Thursday 21st March 1918

Billets at Marola

In continuation of the Brigade sports, a boxing competition would be held over two days, commencing at 5pm each day and held in a field between Grantortino and Rampazzo. It was said that, “The number of entries did not come up to expectation but some good boxing took place”. 10DWR, however, did take to the boxing competition. With men from the Battalion making up nine of the 19 entrants across the various weight divisions, the Battalion would finish second overall. The Battalion’s entrants were Pte. Louis Charles Preen (see 2^nd December 1917), who, being the only entrant, was granted a walkover in the heavyweight division. The other contenders from 10DWR were Cpl. George Alma Cook (see 29^th October 1917), Cpl. Alfred Sayer (see 9th March), Cpl. Sidney Twine (see below) Pte. Joseph Binns (19614) (see 29^th October 1917), Pte. John Craven (he was an original member of the Battalion, but I am otherwise unable to make a positive identification of this man), Pte. William Henry Luke (see 18^th December 1917), L.Cpl. Victor Munnery (see 1^st November 1917) and Pte. William Sugden (he had previously served with 8DWR, with whom he had gone to Gallipoli in July 1915; I am otherwise unable to make a positive identification of this man).

Cpl. Sidney Twine was a 23 year-old former machine fitter from Keighley. He had previously served with 1^st/6^th and 2^nd/7^th DWR and had first gone to France in April 1915. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to establish when and in what circumstances he had joined 10DWR.

Pte. Joseph Hadley (see 20^th March) was again reported for a breach of discipline; on this occasion by Sgt. Herbert Wheyland (see 20^th March) and Cpl. John Kennedy MM (see below); for “not complying with an order; ie not wearing his equipment when ordered to do so”. On the orders of Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 20^th March) he would undergo seven days’ Field Punishment no.2.

John Kennedy MM was a 37 year-old widower from Seghill. He had previously served with 1^st/5^th DWR; in the absence of a surviving service record the date and circumstances of his joining 10DWR are unknown.  

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 15^th February) was reported by Cpl. James Shackleton MM (see 26^th May 1917; it is not clear when Shackleton had re-joined the Battalion, having been wounded in February 1917),  as having been, “drunk and crerating a disturbance in his billets after lights out”; on the orders of Maj. James Christopher Bull MC (see 14^th March) he was to undergo 21 days’ Field Punishment no.1.

Pte. Frank Wood MM (see 17^th December 1917) was reported by L.Cpl. Robert Whitaker (see 30^th January) and Cpl. Reginald Robinson (see 20^th March) as being, “absent from roll call 9am until reporting himself at 9.45pm”; on the orders of 2Lt. John William Pontefract (see 11^th March) he was to confined to barracks for five days.

L.Cpl. Joseph Henry Haywood (see 15^th November 1917) was reported by L.Sgt. Jonathan Richardson Sunderland (see 7^th January) as absent off 1.40pm parade; he was reprimanded by 2Lt. John William Pontefract (see above).

Ptes. James Butterworth (see 15^th March), Michael Hannigan (see 2^nd February) and John Newton (see 5^th October 1917) were reported by Cpl. Arthur Lee MM (see 6^th October 1917), L.Cpl. Robert Hitchen (see 15^th March) and Sgt. Frank Brierley (see 22^nd February) as being “absent from billets from 9pm”; they would not return until 9.50pm on the 24^th and would be ordered, by Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 20^th March), to undergo 14 days Field Punishment no.1 and forfeit 14 days’ pay.

Pte. Lewis Batey (see 12^th March), who had suffered an accidental injury to his right knee ten days previously, was discharged to duty and re-joined the Battalion from from 23^rd Division Rest Station.

Pte. William Ryan (see 6^th December 1917) suffered abrasions to his face and bruising to his right shoulder when falling from a ladder whilst climbing up to his billet at around 10.50pm. In Ryan’s own words, “I made my way up to my billet which was a loft over a barn by way of a ladder. When I reached the top I missed my footing and fell backwards to the ground. Then I was taken to the Battalion aid post”. Statements were also taken from a number of other men who corroborated Ryan’s account. According to Pte. Frederick Thomas Peart (see 29^th October 1917), “I saw Pte. Ryan come up the ladder into the billet and when he got to the top he seemed to overbalance and then he fell down. I went down after him and helped him into the gurad room. Pte. Ryan was not drunk”.  Pte. Harry Moorhouse (unidentified), stated that, “I saw Pte. Ryan come down the ladder from his billet to go to the latrines. When he returned, I heard him fall, but did not see him fall. I was on sentry duty and at the other end of my beat. Pte. Ryan was taken into the guard room. He did not seem to be drunk”. Pte. Louis Charles Preen (see above), added “I was awake and heard Pte. Ryan fall down the ladder from his billet. I awakened Pte. Holmes and helped to take Pte. Ryan to the aid post”. Pte. Willie Holmes (see 21^st February) added that, “I was called because Pte. Ryan had fallen down the ladder from the billet. Pte. Jaeger and myself helped to bandage his head and take him to the aid post. Pte. Ryan was unconscious. He was sober”. Pte. Moses Henry Jaeger (see 5^th October 1917) confirmed that, “I was awakened by the call for stretcher bearers at 10.50pm and found Pte. Ryan being taken into the guard room by Pte. Preen. He was cut over the left eye so I applied a dressing and then he was taken to the aid post in an unconscious condition. As far as I know he was sober”. Cpl. Harry Wood (see 22nd November 1917) also confirmed the details, “I was NCO in charge of the billet guard. Pte. Ryan was brought into the guard room in an unconscious condition, caused by having fallen down the ladder from his billet. He was taken to the aid post immediately. Pte. Ryan was not drunk”.

Ryan would be admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 37^th Casualty Clearing Station to 11^th General Hospital in Genoa.

Over the next few days a number of former members of 10DWR, now serving with other Battalions in France, would be caught up in the opening attacks of the massive German Spring Offensive, which became known as the  Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle) or the Ludendorff Offensive, and which put the allies under enormous pressure.

2Lt. Edwin Merrall (see 4^th December 1917), serving with 2^nd Battalion Yorks. and Lancs., was reported missing in action; it would be some weeks before confirmation was received that he had been taken prisoner.

2Lt. Edwin Merrall

Pte. Robert Cresswell (see 14^th September 1917), serving with 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, was taken prisoner near Savy; he would be held at the Giessen Prisoner of War Camp, near Frankfurt.

Pte. James Arthur Heap (see 7^th March), serving in France with 63^rd Labour Company, Labour Corps, was evacuated to England following two weeks’ treatment for diarrhoea and rectal bleeding; on arrival in England he would be admitted to the Auxiliary Military Hospital, Southall. Here it would be confirmed that he was suffering from an acute episode of haemmerhoids, from which he had suffered for six years.


Pte. Thomas George Coates (see 29^th January), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was compulsorily transferred to the Labour Corps and posted to 406^th Agricultural Company at York; his transfer was noted in his record by 2Lt. Harry Widdup (see 8^th March), formally of 10DWR, but now serving with 3DWR.

Capt. Bob Perks DSO (see 8^th March), serving at Northern Command Depot at Ripon, appeared before a further Army Medical Board. The Board reported that he had “dentures fitted since last board” and instructed him to resume his duties, pending further instructions.

Capt. Bob Perks DSO

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

2Lt. Eric Dixon (see 3^rd December 1917), serving with the Royal Flying Corps, appeared before a further RFC Medical Board which now found him fit for general service.

Pte. Sam Shepherd (see 27^th July 1917), who had been one of Tunstill’s original recruits but had been transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps, was formally discharged from the army as no longer physically fit for service; he had been in England since July 1917, suffering from ‘trench fever’. 

The War Office declared an official presumption of death in the case of Pte. James Buckley Kenworthy (see 22nd January), who had been officially missing in action since 7^th June 1917.

A payment of £1 17s. 9d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late L.Cpl. Alfred Exley (see 18^th October 1917), who had been killed in action on 18^th October 1917; the payment would go to his father, Joseph.