Wednesday 23rd October 1918

In tents and bivouacs at Catena.

Battalion orders were issued for the forthcoming operations. This “came as a great shock to the men who were expecting the closing stages of the war to be played out elsewhere with little need for them to become involved … hopes were rising that the war would end without our having to take any further active part”.

Overnight, 23^rd/24^th, in accordance with plans for the forthcoming assault (see 21^st October) troops from 7^th Division captured the northern half of the Grave di Papadopoli and, by dawn on 24^th, one Company of 11WYR had become the first troops of 69^th Brigade to be transferred to the Grave.

Pte. Edwin John Collard (see 1^st June) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance and 39^th Casualty Clearing Station to 51st Stationary Hospital at Arquata Scrivia; he was suffering from “I.C.T.” (Inflammation of the connective tissue) to his feet.

Pte. James Duncan Foster (see 20^th October), who had been wounded three days’ previously while serving in France with 2DWR, was evacuated to England from 32^nd Stationery Hospital at Wimereux. He travelled onboard the Hospital Ship St. David and on arriving in England would be admitted to the military hospital in Colchester.

Pte. William Postill Taylor (see 24^th September), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was posted back to France and would 2^nd/4^thDWR.

Pte. William Boodle (see 4^th June 1917), serving with the 21^st Prisoner of War Company, Royal Defence Corps was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class P. This classification of the reserve had been introduced in October 1916 and applied to men “whose services were deemed to be temporarily of more value to the country in civil life rather than in the Army”.  


L.Cpl. Charles Graham (see 19^th November 1917), who had been in England since having had his right foot amputated as a result of wounds suffered while serving with 10DWR in July 1916, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service on account of his wounds; he was assessed as having suffered a 50% disability and was awarded an Army pension of £1 8s. per week.