Saturday 26th October 1918

In tents and bivouacs at Catena.

Starting out at 4pm, the Battalion again marched to the front line via Lovadina, in preparation for crossing to the Grave di Papadopoli. Each man carried 170 rounds S.A.A., except section leaders who carried 130 rounds and 3 Mills bombs; rifle grenadiers each carried 5 rifle grenades; Officers were given the option to carry Mills bombs “if they wish”. Entrenching tools and helves were not carried. Each man also carried his own rations. Additional equipment such as the Lewis guns, magazines, extra S.A.A., rope and tools, such as bill hooks, were sent forward under the control of 2Lt. Fred Dyson (see 15^th May). 2Lt. Albert Joseph Acarnley MC (see 21^st June) and four men from D Company were also designated to march ahead of the Battalion and liase with Major Armstrong MC, of 11WYorks, who was in charge of embarkation of the troops of the Brigade. Maj. William Norman Town (see 12th October) was detailed to maintain and forward reports regarding the embarkation of the whole Brigade. The Battalion duly concentrated on the right bank of the Piave, just west of the island of Cosenza. Once at the river, the Battalion was joined by one section from the Brigade Machine Gun Company, and two guns from the light trench mortar battery, under Lt. Stephen Moss Mather (see 16^th December 1917), who was on attachment to the Trench Mortar Battery, who were to cross to the island immediately in rear of the Battalion. 

By 10.30pm a footbridge from Cosenza to the Grave had been completed, guaranteeing that troops could be assembled in good time. British artillery now began bombarding Austrian positions on the far bank to destroy the wire. This, in turn, provoked a considerable Austrian response against the ferries and the footbridges, but little damage was done and it did not seriously affect the passage of the troops. The Battalion began its move to the Grave. The first stream, as far as the island of Cosenza, was crossed by means of “a well-constructed footbridge” but subsequent streams were crossed either by simple pontoon bridges or by means of the small ferry boats. The pontoon bridges were described as, “a string of small boats thrown across the river in such a way that the powerful current tended to force them closer together, and they supported a planked gangway … the gangway stood some feet above the water and in the darkness seemed to be hung in the air”.

Having crossed, the men spread out and lay along the river bank and shingle under considerable bombardment from the Austrians with no cover available. As the barrage lifted a little the men moved forward into the bushes on the island. Here they were to wait for more than seven hours until the attack was launched at 6.45 the following morning. Despite the bombardment only five men were wounded while the Battalion was waiting.

Writing many years later, the events were described in some detail by 2Lt. Bernard Garside (see 22^nd October):

“I shall always remember marching at the head of my platoon of ‘D’ Company for one reason. I had tried my best to be a good officer to them, whilst seeing to it they were well-trained soldiers, but I didn’t really know what they thought about it all. But on the way up, when they finished one of their songs on the march, my platoon sergeant shouted, “Come on lads – let’s have ‘For he’s a jolly good fellow’, and laughed at me. And how they sang it, smiling at me as they roared it out. And what did I do? – well I nearly cried and tears came into my eyes which I hoped they didn’t see. Some of those singers weren’t alive next morning.

Well we marched up to the river or within ¼ of a mile of it and then entered a labyrinth of trenches which bordered it, threading our way about them until we got to the river’s edge. Now I should explain this river is not like most of our rivers at all – at least not where we crossed. It was very wide but was studded with islands, so that it was really a bunch of little streams varying from a few yards wide to say 25-30.

Now you mustn’t think I’m fibbing if ever you go to this bit of the Piave not far from Treviso, for it’s a long time since I was there now, not far off 30 years - so I may be a bit out in my widths and so on. But there it was, the wide river studded with islands. And I think the name of the big one near the far bank, was Grave di Papodopoli. Some of the little streams we waded; at least one was too wide and deep and we got into boats anchored close in. Then the man in charge let one end float out into the swift current and gave a great heave or two with a long pole which carried us right across, but much lower down the bank of the next island owing to the current. By now we had reached the long G di P I have shown and by now also the Austrians knew there was something on and had started shelling, so that, when I was told to ‘dig in’ with my platoon, we wasted no time. However, on the way up we had lost some of our shovels or something had happened (in fact, it had been ordered that entrenching Tools and Helves were not to be carried; see above), for I remember that my batman and I dug far enough down to shelter us both in the gravel and sand of the island, with our hands. When we had done this, there we stuck from about 11 o’clock, I think it was, till 6, being shelled all the time. I remember several nose-caps of shells hummed loudly, just over my head as their shells burst. However, in spite of all, not many men were hit and we now knew we were to attack at 6 o’clock across the last and widest stream which I have shown with thick arrows. It was very cold and unpleasant just crouching and being shelled and we were very glad when 6 o’clock came.

But before I go on, I must tell you one rather peculiar story about one of my men at this time. As we went up to the river through the trenches, my platoon sergeant came and told me that one of my men, whom he knew very well, was ill and he wanted to know if he could tell him to leave the platoon and try to find the Medical Officer. I told the sergeant he knew as well as I did that nobody could say where the Doctor was just then and that King (Pte. James Isaac King, see 13^th June) the man, would have to struggle on till we came to our post for the night on the island. He could then send him to me and I would see he went to the Doctor right away. The sergeant then went away. In fact, King did not come to me and was the first man in my platoon to be killed next morning. Now the story behind all this was told me by my sergeant some time later, after I had left my old platoon, as you will hear later. He overtook me one day after we had finished our attack and said, “I think I should tell you Sir” (or some such words) “that I lied to you that day, when I said, King was ill”. I looked surprised and rather shocked. I said, “Well go ahead sergeant, and be frank”. He said he would like to be. He said what happened was that King came to him and said, “You know me sergeant; you know I’m no coward, but I know if I go across the river with the other lads tomorrow I’ll be killed”. The sergeant tried to laugh him out of the idea, but he was obviously very serious and said, “Alright then, only I know you and I thought I’d mention it”. The sergeant thought about it and then offered to come and lie to me. I have mentioned what I said. Then, when we were in position, and King was free to come to me, the sergeant told him to do so. But King then said, “No sergeant, I’m damned if I will – I’m seeing this thing through”. And he was killed about five yards away from me next day. I had to write to his family as I well remember. Of course I did not tell them this story”.

Pte. William Mellor (see 18^th October) died at 29^th Stationary Hospital in Cremona; he had been under treatment for a week after suffering from influenza and broncho-pneumonia. Pte. Mellor would be buried at Cremona Town Cemetery.

At 3.30pm Pte. Richard Metcalfe (see 6^th October) had been reported by Sgt. Willie Nichols (see 6^th October) as ‘absent without leave’, having failed to return from his two weeks’ leave to England.

Ptes. Samuel Lawton Birtles (see 26^th October 1917), Tom Garnett (see 21^st September 1914), Harold Raymond Hebdon (see 18^th February), Albert Scrase (see 29^th October 1917) and John Thomas Tull (see below) were all admitted via 21^st or 69^th Field Ambulance to 39^th Casualty Clearing Station, suffering from influenza. Pte. Hebdon would be discharged to duty after seven days; Ptes. Birtles, Garnett and Scrase would be transferred to 51^st Stationary Hospital. Pte. Tull would remain at 39^th Casualty Clearing Station, having developed broncho-pneumonia.

John Thomas Tull was 31 years old and from Rotherhithe; he had originally served with 8DWR. In the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible to establish when, or under what circumstances, he had joined 10DWR.

Pte. Gordon Field was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 51^st Stationary Hospital, suffering from a sprained ankle. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any further details of his service.

Pte. Leslie Norman Hill was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 51^st Stationary Hospital, suffering from a sprained ankle. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any further details of his service.

Ptes. Walter Gibson (see 21^st August), James Henry Innes (see 15^th October) and John William Kirby (see 5^th October) were posted from the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano to the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.

Pte. Ernest Portman (see 7^th October), serving with 23^rd Division Military Police, was discharged from 62^nd General Hospital at Bordighera, near Ventimiglia and posted to the Convalescent Depot at Lido d’Albano; he had been suffering from influenza.

Ptes. Joseph Hirst (24181) (see 11^th September), Louis Hodgson (see 26^th August) and Harry Pullin (see 26^th August), all of whom had been wounded in action in August and September, were posted back to England.

Pte. Norman Greenwood (17998) (see 26^th August), who had been wounded on 26^th August, was evacuated to England; on arrival in England, would be admitted to Chester War Hospital.

Pte. Harold Walker Bray (see 11^th October), who had been wounded two weeks’previously while serving in France with 1^st/7^th DWR, was posted back to England.

2Lt. John Robert Cass (see 20^th June), serving with the Machine Gun Corps, was promoted Lieutenant.