Thursday 14th February 1918

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

The weather turned colder and more wintry.

L.Cpl. Frederick William Warner (see 4^th February) re-joined the Battalion after two weeks in hospital (cause unknown).

L.Cpls. Robert Hitchen (see 27^th October 1917) and Victor Race MM (see 16^th August 1917) and Ptes. James Butterworth (see 4^th December 1917), Richard Harrison (see 24^th ) Thomas Fielden (see 4^th July 1917), William Ley (see 29^th October 1917) and Arnold Robson (see 27^th August 1917) departed on two weeks’ leave to England.

Pte. Joseph McDermott (see 20^th September 1917) was admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station; he was suffering from ‘ICT’ (inflammation of connective tissue) in his right leg.

69^th Brigade football team played a second replay against 70^th Brigade following their first two matches having been drawn (see 10^th February); on this occasion 70^th Brigade won, 3-1.

Pte. Hiram Tasker (see 5^th February), who had spent ten days at 23^rd Divisional Rest Station suffering from “P.U.O.” (pyrexia, or high temperature, of unknown origin), was transferred via 24^th Casualty Clearing Station to 11^th General Hospital at Genoa, with a diagnosis of ‘trench fever’.

The former Battalion Chaplain, Rev. Wilfred Leveson Henderson MC (see 21^st November 1917), who had been severely wounded in the attack on the Messines Ridge on 7^th June, appeared before an Army Medical Board at Yorkhill War Hospital, Glasgow. The Board found that, “He has made progress since his last Board. He has been walking considerable distances with sticks and never uses his crutches. The pain has become less. He can walk about the house without the aid of sticks and the pain has greatly decreased in his legs. His special boot is acting admirably”. He was granted a further months’ leave before being re-examined.

Four days after confirmation was given that 2Lt. Maurice Tribe MC (see 10^th February) was unfit for any medical category higher than CII, making him fit only for garrison duty at home, notice was issued that Tribe was to undertake a course in metallurgy in the Technical Department at the University of Sheffield, under the Ministry of Munitions, in lieu of regimental duty.

Pte. William Johnson (13081) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service as a result of epilepsy; he was awarded an Army pension (details unknown). He was a 34 year-old coal hawker from Bradford and was married, with two children (two other children had died in infancy). He had been an original member of 10DWR but had, at some point (date and details unknown) been transferred to 2DWR.

A payment of 5s. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. James Scott (235412) (see 24^th September 1917), who had died of wounds on 24^th September 1917; the payment would go to his executors, his mother, Jane.

Letters of administration were granted to Mrs. Alice Taylor, widow of the late 2Lt. William Taylor (see 18^th September 1917), who had been killed in action on 18^th September 1917; his estate was valued at £451 3s. 6d. She would also, in due course (date unknown) receive a payment of £56 14s. 2d., in respect of a war gratuity and the amount outstanding on her late husband’s account.