Friday 26th April 1918

Billets at Cornedo Vicentino.

The poor weather returned, with rain all day.

2Lt. Arthur Lilley (see 5^th April) left the Battalion to return to the UK for transfer to the RAF.

Pte. George Mather (see 5^th October 1917) was reported by L.Cpl. James Edward Hollingworth (see 1^st November 1917) as being “deficient of bully beef”; on the orders of Maj. James Christopher Bull MC (see 24^th April) he was to be deprived of three days’ pay and to pay for the deficiency. Pte. James Stott (see 8^th April) was reported by L. Cpl. Metcalfe (unidentified) on a similar charge and would suffer the same punishment (it is not known exactly when Pte. Stott had re-joined the Battalion from the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albaro, near Genoa). Pte. John Thomas Wilford (see 7^th March) was also reported on the same charge, by Cpl. Herbert Axe (see below), and suffered the same punishment.

Cpl. Herbert Axe was 21 years old and from Sheffield and had previously served with both 9DWR and 8DWR, having enlisted in December 1914. In the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible to establish when, or under what circumstances, he had joined 10DWR.

Pte. Frederick George Westlake (see 7^th March) was reported for “loss by neglect of iron rations”; on the orders of Maj. James Christopher Bull MC (see above) he was to pay for the lost items.

Ptes. William Barber (see 16^th December 1917) and Wellington Baldwin (see 3^rd December 1917) were ordered to be deprived of three days’ pay (cause unknown).

Pte. Alfred Shaw (see 3^rd April) was transferred from 29^th Stationary Hospital at Cremona to 62^nd General Hospital at Bordighera; he was now diagnosed as suffering from an abcess to his abdominal wall.

Pte. George Green (22749) (see 30^th March) was discharged from the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano and posted to the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.

Pte. Edgar Pooley, who had been serving at the Regimental Depot in Halifax was posted to join 10DWR; however, in the absence of a more complete service record it has not been possible when he actually joined the Battalion or any further details of his service. He was a 21 year-old warehouse assistant from Huddersfield and had attested in November 1915 and had been called up in January 1916, but had hitherto remained in England.

Pte. Patrick Conley (see 20^th September 1917), serving in France with 298^th Reserve Labour Company, Labour Corps, was transferred to 948^th Area Employment Company.

Three weeks after arriving in Alexandria, 2Lt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 3^rd April) reported for duty with 2^nd/4^th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. 


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Herbert Briggs (see 10^th April 1918), who had been killed in action in October 1917; his father, Robert, was awarded 3s. 6d. per week, later (in November 1918) increased to 5s. per week.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported that Pte. Robert Cresswell (see 21^st March), serving with 2^nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, was missing; he had in fact been taken prisoner.

There was also news of Pte. Tom Smith, the younger brother of Pte. Johnny Smith (see 10^th June 1917) and the late Pte. Reuben Smith (see 5^th September 1917), both of whom had been original members of Tunstill’s Company. 

“Pte. Tom Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Smith of Church Street, Addingham, is a prisoner of war in Germany. Pte. Smith is one of six brothers – five in the army and one in the navy; one of whom, Reuben, was killed in action”.