Borgo Malanotte
The night of 27th/28th passed quietly
and at 8.30am, on a bright and sunny morning, the Battalion became Brigade
reserve as the attack was pressed forward by 8Yorks and 11WYR. However, C
Company was attached to 11WYR and advanced with them in the morning and early
afternoon before rejoining the reminder of the Battalion, by 6.30pm, in billets
in Borgo Malanotte. The village itself was described in the Divisional History:
“the accumulation of filth in the buildings recently occupied by Austrian
soldiers beggars description, and combined with the relics of battle to make
Borgo Malanotte a spot that will live long in the memory of those who sojourned
there”.
The quieter conditions were remembered by 2Lt. Bernard Garside (see 27th October),
The next trouble
was my boots. The water had burst all the seams, for they were not new. I was
non-plussed, but Smith, my batman (I am,
as yet, unable to make a positive identification of this man) from Shipley
Co-op in peace time, suddenly had an idea. Off he went and presently came back
with a pair of boots exactly my fit, taken from a dead Austrian lying in the
road near the house. I wore those boots quite a while and they were good ones.
Now we had a meal
and how we enjoyed it! We had had very little for 36 hours – just a few
biscuits and little else”.
Garside also recalled an encounter between Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 17th October) and
a captured Austrian officer, “I remember in the Piave attack the day after we
went across the stream, an Austrian Colonel was brought in a prisoner to our
Battalion HQ and Col. Lethbridge, a peppery and insensitive old blighter, began
crudely trying to pump him and get him to tell about the strength of the
Austrians facing us etc. After a lot of uncomfortable silence the Austrian
Colonel looked us in the face and said, “My Colonel, I am a soldier. Do not ask
me”. One up for him and a poke in the eye to old Lethbridge; a good soldier,
but rather a despicable man”.
Ptes. George Towler
Brown (see 27thOctober)
and William Dixon (see 27th October), both of
whom had been wounded the previous day, died of their wounds at 39th
Casualty Clearing Station; both would be buried at Giavera British Cemetery,
Arcade.
Pte. Ezra Plumb (see 27th October) would later
write to Pte. Dixon’s sister, with details of what had happened to her brother,
“Dear Mrs. Scholfield, – You ask me to tell all I can concerning Willie. It is
something I would rather not do, but as you have asked me to state the worst I
feel that I ought to do so, as I know the suspense that you will be in. I
thought you would have been notified by the War Office before now. I am sorry
to say that Willie met his death on October 27th when we made the advance
across the Piave. He was hit with a machine gun bullet soon after we crossed
the river. I should like to have seen him, but did not know he was severely
wounded until we reached our objective the same day. I was told he had been
attended to and carried away on a stretcher, and afterwards heard he had died
later in the day. I sympathise with you. I have known Willie since we were in
training together; he came out in the same draft as myself. It does seem hard
after going through so much to be taken away at the final push”.
Pte. William Dixon |
Pte. John Thomas Tull
(see 26th October), who
had been under treatment at 39th Casualty Clearing Station for
influenza and broncho-pneumonia, died; he would be buried at Giavera British
Cemetery, Arcade.
Pte. William McEvoy
(see 15th May) was
admitted via 21st Field Ambulance and 39th Casualty
Clearing Station to 51st Stationary Hospital; he was suffering from
influenza.
Following the casualties of the previous day, there were a
series of promotions.
Sgt. Stanley Vyvyan
Golledge (see 20th
September) was appointed Acting Warrant Officer Class II and Company
Sergeant Major, replacing CSM Albert
Blackburn (see 27th
October), who had been wounded the previous day.
A/L.Sgt. George
William Keeling MM (see 28th September)
was promoted Acting Sergeant.
L.Cpl Howarth Reid (see 6th October) was promoted
Corporal.
L.Cpl. Hiram Tasker
(see 24th September) was
promoted Acting Corporal.
Pte. Frank Dodgson
(see 27th October) was appointed
Lance Corporal.
Pte. Herman Tutty
(see 29th July) was
appointed Acting Lance Corporal.
L.Cpl. Roderick
Harmer (see 13th August)
began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held it unpaid.
Pte. Arthur Walton
(see 6th October) was
reported ‘absent without leave’, having failed to return from his two weeks’
leave to England.
Maj. Herbert Henry
Hudson DSO, MC (see 26th
October 1917), commanding 11WYR, who had been temporary CO 10DWR in June
and July, had been among those wounded in the advance.
Pte. Harry Sugden
(see 2nd November 1917),
serving with 69th Trench Mortar Battery, was wounded, suffering
wounds to his left elbow; he would be admitted via 21st Field
Ambulance and 9th Casualty Clearing Station to 38th
Stationary Hospital in Genoa. The wounds being relatively minor, he would
immediately be transferred to the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano.
Pte. Sam Sunderland (see 16th October),
who had suffered a minor injury to the little finger of his left hand when
pricking it on an acacia thorn two weeks’ previously, was now admitted via 21st
Field Ambulance and 39th Casualty Clearing Station to 11th
General Hospital in Genoa; he was suffering from swelling of the hand.
Pte. Willie Davenport
Frame (see 13th October)
was discharged from the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano and posted to the
Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.
Pte. John Thomas
Damant (see 19th October)
was discharged from 11th General Hospital in Genoa and posted to the
Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano; he had been suffering from influenza.
Pte. Joseph Wilkinson
(see 6th October) was discharged
from 57th
General Hospital in Marseilles and posted to 16th Convalescent
Depot, also in Marseilles.
A payment of £9 5s. 0d. was authorised, being the amount due
in pay and allowances to the late Pte. William
Arthur Greenwood Dolby (see 20th
September 1917), who had been officially missing in action since 20th
September 1917; the payment would go to his sister, Dora.
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