Ipswich; he was married with two children. He had attested in December 1915 but had not been called up until March 1917 and had originally served with the Army Service Corps before being transferred, via 81^st training Reserve Battalion, to 3DWR in July 1917. Pte. Edwin Haley was a 23 year-old ‘pulley turner’ from Oakenshaw. He had attested in December 1915 and had been called up in August 1916. He had served in France with 8DWR from December 1916 until being invalided back to England in July 1917, suffering from ‘trench fever’ and had spent five weeks in hospital. Pte. Thomas Edward Laycock was a 36 year-old fettler from Bradford. He had served in the territorial battalion before the war and had enlisted in September 1914. He had gone to France in July 1915 with 9DWR and had been wounded in August 1916. He had been treated at first in hospital in Rouen before being evacuated to England where he had spent a further month in hospital in Cheltenham. He had then been posted to 83^rd Training Reserve Battalion, based at Gateshead, where he had remained until being posted back to active service in November 1917.  Pte. William Shirtcliffe Mallinson was a 22 year-old carpet designer from Bradford. He had attested in November 1915 and had been called up in January 1916 and posted to 3DWR at North Shields where he had remained. Pte. Harry Moore (16991) was a 22 year-old labourer from Halifax. Pte. Fred Oldroyd was a 26 year-old weaver from Huddersfield. He had been called up in March 1916 and had served in France between January and May 1917 before being wounded and evacuated to England. Pte. Fred Rawnsley was a 25 year-old grocer from Halifax. Pte. Hiram Tasker was a 21 year-old paviour from Bradford. He had enlisted in February 1915 and had served with 8DWR at Gallipoli between August 1915 and January 1916 before returning to England (cause unknown). Pte. John Chadwick Taylor was a 34 year-old cotton weaver from Barnoldswick. He had attested in December 1915 and had been called up in March 1916. He had served in France between February and May 1917 before being sent home suffering from an inguinal hernia, for which he had spent two months in hospital. Pte. Herman Tutty was a 24 year-old waggoner from Grimsby. He had been called up in March 1916 and had served in France with 2^nd/5^th DWR between January and May 1917 when he had been wounded and evacuated to England, spending five weeks in hospital. Pte. Walter Gee Wardley was a 28 year-old warehouseman from Halifax; he was married but had no children. He had attested in December 1915 and had served in France between November 1916 and March 1917, when he had been posted back to England after suffering inflammation to his right hand. Pte. William Herbert Websdale was a 21 year-old storekeeper from Croydon. He had served as a territorial with 4^th (Reserve) Battalion, Queen’s Regiment from February 1914 before being posted to Italy on 10^th November. Pte. Arthur Thomas Wilford was a 21 year-old hosiery worker from Rugby. He had been called up in October 1916 and had served in France with 2^nd/4^th DWR from January 1917 until being evacuated to England in March 1917 suffering from ‘trench foot’. Pte. Richard Hugh Williams (I am currently unable to make a positive identification of this man).

Cpl. John Henry Crawshaw (see 20^th September), who had been at 2^nd Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport since having been wounded in September, was evacuated to England onboard the Hospital Ship Esscuibo; on arrival in England he would admitted to hospital (location unknown).

Pte. James Bentley Crosland (see 26^th November), serving at the Dukes’ Regimental Depot at Halifax, was formally discharged from the Army as being no longer physically fit, due to gastritis; he was awarded a pension of 27s. 6d. for four weeks, reducing to 11s. per week thereafter, and to be reviewed in a year’s time.