Sunday 2nd December 1917

Billets at Barcon

Very foggy and cold all day.

The whole of 69^th Brigade moved to take up the defence of the right sector of the lines on the Montello. Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 28^th November) noted in his diary, “Brigade start point 9.45am at junction of roads from Biadene and Edifizio (just north of Barcon). Saw Brigade march past in Montebelluna. Italian soldiers were very interested. Halted about 12 noon on bank of canal, south side of Montello hill. Each unit opposite its roads. Passed over the hill during afternoon in fog and relieved 135^th Italian Regiment. Relief complete about 9pm”. 10DWR would be in support positions along the military road on the crown of the hill between roads 12 and 13; 11West Yorks. and 8Yorks. went into the front line and 9Yorks. remained in reserve at Venegazzu.

The Montello is a prominent hill on the southern bank of the Piave River. The river generally ran south-easterly from the Alps, but turned east to flow along the northern flank of the Montello. The hill itself was seven miles from east to west and a maximum of four miles from north to south, with a highest point of 800 feet. Much of the hill was covered in vineyards, with some maize, wheat and tobacco and copses of trees. It was also dotted with natural circular depressions – some of them 100 yards across and 50 to 60 feet deep; many of these would be used to site artillery positions. The hill was crossed by 21 roads running from north to south and there were also lateral roads on the river bank (known as the Cliff Road); the military road on the reverse slope of the crown of the hill and the Volpago-Montebelluna road on the southern edge.

The Piave River ran in as many as ten channels, mostly fast-flowing. On the far bank, at a distance of 1-2,000 yards was the Austrian line, to a depth of around four miles; situated on a plain covered with trees and vines and backed by low hills, though the hills were closer on the east at False di Piave and on west at Vidor.

The sector taken over by 23^rd Division from 70^th Italian Division comprised of the western half of the Montello and a narrow strip of the plain further west; giving a front line 7-8,000 yards. The line was to be held with two brigades; each brigade would have two battalions in the line, one in support and one in reserve. The third brigade would remain in Divisional reserve near Montebelluna, which was the base for Divisional HQ.

This was generally considered a quiet sector with commanding views from the Montello to the north. Strong defences had been constructed by the Italians with three lines of trenches parallel to the river, reinforced with machine gun posts and dugouts. Company and Battalion HQs were mainly in intact houses, and the trench stores taken over from the Italians included barrels of wine. The Italians had tended to hold their front line in strength, in contrast to the pattern of defence in depth which the British had adopted in France. Consequently, a reorganisation was soon underway. The new scheme had lines of lewis gun positions on the lower slopes of the hill, with machine guns on middle and upper slopes, supported also by trench mortars. The front line would be only lightly held by infantry patrols, which would be strengthened at night. Much work would also be done on new dugouts, machine gun and trench mortar posts. The work was relatively easy on the Montello, as the ground was easy to excavate and there was ready supply of timber available. However, on the flat gravel on the left flank tunnelling was to prove impossible and so reinforced concrete defences were put in place.

Night patrols would be sent out from the outset – crossing the stream and examining Austrian positions. It was found easy enough to cross the river and they seldom met any of the enemy although they sometimes went as far as 800 yards into enemy lines.

Pte. Harold Charnock (see 29^th November) remembered that, “The whole “Our area was between roads 12 and 13.  The men were in Italian bivouac shelter tents and shelter trenches were at once begun.  The Montello was covered with trenches, dug by the Italians, generally well wired but often poorly sited.  There were two or three miserable cottages that were selected for Headquarters, being particularly full of rats, whose numbers easily rivalled those of Flanders though they were less corpulent.  Owing to their numbers and the lavish way in which fond mothers fed their young our first night on the Montello was much disturbed.  The following day, however, some Italian gunners vacated a far better house in our area in which we contrived to be more comfortable. A rifle range and bayonet fighting course were made. Officers and NCOs reconnoitred the front line and a certain amount of training in hill warfare was accomplished.  The transport lines were near Venegazzu, just south of the Montello.  Our time here was most quiet.”

Capt. William Norman Town (see 27^th November) remembered that, “A couple of short marches took us to the top of Montello, a curious hill – from a distance a long whale back; close to, a steep hillside pitted all over like giant shell holes, hollows with no outlet and yet no water lying in them.  Here, at 1,000 feet above sea level we shivered at night in Italian shelter-tents and, in the day practiced hill warfare or worked on the rifle range, being in Brigade support.  Far away in the early sun the towers and lagoons of Venice glistened and, down the lower Piave at night, we saw the Austrian heavy shells burst”.

Pte. Owen Frank Hyde (see 22^nd November) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Divisional Rest Station, suffering from diarrhoea.

Pte. Louis Charles Preen (see 15^th November), who had been absent without leave from 15^th – 17^th November, appeared before a Field General Court Martial. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 28 days Field Punishment no.1.

L.Cpl. John William Mallinson (see 20^th September 1917) also appeared before a Field General Court Martial. He had been held in confinement since being charged with desertion on 20^th September 1917. He was found not guilty of desertion but guilty of being absent without leave and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Pte. Fred Smith (15149) (see 2^nd November), serving in France with 2^nd/7^thDWR was posted back to England; he had been wounded, suffering wounds to his right buttock, but the date of his wounding is unknown.


Pte. Thomas George Coates (see 2^nd November), serving at Northern Command Depot at Ripon, having been in England since having been wounded in September, was reported as having been ‘out of bounds at 4.50pm’; he was ordered to be confined to barracks for five days.

Sgt. Wilson Allinson (see 13^th August), who had been in England since having been wounded in July, was posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.