Saturday 15th February 1919

Billets at Arzignano

Ptes. Ben Butler (see 11^th August 1918), John Eastwood (see 3^rd June 1918) and Albert Edward White (see 2^nd December 1918) completed and signed their ‘Statement as to disability’ forms, which were a precursor to their being posted back to England. The completed forms, which confirmed that they did not claim to have suffered any disability in service, were witnessed by 2Lt. Wilfred Frederick John Thomson MC (see 14^th February). Pte. Harry Briggs (19286) (see 29^th October 1918), serving at the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia, also signed a similar form.

Lt. George Clifford Sugden MC (see 1^st February) departed for England on one months’ leave.

Sgt. Charles Marsden (see 6^th February), L.Cpl. Harry Seward (see 6^th February) and Ptes. Francis James Barnes (see 14^th February), Alfred Bottom (see 14^th February), William George Clements (see 15^th February), Colonel Craven (see 14^th February), Arthur William Drane (see 14^th February), Joseph Hadley (see 14^th February), William McEvoy (see 28^th October 1918) and Leonard Beaconsfield Turner (see 15^th February) were posted to England to be demobilized. They would embark from Le Havre on 20^th February, onboard the Peel Castle. Marsden and Turner would be demobilized from Clipstone; Drane and Seward from Wimbledon; Bottom and Craven from Ripon; and Barnes, Clements and Hadley from Chiseldon.

Pte. Frederick Abbot (see 31^st January), recovering from bronchitis at the Military Convalescent Hospital at Crownhill, Plymouth, was examined with a view to being demobilized. The examining medical officer reported that Pte. Abbot was, “Fairly fit now, apart from some dyspnoea of long standing. Some moist sounds over back between scapulae. Heart clear, pulse 60. Fond of alcohol and tobacco”. He was deemed to have suffered no impairment whilst in service and was discharged for demobilization.

Capt. Charles George Edward White (see 19^th June 1918), who was serving with the DLI, relinquished his temporary rank of Captain, and reverted to Lieutenant.

Sgt. Harry Holmes MM (see 31^st January) and Ptes. Harold Clifford Ashbrook (see 31^st January), Robert Baldwin (see 10^th June 1918) and John Hargreaves (18009) (see 31^st January) who were on leave in England, were officially struck off the strength of 10DWR. Holmes, Baldwin and Hargreaves were transferred to 3DWR at North Shields; Ashbrook was demobilized from Heaton Park.

Sgt. William Henry Dobson MM (see 22^nd November 1918), L.Cpls. Harry Bailey (25248) (see 18^th January) and Frank Dodgson (see 29^th December 1918) and Ptes. Edward Anderson (see 29^th December 1918), William James Bates (16997) (see below), Alfred Fishlock (see 18^th January), Hugh Stacey Norris (see 8^th September 1917), William Robinson (18660) and Sidney Christopher Hugh Williams (see 4^th January) were officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

In the absence of surviving service records I am unable to make a positive identification of either William James Bates or William Robinson or to establish any details of their service.


Pte. Joe Beaumont (see 20^th September 1917), who had been serving with 2DWR, was officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. William Brassington (see 23^rd May 1916) was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. After having been wounded in May 1916 while serving with 10DWR he had served with 2DWR, 2/4^th DWR and 1^st/4^th DWR. 

CQMS Andrew Hermiston (see 16^th December 1918), L.Cpl. Stanley Basil Studd (see 21^st November 1917) and Pte. Harry Crawshaw (see 16^th August 1918), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, were also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. 

Pte. Percival Albert Wiggins (see 16^th January), who had been on attachment from 3DWR to 115^th Training Reserve Battalion at Clipstone Camp, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. 

Pte. Albert Crooks was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to sickness; he was awarded a pension of 16s. per week, with his disability assessed as being 40%. He was from Golcar, near Huddersfield and had enlisted in December 1915, aged 24. He had served with 10DWR before being transferred to 1^st/7^th DWR. In the absence of a surviving service record it has not been possible to establish any details of his service or of the nature of his illness.

A payment of £10 5s. 7d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late L.Cpl.  James Edward Simpson (see 11^th October 1918), who had been killed in action in October 1918 while serving in France with 2^nd/7^th DWR; the payment would go to his married sister, Elizabeth Warburton.