Wednesday 30th January 1918

Front line trenches on the Montello, between roads 14 and 19.

Cpl. William Dennison MM (see 21^st January), who had been held in detention for the previous ten days having been arrested on a charge of having been drunk, was tried by Field General Court Martial; he was found guilty and was reduced to the ranks and fined £1.

L.Cpl. Robert Whitaker (see 6^th December 1917) began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held the post unpaid.

1^st/5^th DWR was amalgamated with 2^nd/5^th and the new unit re-designated 5^th Battalion; Ptes. Clifford Midwood (see 17^th August 1917) and James Young McDonald (see 11^th June 1917), formerly of 10DWR but now serving with 1^st/5^th DWR, were thus transferred. 

Pte. Matthew Henry Jubb (see 22^nd January), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was reported absent off his final leave pass; he would return to duty at 9.30pm on 4^th February; he would forfeit seven days’ pay and undergo six days’ Field Punishment No.2.

Ptes. Herbert Ridley (see 31^st December 1917) and Richard Marsden (see 27^th September 1917) were both reported absent off leave from 3DWR at North Shields; they would return to duty on 5^th and 6^th February respectively and would forfeit five and six days’ pay and undergo the same period of Field Punishment No.2. 

William Leach (see 4^th April 1917), who had been discharged from the Army due to wounds in August 1916, had his case reviewed by an Army Medical Board. The Board found that his disability was now between 5 and 10% and awarded him a gratuity of £55 in lieu of any further pension payments. Since being discharged from the Army he had been employed firstly as a postman in his home area of Cross Roads, near Keighley, and subsequently as a fireman with the Bradford Corporation Fire Brigade.

William Leach

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth

A payment of £1 5s. 6d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Nicholson Braddock (see 20^th September 1917), who had been killed in action on 20^th September 1917; the payment would go to his mother, Ann.

A payment of £1 8s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Harry Hancock (see 20^th September 1917), who had been killed in action on 20^th September 1917; the payment would go to his father, Samuel.

A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Mark Ruckledge (see 14^th November 1917), who had been killed in action on 19^th July 1917; his widow, Sarah, was awarded 22s. 11d. per week for herself and her two children.