Thursday 23rd May 1918

In billets at Valle di Sopra and Covolo.

The Battalion made the steep ascent of around five miles, following the mule tracks, via Perpiana, Campana, Tessa and Sciessere, back to Granezza, where they were again accommodated in the huts. Granezza was “now an even more bustling military junction”.

Cpl. Fred Greenwood MM (24522) (see 17th May) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 9^th Casualty Clearing Station to 38^th Stationary Hospital in Genoa; he was suffering from jaundice.

A number of other men would also be admitted to hospitals in Genoa, having been found to have been suffering from mild cases of illness. They were all evacuated on no.31 Ambulance Train from Villaverla. However, in their cases, in the absence of surviving service records, it has not been possible to establish exactly when they had first reported sick or when they would re-join the Battalion. They were Sgt. Middleton Busfield (see 9^th May), and Pte. Fred Rawnsley (see 16^th December 1917), both suffering from “P.U.O.” (pyrexia, or high temperature, of unknown origin); Cpl. Sydney Alec Exley (see 5^th May), who was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) in both legs; L.Cpl. Horace Dunn (see 8^th June 1917), who was suffering from gonorrhoea; and Ptes. Joseph Edward Core (see 20^th September 1917), who was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his right knee; Harry Hirst (29966) (see below), suffering from a mild illness, not yet diagnosed; John George Sleight (see 8^th September 1917), who was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his knee; and George William Tombs (see 29^th October 1917), who was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his hands and legs. Ptes. Core and Tombs would subsequently (date and details unknown) be further evacuated to hospital (details unknown) in France.

In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of Pte. Harry Hirst or to establish any details of his service.

Pte. William Baxter (see 23^rd June 1917), serving with 17^th Prisoner of War Company, was reported as “absent off guard mounting parade at 8.30pm and remaining absent until 10.10pm; drunk and creating a disturbance”; he would be ordered to undergo 14 days’ Field Punishment no.2.

Pte. Edward Somers (see 29^th March), who had been in England since having been wounded on 20^th September 1917, was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Herbert Wood (see 15^th April), who had been in England since having been wounded five weeks’ previously, was transferred from Lichfield Military Hospital to West Bromwich District Hospital.