Wednesday 5th February 1919

Billets at Arzignano

The first of three Divisional horse race meetings was held (see images from PRO) on the no.5 Training Ground at Arzignano. According to the Divisional History, “Racing had started modestly in the New Year with point-to-point races which provided ample opportunity for immersion in ice-cold water and culminated in first-class race meetings. These provided great excitement. First came the lotteries, presided over by that sturdy veteran Lethbridge (Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO, see 28^th January), whose persuasive geniality made him no less successful in disposing of horses with a 100-1 chance than it had been in leading his Battalion in war against similar odds”. In the words of the Brigade War Diary the meetings were “witnessed by a large number of spectators, including many English, French, American and Italian officers”. Pte. Harold Charnock (see 1^st February) recalled that, “Le Soleil and Kaffir Chief, horses belonging to the Battalion, won several races”.

Image by kind permission of the Trustees of the DWR Museum

Scenes from the Divisional Race Meeting (IWM)

Cpl. Martin Reddington (see 5^th January) was admitted via 70^th Field Ambulance to 23^rd Division Rest Station, suffering from diarrhoea; he would be discharged to duty after six days.

Cpl. Ernest Reeve (25923) (see 4^th November 1918), L.Cpls. Alfred Ellis (see 10^th December 1918) and Fred Riddiough (see 15^th June 1918) and Ptes. Arthur Clarke (see 18^th December 1918), Thomas Fielden (see 15^th March 1918) and Walter Milnes (see 6^th September 1917) 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, for Reeve and Ellis by Lt. Edward Kent Waite MC (see 1^st February); and for Clarke, Fielden, Milnes and Riddiough by Capt. Paul James Sainsbury (see 30^th January).

Pte. Arthur Cerenza King (see 24^th August 1918), serving with 9^th Battalion South Staffs., was posted to the GHQ Concentration Camp at Tavernelle, in preparation for posting back to England.

Sgt. Joseph Patrick Melvin (see 9^th June 1918), serving in England with 6^th (Reserve) Battalion DWR, was posted back to France to join 2^nd/4^th DWR.

Pte. James Edward Haley (see 27^th November 1918), who had been on leave since November 1918, having been repatriated to England from confinement in Germany, was posted to the Regimental Depot at Halifax.

Pte. Frank Mallinson MM (see 15^th December 1918), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was posted to the Dispersal Centre at Clipstone in preparation for demobilization.

Lt. Vincent Edwards MC (see 6^th January) was formally released from the Army, from the Officer’s Dispersal Unit in London.

Ptes. Walter Dey (see 8^th January) and George Holmes (10794) (see 27^th December 1918), who had been demobilized while home on leave, were formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

A/Cpl. Frank Ravenhall was also formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any further details of his military service; when, and under what circumstances, he had joined 10DWR are unknown.

L.Cpl. Victor Munnery (see 24^th October 1918), who had been in England since having been wounded in September 1918, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. George Bernard Hardy (see 4^th January was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. William Heathcote, serving with the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. He had previously served with both 2DWR and 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.

Lt. Charles Douglas Storrs MC (see 16^th January) who had served briefly with 10DWR in April 1916 before transferring to the Royal Engineers, formally relinquished his commission and was discharged from the Army.

Pte. John William Windle (see 4^th October 1916) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to sickness contracted whilst in service; he was officially recorded as suffering from ‘nerve deafness’ and was awarded a pension of 12s.per week. He had been an original member of 10DWR but having suffered head wounds in October 1916, he had been transferred (date and details unknown) to the Labour Corps and had been serving with 386^th Home Service Labour Company when discharged.

Sgt. Horace Dewis MM (see 25^th September 1918), serving with the RAF, was formally discharged from service.

A pension award was made in the case of the late Pte. William Greenwood (see 20^th September 1917), who had been killed in action in May 1917 while serving with 2DWR; his mother, Sarah Ann, was awarded 5s. per week.