Wednesday 11th September 1918

In Brigade reserve in huts near Monte Pau.

The Battalion marched to reserve positions near Monte Magnaboschi, relieving 9Yorks, which battalion was to depart to return to France.

Pte. Albert Christopher Benson (see 26^th October 1917), who was one of the Battalion signallers, was killed by Austrian shelling whilst laying telephone wires; he would be buried at Magnaboschi British Cemetery.

Pte. Albert Christopher Benson

In a separate incident a number of men were wounded when a stray Austrian shell landed amongst a group of men from ‘A’ Company. Pte. William Barber (see 2^nd August) was wounded and evacuated to 69^th Field Ambulance, where he died later the same day. He would be buried at Cavalletto British Cemetery.

Cpl. Mark Butler (see 5^th September) suffered shrapnel wounds to his left shoulder; he would be evacuated via 69^th Field Ambulance and 24^th Casualty Clearing Station to 29^th Stationary Hospital in Cremona. Cpl. Charles Stuart Carrack (see 26^th August) suffered abdominal wounds; he would be admitted to 39th Casualty Clearing Station where an operation would be carried out the same day. The report of the procedure was as follows: “Laporotomy. Tangential wound of thorax and abdomen. X-ray misleading”. The further details of his treatment and subsequent evacuation to England are unknown. A/Cpl. Victor Munnery (see 5^th September) suffered a shrapnel wound to his right elbow; he would be admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 24^th Casualty Clearing Station. Having been wounded, he automatically relinquished his acting rank of Corporal. Pte. Joseph Hirst (24181) (see 17^th October 1916) suffered wounds to his left hand and abdomen; he would be evacuated to 39^th Casualty Clearing Station where an operation was carried out, the report of which was as follows: “Wounds right side of abdomen; excised. Track led into abductor muscles right thigh; cleansed. Left hand: amputation of first finger and excision of part of phalanx of third”. Pte. Walter Limmer (see 19^th August) suffered severe head wounds; he would be evacuated to 39^th Casualty Clearing Station where an operation was carried out, the report of which was as follows: “Excision of scalp wound. Craniectomy. Exploration of brain”. Pte. Edward Mawle (see 29^th October 1917) was also wounded, suffering wounds to his right arm; the details of his treatment in Italy are unknown. Pte. Charles Walton (see 3^rd September) suffered abdominal wounds; he would be evacuated to 39^th Casualty Clearing Station where an operation was carried out, the report of which was as follows: “Laporotomy. Penetrating abdominal wound. Entry wound excised. Abdomen opened. Tear of small intestine sutured. One perforation of small intestine sutured. Two layers o fragments of clothing removed from pelvis. Abdomen closed”.

Pte. Walter Limmer

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Sgt. William McGill (see 24^th March) was tried by Field General Court Martial on a charge of insubordination (details unknown); he was found guilty and ordered to be reduced to the rank of Corporal.

Pte. William John Thomas Hurst (see 5^th August) was admonished having been reported by Sgts. Stanley Vyvyan Golledge (see 4^th September) and Arthur Ledgard (see 11^th January; it is not known when he had been promoted) as “falling out on the line of march without permission”.

L.Cpl. William (Billy) Hoyle MM (see 14^th July) was admitted to hospital (details unknown), suffering from ‘dental caries’.

Pte. Joseph Firth (see 26^th August), who had been at 39^th Casualty Clearing Station since having suffered wounds to his left arm and thigh on 26^th August, underwent a third operation; ‘compound fracture head of radius; wound opened up; pieces of bone removed’.

Pte. Arthur Walton (see 10^th August) was discharged from 16^th Convalescent Depot in Marseilles and posted to the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.

Pte. John Cronin (see 29^th October 1917) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance, 23^rd Division Rest Station and 24^th Casualty Clearing Station to 51st Stationary Hospital at Arquata Scrivia; he was suffering from jaundice.
Pte. Sidney John Rainbow (see 13^th May) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station, suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his right ankle. 

Pte. Joseph Wilkinson (see 28^th August) was transferred from 29^th Stationery Hospital in Cremona to 62^nd General Hospital at Bordighera, near Ventimiglia; he was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his right arm and hand.

Pte. John Foster (see 15^th August), serving in France with 2/7^th DWR, was transferred from one of the convalescent hospitals at Trouville to ‘F’ Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, en route to returning to active service.

2Lts. Edgar Leyland Mills Lumb, Robert Jowett Robinson and Samuel Whitaker arrived in Italy, en route to joining 10DWR. Edgar Mills Leyland Lumb was 19 years old, the elder of two sons of Rowland and Sarah Elizabeth Lumb; his father worked as a worsted spinner and the family lived in Sowerby Bridge. He had been commissioned Temporary Second Lieutenant on 31^st May 1918. Robert Jowett Robinson was 23 years old and had worked as a bank clerk in Keighley before enlisting in August 1914. He had initially trained with 8DWR but had been transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps in March 1915 and had served in both Gallipoli and in France between July 1915 and October 1917, being promoted Corporal. He had been posted back to England in October 1917 and had undertaken his officer training at 20^th Officer Cadet Battalion at Fleet, being commissioned on 28^th May 1918. Samuel Whitaker was 30 years old and had worked as an accountant’s clerk in his home town of Keighley before enlisting in September 1914. He had served in 16^th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment and had seen active service with his battalion in both Gallipoli and in France between December 1915 and September 1917, rising to the rank of Acting Company Quartermaster Sergeant. He had returned to England in September 1917 and had undertaken his officer training at 13^th Officer Cadet Battalion at Newmarket, being commissioned on 28^th May 1918. On 6^th May 1918 he had married Dora Russell Graves.

Ernest Webb, brother of Pte. Edward Percy Webb (see 26th August), who had been missing in action since the trench raid on 26th August, wrote to the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment in York, “My mother, Mrs. H. Webb of ‘Campsie’, Chichester Road, North Bersted, Sussex, has been informed by the War Office that my brother, Pte. E.P. Webb, 25918, 7^th Platoon, ‘B’ Company, 10^th Battalion of your Regiment has been reported killed and missing in Italy. I shall be greatly obliged if you will be good enough to inform me whether this news is confirmed. Also any further information respecting him will be very much appreciated”. In reply he would be informed that his brother was currently reported missing in action.