Thursday 10th October 1918

Billets at Gambellara.

Ptes. James Hillhouse (see 2^nd September) and Thomas Edward Laycock (see 26^th August) were reported by Sgts. James Walker MM (see 6th October) and Bob Maunders (see 11^th September 1917) as “absent off 3pm parade”; on the orders of Lt. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see 1^st September) both would be confined to barracks (Hillhouse for five days and Laycock for three).

Pte. Charles Henry Russell (see 5^th May) was reported by Sgt. John William Binks (see below) as ‘unshaven on 7.40am parade’; on the orders of Lt. Vincent Edwards MC (see 6^th October) he would be confined to barracks for three days.

John William Binks had originally served with 2^nd/7^th DWR before being transferred (date and details unknown) to 10DWR; in the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man.

Pte. Harold Wall (see 25^th August) was arrested and placed in confinement on a charge of “writing an officer’s name on an envelope addressed to England with intent to deceive the censor”.

Pte. Frederick Abbot (see 15^th September) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 9^th Casualty Clearing Station to 29^th Stationery Hospital in Cremona; he was suffering from bronchitis.

Capt. Bob Perks DSO (see 7^th October) wrote to his sister, Joy, 

“I am sorry I have not written to you before although I have been with the old battalion nearly a week.  We have really been quite busy moving and settling down again although I confess I have found time to write long letters to North Shields! Which reminds me I was very pleased to see in your nice little letter that you liked Edith for her own sake (as of course you were bound to!) I knew you would be the little brick you were for my sake.  Edith too liked you for your sake and not mine.  She tells me you are going to stay with them some day.  I do hope you will.  They may strike you as being different to us (especially perhaps Mr Waller who has the funny ways sometimes of an oldish man – so has TPP for that matter!)  but I found it extraordinarily easy to fit in, long before I was in love. (I hasten to add that bit to avoid any undue remarks from my little sister!)  Anyhow they are extremely friendly and don’t be afraid of being friendly too and asking for things.  The same applies to Mother if ever she is asked. (I don’t know that she will be but I think that would be a lovely change for her and I want you all to know them).  And she would have no grounds at all for her usual excuse of no clothes because they haven’t –  entre nous I have known Edith refuse to go out with me for that reason!  - and they have dinner in the middle of the day and a scrap supper, etc. etc.  comme nous in fact. 

To switch off for once from my everlasting topic, I suppose you have heard by now that I am temporarily in charge of the signallers again but probably not for long as I am a Captain again (if not the telephone number is 19 Grassington!). We are supposed to be out for a rest for some time but my quite unofficial opinion is that we shall do a sudden and very long move at no very distant date.  Be that as it may, we are in topping country which might be England except the combination of big hills all round and continuous green.

The crops are very varied and include lots we don’t know.  We had lemons today out of our own garden but the chief crop that is grown in lines throughout all the other crops is grapes.  We have more than we can eat but most of them are fast being made into wine.  That process is alarming!  They tread them with their feet and as they, lots of them, walk about with the same bare feet – but there I suppose it is disinfected in the fermenting.  When they do wear shoes they are very often of an extraordinary variety – soles all right but the only sign of uppers is a bit over the toes.  They have quite high heels and how they keep them on I don’t know!  White oxen are at work everywhere in fields and on the roads.  I saw a fine team of 8 ploughing the other day”.

(I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for her kind permission to allow me to quote from Bob Perks’ correspondence. The reference to ‘Edith’ is to Bob Perks’ sweetheart, Edith Waller, and the mention of ‘TPP’ refers to Bob’s father, Thomas Probert Perks).

Capt. Bob Perks DSO and Edith Waller

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

Pte. Ernest Wilson (11751) (see 22^nd September), who was on leave in England, was admitted to Keighley War Hospital suffering from inflammation to his knee; he would be treated for two weeks before being discharged and returning to Italy, leaving from Southampton on 29^th October.

Overnight 10^th/11^th 2Lt. Harry Waddington (see 31^st October), serving with 1^st/7^th DWR, distinguished himself in action; his conduct on this occasion and in the following days would earn him the award of the Military Cross. His conduct would be described in the official citation, “For conspicuous gallantry and ability as intelligence officer during operations from 11th to 14th October, 1918. On the night of the 10th/11th October be rendered most valuable assistance in getting companies into assembly positions under an intense bombardment. During the attack on the 14th, in company with two scouts, he was the first to enter the village of Saulzoir, remaining in the vicinity for some hours, and sending very valuable information”.

Pte. Henry Charles Lindsay (see 6^th July), who had been in England since having been wounded in April while serving in France with 2DWR, was posted from Northern Command Depot at Ripon to 3DWR at North Shields. He would report four days later and be ordered to undergo four days Field Punishment no.2

In a ceremony at Gisburn Parish Church Pte. Joseph Askew was married to Violet Lofthouse. Pte. Askew was the younger brother of Pte. Ted Askew (see 17^th December 1914) who had been one of Tunstill’s original recruits before being transferred to the ASC and Violet Lofthouse was the sister of the late Pte. Anthony Lofthouse (see 26^th February 1917), who had been killed in October 1916. A report of the wedding would appear in the Craven Herald:

“Private Joseph Askew, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Askew, Demesne Farm, Newsholme, was married on October 10th to Miss Violet Lofthouse, third daughter of Mr. John Lofthouse, Paa Farm, Paythorne. The bridegroom was on short draft leave and has now returned to his unit. It is interesting to note that in his final marksmanship test a short time ago he gained 123 out of a possible 125 points. The bride, who was dressed in a brown and fawn coat frock with a hat of fawn velour, was attended by the bridegroom's sister, Mrs. Tom Smith, and Miss Hannah Askew, and the bride's sister, Miss Grace Lofthouse. Miss Lofthouse gave her sister away, and the 'best man' and groomsman were Private Tom Smith, the bridegroom's brother-in-law, home on leave from France, and Mr. T. Askew, cousin of the bridegroom. The ceremony was performed in the Gisburn Parish Church by the Rev. C.C. Broadhurst, rector of Bolton-by-Bowland, in the absence of the Vicar of the Parish”.

A payment of £2 4s. 2d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Henry Harry Jolly (see 24^th April), who had been officially missing in action since 20^th September 1917; the payment would go to his widow, Ada.

Pte. Henry Harry Jolly