Wednesday 17th April 1918

Front line trenches between San Sisto and Poslen.

The recent cold, wet weather continued, with showers of rain, sleet and snow.

Pte. Ernest Smith (29167) (see 19^th March), who had been wounded while serving with 10DWR in June 1917, was killed in action while serving with 5DWR in France; he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

Pte. Arthur Cerenza King (see 8^th March), serving at ‘B’ Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, was ordered to 10DWR; he would travel to Italy and report to XIV Corps Reinforcement Camp at Arquata Scrivia on 5^th May.

L.Cpl. William Frederick Ackrill (see 23^rd March) was discharged from 3^rd Convalescent Depot at Le Treport and posted to F Infantry Base Depot at Etaples; a week later he would be posted back to 2DWR, but would not actually re-join his Battalion until 3^rd May.

Cpl. John Knowles (see 5^th December 1917), serving with the Non-Combatant Labour Corps, was formally transferred to the Army reserve Class P to resume his civil employment (details unknown).

A payment of £4 12s. 1d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Willie Bates (see 7^th June), who had been killed in action on 7^th June 1917; the payment would go in six equal shares to his four brothers, Albert, Harry, Tom and Sam, and two married sisters, Clara Ackroyd and Annie Hanson.


A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. Joseph William Sutcliffe (see 31^st January 1918), who had been killed in action on 20^th September 1917; his mother, Elizabeth, was awarded 13s. per week.