Friday 4th January 1918

Front line trenches on the Montello.

The Battalion was relieved overnight 4^th/5^th. On relief by 8^th Yorks. and Lancs. the Battalion met with their guides at the junction of Road 15 and the Cliff Road and marched to billets at Biadene. The move was completed in heavy snow.

Pte. George Chamberlain (see 25^th November 1917) was reported by Lt. Cyril William Wildy (see 6^th July) and 2Lt. William Johnson Simpson (see 25^th September 1917) for “leaving the trenches without reporting to his Company Commander”; on the orders of Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 2^nd January) he was ordered to undergo 28 days’ Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 16^th December 1917) was reported by L.Sgt. Jonathan Richardson Sunderland (see 28^th October) for a similar offence of “when on active service leaving his post without orders from his superior officer”. However, given the fact that he was under a suspended sentence following a previous convication for desertion, his case was not dealt with at Battalion level but would instead to be heard by a Field General Court Martial which would be convened and meet in two weeks’ time.

Pte. Percival Albert Wiggins (see 29^th October 1917) departed for England on leave.

Brig. Genl. Lambert (see 1^st January) inspected a further new draft of officers and men at Venegazzu; among them were 2Lts. Archibald (Archie) Allen (see 3^rd December 1917) and Bernard Garside (see 3^rd December 1917) who would join 10DWR next day having left England a month previously.

Pte. James Kayley (see 26^th October 1917), who had been suffering from suffering from syphilis, underwent a circumcision operation at 18^th General Hospital at Camiers; he would subsequently re-join 10DWR in Italy, but the date and details are unknown.

Pte. Edmund Peacock (see 28^th December 1917), serving in France with 9DWR, was evacuated to England, having spent the previous seven weeks in hospital, suffering from an accidental bayonet wound and boils.

Pte. Henry Edgar Grass (see 17^th December 1917), serving at Burhan in India with 1DWR, was reported for “having the equipment brace crossed wrong on parade”; he was ordered to be confined to barracks for three days.

Pte. Edgar Johnson (see 28^th July 1917), who had had his left leg amputated below the knee having been wounded in the actions at Le Sars in October 1916, appeared before an Army Medical Board at Queen Mary’s Convalescent Hospital at Roehampton. The Board found him unfit for further military service and recommended that be discharged from the Army.

At Long Preston Church there was held “an entertainment to provide wool to make comforts for our soldiers”. The event was “a record in every respect. Many were unable to get in and the gross receipts were £22 … It was a magnificent success and we were delighted”.

A payment of £1 1s. 14d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. William Kendall Lamb (see 20^th September 1917), who had been killed in action on 20^th September 1917; the payment would go to his mother, Margaret.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported news of Pte. Alfred Carey; he was the younger brother of Norman Carey (see 15^th June 1917) who had been one of Tunstill’s original volunteers. An older brother, Pte. Harold Carey, had already been killed in action:

BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND - Our Boys

The people of Bolton are very much pleased to hear that Lance-Corporal Alfred Carey, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carey, the Copy Nook Hotel, has been awarded the Military Medal.

There was also news of the death of former 10DWR man Pte. Walter Robinson (14753) (see 11^th December 1917), who had been killed in action while serving with 1^st/6^th DWR in France.

THORNTON-IN-CRAVEN - PRIVATE WALTER ROBINSON KILLED

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Robinson, Ivy Mount, Thornton, have received official notification of the death of their son, Private Walter Robinson, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, who was killed in action in France on December 11th, aged 24 years. Private Robinson, who had been thrice wounded previously, was one of the first three who enlisted from the district in September 1914, and it is pathetic to add that of the other two, Private D. Stockdale (Thornton) (Sgt. William Digby Stockdale, see 7^th November 1916) has also been killed, and Pte. W. Firth (Earby) (L.Cpl. Wright Firth, see 6^th October 1916) has lost a leg. They all went out to France together with the ----- Battalion in July 1915, but Pte. Robinson was subsequently transferred.

In a letter of condolence to the bereaved parents, Capt. Godfrey Buxton writes:- "I am very sorry you have not been informed before, but I was away at the time. Your son has always been a reliable soldier and done his work thoroughly. I fear it will be a great loss to you, and all ranks in 'D' Company join with me in expressing our sympathy to you. He died without pain and was buried near where he fell with some of his comrades, and a cross has been erected over his grave."

Special reference to the sad event was made by the Rector (Rev. J. F. Tanfield, M.A.) at a memorial service held at Thornton Church on Sunday evening. Private Robinson was formerly employed by Messrs. J. S. Watson and Sons., Albion Shed, Earby.