Sunday 7th July 1918

In huts and tents at Club Camp, west of Granezza.

Pte. Alfred Baker was found dead in his tent. The circumstances of his death would be described in a letter to his wife written by Maj. William Norman Town (see 27^th May); “Your husband was going about apparently in his usual state of health on Saturday 6^th and was seen to come into camp about 9pm, and go to his tent. There was only one other man living in the tent and he was out on a working party that evening, and did not return until 2am. He went into the tent and laid down without making a light. On the morning of the 7^th he woke about 7 o’clock and tried to wake Pte. Baker. He was unable to do so and called another man. They found he was dead. A doctor was called but was unable to state definitely the cause of death. He had apparently laid down just as he came in, as he was still wearing his equipment and box respirator. He was lying on his right side with his chest towards the ground, as though he had felt unwell and thrown himself down. It looked as if it was a case of heart failure or a fit”. Baker would be buried at Montecchio Precalcino Communal Cemetery Extension. He was 36 years old and had been an original member of the Battalion. He was from Halifax and was married with one daughter; before the war he had worked as a market trader in Halifax.

Ptes. George William Ball (see 29^th October 1917), Arthur Clark (25966) (see 10^th June), Charles William Groves (see 19^th October 1917), Matthew Howard (see 29^th October 1917), Ernest Potter (see 29^th October 1917), Samuel Richards (see 20^th June), Samuel Smith (see 29^th October 1917), Tom Smith (see 6^th March 1917), Smith Stephenson Whitaker (see 4^th August 1917) and Erwin Wilkinson (see 16^th April) departed on two weeks’ leave to England.

Pte. Fred Brook (see 29^th July 1917), serving in France with 2^nd/4^th DWR, was transferred to 1^st/4^th DWR.

Ptes. Ernest Taylor (29168) (see 16^th August 1917) and Harold Wider (see 10^th April), who had been serving in France with 2^nd/7^th DWR, were transferred to 1^st/6^th DWR. Pte. John Oldfield Greenwood (see 28^th January) was re-posted from 2^nd/7^th DWR to 9DWR. 2^nd/7^th had been reduced to cadre strength and most of the Battalion posted back to England where they joined 29^th Durham Light Infantry.

L.Cpl. Thomas Lloyd (see 4^th April), on attachment from 2^nd/6^th DWR to 457^th Field Company, Royal Engineers, was posted to 1^st/7^th DWR.