Sunday 17th March 1918

Billets at Marola

The weather was described as being, “wonderful, like warm summer days in England”. Some men reflected on the contrast with France, “I think it will be hot here in summer as some parts of the day now it is awful. We are having a quite time here, well it is a picnic against France. We can’t grumble at the rations we are getting out here but of course it is the same thing over and over again”.

Pte. James Frederick Coldwell (see 2^nd February), re-joined the Battalion, having missed the departure for Italy in November 1917 as a result of being in hospital. A number of other men also joined the Battalion having been posted from ‘B’ Depot at Le Havre. Among them was Sgt. Wilfred Fletcher (see 18^th January), who had been posted back to France, en route for Italy, in January. However, he had been taken ill and had spent two months in hospital in Le Havre. Pte. Ralph Pocock Crease also joined the Battalion; he was a 29 year-old married man from South Norwood, where he had worked as a master butcher. He had attested in December 1915 under the Derby Scheme and had been called up to the ASC in November 1916. In July 1917 he had been transferred to 3DWR and then posted to France, originally to join 9DWR, in January 1918, before being re-posted to 10DWR.

Pte. Newton Dobson (see 24^th January) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 11^th General Hospital in Genoa, suffering from jaundice.

Ptes. Thomas Bates (see 6^th December 1917), James Kilburn (see 5^th October 1917) and William Edmond Smith (see 25^th November 1917) departed on two weeks’ leave to the UK.

Divisional orders were issued regarding kit and equipment for the forthcoming move into the mountains, under the heading “Special clothing and equipment for divisions in the mountain area”

The division in the line in the mountains will hold the following equipment as trench stores during the winter months:

Fur sleeping bags, 2,000
Short, fur boots, 2,000
Hoods, fur or cloth, 5,000
Ice grips (crampons), pairs, 5,000
Alpenstocks, 5,000
Hose Tops, 10,000
Hot food containers, 150
Packsaddlery, 150
Ice axes, 100
Coloured glasses, 1,000
Goggles, stonebreakers, 1,000

The fur sleeping bags, short fur boots and hoods are for the use of men in exposed positions, ie front line trenches, observation posts, on sentry duty etc. The hose tops are to obviate the wearing of puttees when exposed to danger of frostbite.

In addition to the above the following special articles are available: special nails for ankle boots, to re-nail boots when necessary; special mule shoes.

A memorial service was held at the Parish Church in Austwick, in memory of Gnr. George Thistlethwaite (see 28^th February), who had died of wounds on 18^th February.

Gnr. George Thistlethwaite

The War Office wrote to Mrs. Angelina Pereira, mother of the late Capt. Adrian O’Donnell Pereira (see 5^th November 1917), in reply to her recent letter regarding her late son. They confirmed that, “no particulars of the death of Capt. Pereira have been received at the War Office” and suggested that she contact the officer commanding 10DWR “who is the only person in a position to furnish the information desired”. They also confirmed that her further enquiry regarding Pereira’s personal effects and place of burial had referred to the appropriate departments.

Capt. Adrian O'Donnell Pereira