Friday 21st February 1919

Billets at Arzignano

The draft from 10DWR which was to join 8^th Yorks. and Lancs. as part of a larger draft from 69^th Brigade as a whole (see 18^th February) formally left the Battalion.

Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 11^th February) left the Battalion to return to England; temporary command of the Battalion passed to Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 2^nd February). Sgts. Albert Hoggarth (see 12^th February) and Herbert Parkin (see 13^th February), A/Cpl. Hiram Tasker (see 13^th February) and Ptes. George Dunkin (see 12^th February), Joseph McDermott (see 13^th February), Frederick Thomas Peart (see 12^th February) and John Perrin (see 12^th February) were also posted back to England from Le Havre onboard the Peel Castle for demobilization. Hoggarth, Parkin, McDermott and Perrin would be demobilized from Ripon; Dunkin from Chiseldon; and Peart from Clipstone. A/Cpl. Tasker, having enlisted on a regular engagement, rather than for the duration of the war, would be taken off the strength of 10DWR and granted one months’ leave before reporting to the Regimental Depot at Halifax on 23^rd March.

Pte. Arthur Cerenza King (see 5^th February), who had been serving with 9^th Battalion South Staffs., was posted to England for demobilization.

A/Capt. William Edmondson Gaunt (see 9^th December 1918), serving in Egypt with 2/22^nd Battalion London Regiment, embarked at Port Said to return to England for demobilization.

Pte. Reginald Jerry Northin (see 19^th December 1918) was reported ‘absent from tattoo (at the Regimental Depot at Halifax) from 2.30pm’; he would not report back until 27^th February and would be confined to barracks for ten days.
Pte. Ernest William Gilbert (see 2^nd January) was discharged from hospital in Birkenhead and posted to 3DWR at North Shields.

A number of men recently returned from Italy were officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. They were: Sgt. Ernest Taylor (12370) (see 22^nd March 1918); Cpls. Frank Flynn (202979) (see 26^th August 1918) and Percival John Munn (see 22^nd January) and Ptes. Thomas Henry Barnaby (see 29^th October 1917), James Cowie (see 22^nd January), Harold Richard Denny (see 22^nd January), Thomas Henry Fearn (see 22^nd January), Ernest Jones Garside (see below), John Straton Graham (see 22^nd January), William James Nunn (see 24^th January), Thomas Edward Sear (see 22^nd January), Abraham Sunderland (see 22^nd January),  Tom Wade (see 24th January) and Erwin Wilkinson (see 22^nd January). Pte. Wilson Hepworth (see 22^nd January), who had spent the whole war on attachment to 23^rd Division HQ, was also transferred to Class Z.

Ernest Jones Garside was a 36 year-old woollen spinner from Slaithwaite; he was twice married, having been widowed and left with the care of a young daughter before re-marrying in 1917. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to establish any details of his service with 10DWR.

Pte. Charles William Groves (see 2^nd January), who had been wounded in August 1918 was also transferred to Class Z; he was awarded a pension of 8s. 3d. per week, to be reviewed in nine months.

Cpl. George Jellett (see 31^st August 1918), who had been wounded in August 1918 while serving in France with 2DWR, was also transferred to Class Z.

Sgt. Rennie Hirst (see 18^th July 1918) and L.Cpl. Alfred Edward Wybrow MM (see 22^nd November 1918), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, were also transferred to Class Z.

A  number of other men who had previously served with 10DWR but had been transferred to other units were also transferred to Class Z. Several of them had been original members of 10DWR, including Ptes. Thomas Henry Bradley (see 6th October 1916) and Percy Houldsworth (see 24^th June 1917), who had been transferred to the Labour Corps. For a number of other original members of the Battalion, in the absence of surviving service records I am unable to make a positive identification or to establish any further details of their service. After leaving the Battalion having been wounded in July 1916 Pte. George H. Day (see 29^th July 1916) had served with the Labour Corps, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, and, latterly, the Royal Engineers. Cpl. George Foster had been transferred to the Royal Engineers.

The weekly edition of the Craven Herald included memorial notices relating to two former members of 10 DWR: Pte. William Summers Holmes (see 27^th December 1918) and Gnr. George Thistlethwaite (see 12th August 1918).

“We also reproduce a photograph of Pte. William S. Holmes, of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment, a native of Silsden, whose widow also lives in Skipton, and who succumbed to influenza, October 25^th, 1918, whilst on active service in Italy.

Pte. William Summers Holmes

THISTLETHWAITE - In ever loving memory of a dear son and brother, Gunner George Thistlethwaite, who died February 18^th, 1918, from wounds received in France.

In a silent country graveside,

Where the trees and branches wave,

Lies a loving son and brother

In a cold and silent grave;

We mourn for him in silence

And his name we often call,

But there is nothing left to answer

But his photo on the wall.

Ever remembered by his Father, Mother and Brothers, Main Street, Austwick.

Gnr. George Thistlethwaite