Friday 22nd November 1918

In billets and tents at San Giovanni Ilarione.

The Battalion marched four miles south to billets at Montecchia di Crosara and Grumolo.  

Pte. Richard Metcalfe (see 2^nd November) re-joined the Battalion; he was almost a month late in returning from his two weeks’ leave to England. He was immediately placed in detention to await trial by Field General Court Martial.

Pte. James Frederick Palmer (see 17^th July) was reported by Sgts. William Henry Dobson MM (see 24th April) and John Ratlidge (see 4th November) for “losing by neglect his greatcoat”; on the orders of Maj. William Norman Town (see 26^th October) he was to pay for the lost item.

Pte. Arthur Thomas Wilford (see 9^th November) was reported by Sgt. Bob Maunders (see 10^th October) for having ‘dirty boots on 10am parade’; on the orders of Capt. Dick Bolton MC (see 11^th November) he would be confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. Harry Beaumont (29306) (see 9^th October) was admitted via 69^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station, suffering from boils to his eye; he would be discharged to duty after four days.

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 10^th November), who had been absent without leave since escaping from confinement twelve days previously, surrendered himself to the Military Police in Faenza. He would again be returned to the Battalion and  placed in confinement to await trial by Field General Court Martial.
Pte. Clarence Hubert Bolt (see 8^th October) was discharged from 62^nd General Hospital at Bordighera, near Ventimiglia and posted to the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.

Pte. Walter James Biddle (see 22^nd September) was transferred hospital in Cremona to hospital (details unknown) in Marseilles; he was now diagnosed as suffering from scabies.   

Pte. Albert Mellor (see 6^th November) was discharged from 39^th General Hospital at Le Havre and posted back to ‘B’ Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre, where he had been en route to re-joining 10DWR from England.

L.Cpl. Alfred Edward Wybrow MM (see 15^th November), serving at Northern Command Depot at Ripon, was posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Alec Radcliffe (see 4^th December 1917), who had been in England since having been wounded in September 1917, was formally discharged from the Army due to his wounds. He was awarded a pension of 27s. 6d. per week for life.

Pte. Alfred Samuel Long was formally discharged from the Army on account of sickness; he had served with 10DWR but, in the absence of a surviving service record, I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any details of his service with 10DWR.


William Leach (see 30^th January), who had been working as a fireman since having been discharged from the Army due to wounds in August 1916, died from influenza.

William Leach

Image by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenOfWorth

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald reported news of the death of Pte. Willie Cowgill (see 27^th October).

EARBY - Soldier's Death in Italy 

The death is officially reported from Italy of Private William Cowgill, West Riding Regiment, son of Mr. John Cowgill, Rostle Top Road, Earby, who succumbed to wounds received in action on the 27th ult., two days prior to the Austrian armistice. Private Cowgill was 35 years of age and leaves a wife and two children living at Sunnyside, Sough Bridge. He served a year on the Western Front before being transferred to Italy, where he had been about 15 months. Prior to enlistment he was employed as a tackler by Messrs. A.J. Birley Limited.

Pte. William Cowgill

There was also a report regarding Pte. Ted Askew (see 10^th October) who had been one of Tunstill’s original recruits before being transferred to the ASC.

Military Items.

Pioneer Charles Nutter, son of Mr. Wm. Nutter, arrived in Gisburne from France at the weekend, the first man to arrive in the village from over there since hostilities ceased. Two other local soldiers to arrive on leave are Sapper Thos. Robinson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. G. Robinson, Poultry Houses, Gisburne, and Private Ted Askew, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Askew, Demesne Farm, Newsholme, the latter not having had leave for nearly three years. Private James Nutter, son of Mr. Ben Nutter, has had a few days leave this week.