Monday 28th October 1918

Borgo Malanotte

The night of 27^th/28^th 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 27^th October),

“at daylight we sent people forward to scout and found no Austrians anywhere near us. They had gone back in the night. (Actually they kept going back till they were out of the war a few days later). So we went into the farm house and discovered breakfast already set for us – a meal had been laid for the Austrian officers when we first disturbed them, and there it was, all but the food. I kept one of the mugs, a blue enamel oval topped one for a long time and may have it yet somewhere.

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 17^th 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 27^thOctober) and William Dixon (see 27^th October), both of whom had been wounded the previous day, died of their wounds at 39^th Casualty Clearing Station; both would be buried at Giavera British Cemetery, Arcade. 

Pte. William Dixon

Pte. Ezra Plumb (see 27^th 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. John Thomas Tull (see 26^th October), who had been under treatment at 39^th 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 21^st Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 51^st 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 20^th September) was appointed Acting Warrant Officer Class II and Company Sergeant Major, replacing CSM Albert Blackburn (see 27^th October), who had been wounded the previous day.

A/L.Sgt. George William Keeling MM (see 28^th September) was promoted Acting Sergeant.

L.Cpl Howarth Reid (see 6th October) was promoted Corporal.

L.Cpl. Hiram Tasker (see 24^th September) was promoted Acting Corporal.

Pte. Frank Dodgson (see 27^th October) was appointed Lance Corporal.

Pte. Herman Tutty (see 29^th July) was appointed Acting Lance Corporal.

L.Cpl. Roderick Harmer (see 13^th August) began to be paid according to his rank, having previously held it unpaid.

Pte. Arthur Walton (see 6^th October) was reported ‘absent without leave’, having failed to return from his two weeks’ leave to England.

Maj. Herbert Henry Hudson DSO, MC (see 26^th 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 2^nd November 1917), serving with 69^th Trench Mortar Battery, was wounded, suffering wounds to his left elbow; he would be admitted via 21^st Field Ambulance and 9^th Casualty Clearing Station to 38^th 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 16^th 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 21^st Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 11^th General Hospital in Genoa; he was suffering from swelling of the hand.

Pte. Willie Davenport Frame (see 13^th 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 19^th October) was discharged from 11^th General Hospital in Genoa and posted to the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano; he had been suffering from influenza.

Pte. Joseph Wilkinson (see 6^th October) was discharged from 57^th General Hospital in Marseilles and posted to 16^th 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 20^th September 1917), who had been officially missing in action since 20^th September 1917; the payment would go to his sister, Dora.