Saturday 23rd February 1918

Billets at Valla.

There was a marked improvement in the weather, which was described by one man as, “glorious, really too hot to exert oneself!”.

A sudden change of orders was received at Brigade level for 69^th Brigade to return to the Montello to relieve units of 41^st Division, with effect from the following day. This was necessitated by the decision to transfer 41^st and 5^th Divisions back to France in response to a growing concentration of German divisions on the Western Front. 41^st Division had been ordered to begin entraining for France on 1^st March. It had, at one point, been intended that 23^rd Division would return to France but 41^st Division had then been selected instead.

Pte. Harry Robinson (see 23^rd October 1917), was reported by Cpl. James Hotchkiss (see 23rd September 1917) and Sgt. Albert Blackburn (see 18^th December 1916) as “absent from 9pm”; he would return to duty at 8.15am the following day. He was then kept under close arrest until 28^th February when he would be tried by Field General Court Martial, as a result of which he would be sentenced to seven days’ Field Punishment no.2 and forfeit one days’ pay.

Pte. Fred Sutcliffe (see 22^nd February) was reported for the second consecutive day; on this occasion CSM Fred Pattison (see 19^th February) and Cpl. James Hotchkiss (see below) reported him as having been, “absent off Company Commander’s Orderly Room Parade”. 

Capts. Dick Bolton MC (see 8^th February) and Paul James Sainsbury (see 8^th February) re-joined the Battalion following their two weeks’ leave in Italy.

Sgt. Alvin Edmond Tolley (see 4^th October 1916), serving with the Royal Engineers, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of having suffered a compound fracture of the skull (date and details unknown); he was assessed as having suffered a 20% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 11s. 6d. per week.

.