Wednesday 15th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

More men completed and signed their ‘Statement as to disability’ forms, which were a precursor to their being posted back to England; the completed forms confirmed that they did not claim to have suffered any disability in service. The forms for L.Cpl. William (Billy) Hoyle MM (see 3^rd October 1918) and Ptes. James Cowie (see 5^th January 1918) and John Straton Graham (see 25^th August 1918), were witnessed by Lt. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see 12^th January). The forms for Cpl. James Hotchkiss (see 24^th December 1918) and Ptes. Harold Richard Denny (see 22^nd April 1918), John William Holroyd (see 11^th August 1918), George Ingle (see 9^th October 1918) and Erwin Wilkinson (see 7^th July 1918) were witnessed by Capt. Frederick Lowther Dawson Barker (see 7^th January). The form for Pte. Thomas Henry Fearn (see 1^st September 1918) was witnessed by Capt. James Watson Paterson (see 9^th September 1918).

Sgt. William Walker Rossall MM (see 5^th September) was discharged from 62^nd General Hospital in Marseilles and re-joined the Battalion.

Cpl. John Henry Eastwood (see 30^th April 1918), serving in France with the Chinese Labour Corps, was medically examined before being posted back to England; he was reported as suffering from a right inguinal hernia.

The Deputy Mayor of Keighley again wrote to the Infantry Records Office in York regarding plans for the presentation of the Military Medal and Distinguished Conduct Medal to Sgt. John William Wardman DCM, MM (see 3^rd January), who was serving at the Regimental Depot in Halifax; the issue had now become more urgent.

“I have just sent you the following wire … ‘Sgt. Wardman just returned on four days leave. Mayor making special presentations tomorrow night (Thursday) to repatriated prisoners etc. Is it possible please to have the two medals for the above by seven o’clock Thursday night? Will bear any extra cost, even if special messenger is sent’. I am very sorry indeed to give you so little notice but I only got to know this afternoon that Wardman was here. I hope it will be convenient for you to let me have the medals and I would be very pleased to send you a copy of our local paper with particulars as to the presentation therein”.

The Infantry Records Office would reply by telegram and the medals would be despatched and would arrive the following morning in time for the presentation to be made. According to a further letter from the Deputy Mayor, “the medals were presented to the Sergeant at a very large gathering. He seemed very pleased and got a good all round cheer”.

Sgt. John William Wardman DCM, MM

Image by kind permission of Paul Bishop

Pte. Newton Dobson (see 4^th January) was discharged from hospital in Eastleigh; he would have ten days leave before reporting to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Thomas Prince (see 18^th December 1918) who was on leave in England, was demobilized from the Dispersal Unit at Heaton Park, Manchester.

2Lt. Conrad Anderson (see 20^th October 1918) was formally demobilized from the army from no.1 Dispersal Unit at Ripon.

A number of other men who had previously served with 10DWR before being transferred to other DWR battalions were formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. Sgt. Henry Herbert Stroud (see 24^th December 1915) had been transferred to 2DWR; Cpl. Samuel Lindley had been transferred to 2^nd/4^th DWR; Pte. Edgar Oliver had served with 2DWR before joining 10DWR and subsequently with 9DWR. In the absence of surviving service records it has not been possible to make a positive identification of any of these men or to establish any more detail as to their service. 

Pte. James Keegan (see 5^th July 1916) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to wounds suffered in action. He had suffered wounds to his buttock while serving with 9DWR and would be discharged with an Army pension of 15s. per week.

A payment of £14 11s. 2d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Albert Christopher Benson (see 4^th October 1918), who had been killed in action on 11^th September 1918; the payment would be divided in three equal shares, each of £4 17s., between his mother, Annie Snowden (she had re-married in 1916), and his brother James and sister Sarah.

Pte. Albert Christopher Benson