Tuesday 10th September 1918

In Brigade reserve in huts near Monte Pau.

Pte. Henry Grimshaw (see 24^th August) was discharged from 24^th Casualty Clearing Station and re-joined the Battalion.

Sgt. John Whalley and Ptes. Alfred Bottom, Colonel Craven, Richard William Johnson and Douglas Mercer joined the Battalion. John Whalley was a 33 year-old asylum attendant from Guiseley; he had enlisted in September 1914 and had served with 9DWR, being promoted Sergeant by January 1915 while the Battalion was in training. He had served in France from July 1915 until being wounded in the left leg on 5^th July 1916. He had remained in England between July 1916 and June 1917 when he had re-joined 9DWR. He had been taken ill, suffering from eczema, in January 1918 and had been evacuated to England where he had remained, serving with 3DWR, until returning to France on 25^th August, and travelling to Italy from there. Alfred Bottom was 24 years old and from Huddersfield. He had enlisted in January 1916 and had served almost two years in France with 2DWR from May 1916, before being evacuated to England having suffered wounds to his left hand. He had remained in England from April 1918. Colonel Craven was a 22 year-old sizer from Clayton, near Bradford. He had enlisted in June 1915 and had seen active service with 8DWR between November 1915 and October 1916 when he had been evacuated to England having suffered a shrapnel wound to the face. He had returned to France in September and had been wounded again while serving with 2^nd/6^th DWR, suffering wounds to his right arm, as a result of which he had again been evacuated to England. Both men had been reported absent from their final leave passes, but both had then been posted to Le Havre on 25^th August and travelled to Italy from there. Richard William Johnson was a 37 year-old baker from Handsworth. He had attested in December 1915 and had been called up in March 1916. He had originally served with the Army Service Corps before being transferred to the West Ridings in July 1917 and had served in France with 2^nd/5^th DWR from December 1917 until being evacuated to England, suffering from lumbago, in March 1918. Douglas Mercer was an 18 year-old ‘brass finisher’ from Huddersfield; he had been called up in November 1916 and had served in France with 2^nd/7^th DWR from February to April 1918 before returning home having been wounded in the left hand.

Pte. William Douglas had also been posted from Le Havre to Italy to join 10DWR; however on arrival at the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia he had been found to be suffering from gastritis and had been admitted to 51st Stationary Hospital at Arquata Scrivia. William Douglas was a 22 year-old iron turner, originally from Belfast; he had enlisted in Halifax in May 1915 and had trained with 11DWR. He had been transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in August 1916 and had remained with the RFC/RAF until voluntarily transferring back to the West Ridings in July 1918.

Pte. Ernest Mudd (see 31^st August), who had only returned from leave the previous day, was admitted via 71^st Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station; he was suffering from inflammation to his left knee.

Maj. William Norman Town (see 23^rd August) left the Battalion to return to England to attend a senior officers’ training course.

2Lt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 26^th April), serving in Egypt with 2^nd/4^th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment, was transferred to 2/22^nd Battalion London Regiment.

L.Cpl. William Frederick Ackrill (see 17^th August), serving in France with 2DWR, was promoted Corporal.

Pte. James Charles Eugene O’Callaghan (see 16^th July 1917), who had been in England since having been severely wounded on 7^th June 1917, was posted to Northern Command Depot at Ripon.  

Pte. Bertie Constantine (see 16^th April), who was a patient at Beckett Park Hospital, Leeds, having been wounded in April while serving in France with 1^st/7^thDWR, was reported as ‘absent without leave from 8pm’. He would not return until 7.45pm on the 21^st and would be ordered to be fined 18 days’ pay.

Capt. Herbert Sparling MC (see 18^th July), who had been severely wounded on 18^th October 1917, having his left leg amputated below the knee, appeared before a further Army Medical Board. The Board extended his current leave for a further three months in view of the act that he was still awaiting the provision of an artificial leg. In the interim Capt. Sparling would write to the War Office offering to continue his military service in any suitable capacity.