Saturday 29th March 1919

Billets at Montecchia di Crosara

Pte. Thomas Henry Cox (25806) (see 29^th September 1918) was posted to 505^th Prisoner of War Company at San Bonifacio.

The cadre of the Battalion proceeded to the Concentration Camp at Tavernelle to entrain for Le Havre from where they would return to England. The officers of the cadre were Maj. William Norman Town (see 11^th March), Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 27^th February), Lt. Ronald Ferguson (see 9^th February) and 2Lt. Cyril Edward Agar (see 1^st February). 

There appear to have been around 50 men remaining with the Battalion at this point. Those positively identified as being among the cadre are CSM Fred Pattison DCM (see 11^th March), A/CSM Middleton Busfield MSM (see 12^th January), A/CQMS George Alfred Giles (see 25^th March); Sgts. Herbert Grayshon (see 28^th September 1918), John Scott (see 18^th October 1918), Harry Smith (12240) (see 6^th January), George Edward Smitham (see 28^th March) and James Wilcox (see below); L.Sgt. Harold Bray (18231) (see 25^th March), Cpls. Charles Brown (see below) and John William Warner (see 27^th February), L.Cpls. Harry Leaper (see 25^th March), Percy Simpson (see 25^th March) and Victor Lawson Smith (see 25^th March); and Ptes. John Stanley Armitage (see 26^th December 1918), William John Beeby (see below), Joe Arthur Bentley (see 25^th March), John Blackburn (see 25^th March), James Butterworth (see 29^th March), Samuel Cordingley (see 25^th March), David Eli Dyson (see below), Albert Edon (see 25^th March), Joseph Alfred Formby (see 26^th November 1918), James Albert Garbutt (see 25^th March), Joseph Hirst (29641) (see 25^th March), George Green (22749) (see 27^th March), James Knight (see below), Louis Frank Lewis (see 25^th March), Albert Mellor (see 25^th March), Tom Midgley (see 25^th March), Maurice Paignton (see 25^th March), Henry Pike (see 25^th March), Tom Platts MM (see 22^nd August 1918), James Proctor (see below), William Edmond Smith (see 4^th October 1918), Eddy Speak (see below), Alfred Spence (see below), Samuel Stansfield (see 25^th March), William Stokes (see 25^th March), Harry Sugden (see 25^th March), Albert Edward Trevor (see 10^th November 1918), Fred Melton Vasey (see 25^th March), George Wheatley (see 25^th March), Arthur Walter Williams (see 25^th March) and Ernest Wilson (11751) (see 25^th March).

William John Beeby was 29 years old; he was an original member of the Battalion and had, before the war, served four years with 6^th (Territorial) Battalion DWR. He was originally from Appleby, but had lived in Bradford, where he had worked as a railway clerk. David Eli Dyson was a 22 year-old textile worker from Slaithwaite; in the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to establish when he had joined 10DWR or any details of his service. Eddy Speak was 29 years old and originally from Kelbrook where he had worked as a ‘foreman painter’. He had originally served with 9DWR, going to France in December 1916, but had served overseas for only six weeks before being invalided back to England suffering from piles. The date and circumstances of his joining 10DWR are unknown. Charles Brown, James Knight, James Proctor and Alfred Spence were all original members of the Battalion but, in the absence of a surviving service record, I am unable to make a positive identification of any of these men or establish any details of their service. I am also unable to identify or to establish any detals of the service of James Wilcox.

Pte. Harry Moore (16991) (see 24^th June 1918), who had been serving at the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia, was also posted back to England for demobilization.

A/Sgt. Fred Greenwood MM (24522) (see 21^st March) and Charles Knight (see 5^th March) serving with 505^th Prisoner of War Company at San Bonifacio, were formally taken on to the strength of the unit having previously been on attachment from 10DWR. Sgt. John Stephenson (see 5^th March), also on attachment to the same unit, departed for England on two weeks’ leave.

Cpl. Arthur Lee MM (see 18^th March), serving with 8^th Yorks. and Lancs., was formally reported as ‘absent without leave’ having failed to return from leave to England.

Pte. Frederick William Warner (see 27^th February) was discharged from Graylingwell War Hospital, Chichester and posted to a convalescent hospital (details unknown); he was recovering from scabies and impetigo.

2Lt. Maurice Tribe MC (see 22^nd August 1918) was formally discharged from his work with the Ministry of Munitions, in which he had been engaged in lieu of regimental duty; his address at the time was address 12a Colville Square, Notting Hill.

Pte. Edward Mawle (see 25^th October 1918), who had been in England since October 1918, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit due to wounds suffered in action; he was assessed as having a 60% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 16s. 6d., to be reviewed after one year. 


Pte. Reginald Jerry Northin (see 21^st February) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit due to wounds suffered in action; he was assessed as having suffered a 30% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 8s. 3d., to be reviewed after one year.

CSM Ernest James Odell (see 12^th January) and Sgt. James Walker MM (see 24^th January) were formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

A payment of £32 8s. 11d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £27 10s.) to the late Sgt. William Allen Sayer MM (see 24^th January), who had died of wounds on 30^th October 1918; the payment would go to his widow, Maria. She would also receive a parcel of her late husband’s personal effects comprising of, ‘letters, photos, pipe, 1 wound stripe, metal watch and chain, 1 pair of titles, 1 cap badge, whistle and strap, purse, MM brooch, farthing”.

A payment of £28 19s. 11d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £27) to the late Sgt. Percy James Dawson (see 27^th October 1918), who had been officially ‘missing in action’ since the crossing of the Piave. A sum of £9 13s. 4d. was for the benefit of his widow, Mary, and she would receive a further £19 6s. 7d. expressly for their children.

A payment of £27 4s. 10d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £16) to the late Pte. Ernest Mallinson (see 30^th October 1918), who had died of wounds on 30^th October 1918; the payment would go to his father, Tom.

The London Gazette published notice of the gallantry awards relating to the crossing of the Piave. There were second awards of the Military Medal for RSM Charles Edward Parker, DCM, MM (see 26^th March) and Pte. Ned Metcalfe MM (see 18^th March). A further 18 men would also be awarded the Military Medal: Sgt. John Ratlidge (see 17^th March); Cpls. Herbert Axe (see 7^th March), Alfred Bradbury (see 8^th November 1918), William Hay Murdock (see 8^th February) and Alfred Sayer (see 5^th March); L.Cpls. Harry Bailey (25248) (see 15^th February) and Percy Simpson (see above); and Ptes. John William Bonner (see 27^th October 1918), Jack Boulter (see 28^th February), Frank Dodgson (see 15^th February), Joseph Holmes (see 12^th March), William Johnson (13666), James Palmer (see 3^rd February), Ezra Plumb (see 18^th February), George Smith (14547) (see 19^th March), Matthew Stone (see 23^rd February), Dennis Tumilty (see 27^th October 1918) and William Wigglesworth (17891) (see 28^th February).