Thursday 16th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

Pte. Frederick William Warner (see 15^th September 1918) was admitted via 71^st Field Ambulance to 62^nd General Hospital in Marseilles; he was suffering from scabies. 

Cpl. Percival John Munn (see 18^th December 1918) and Ptes. William Henry Cleaver (see 18^th August 1918), Thomas Edward Sear (see 11^th August 1918), Harry Squire (see 12^th October 1917), Abraham Sunderland (see 4^th August 1918) and Charley Wadsworth (see 16^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 Cleaver, Squire and Wadsworth, by Capt. James Watson Paterson (see 15^th January) and for Munn, Sear and Sunderland by Capt. Paul James Sainsbury (see 28^th December).

Pte. Walter Robinson (15117) (see 26^th September 1917), who had been severely wounded in September 1917 while serving with 8DWR, resulting in the amputation of his left leg, was discharged from 2^nd Northern General Hospital in Leeds having spent 482 days in hospital.

A request was received and approved for Lt. Charles Frederick Wolfe (see 5^th October 1918), former Transport Officer to 10DWR, now serving with the RASC, to be retained in the Army and employed as an Assistant Officer in the RASC Record Office at Woolwich Dockyard.

Lt. Charles Douglas Storrs MC (see 18^th January 1918) who had served briefly with 10DWR in April 1916 before transferring to the Royal Engineers, was appointed Temporary Adjutant to his unit.

Pte. Walter William Ford (see 10^th January) and William Noel Simpson (see 22^nd December 1918) who had been officially struck off the strength of 10DWR whilst on leave in England, were formally transferred to 3DWR at North Shields.

Pte. Thomas Charles Jaques (see 15^th December 1918), having had his leave extended whilst in England, was formally demobilized from the Dispersal Centre at Grantham.

Pte. Percival Albert Wiggins (see 9^th September 1918), who was on attachment from 3DWR to 115^th Training Reserve Battalion at Clipstone Camp, was medically examined prior to being demobilized. The examining officer reported that, “He complains of swelling of feet when walking and pain about the ankles”. He was formally demobilized from Chiseldon the same day.

Pte. Richard Harrison (see 12^th December 1918), who had been in England since having been wounded on 27^th October 1918, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

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

Tuesday 14th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

Pte. Edwin Baldwin (see 26^th September 1918), serving in France with the Motor Transport Section of the Army Service Corps, was ordered to be confined to barracks for three days and to be deprived of three days’ pay having been ‘absent from 9.30pm roll call parade on 13^th to 6.30am on the 14^th’.

Pte. Arthur Walton (see 28^th October 1918), who been officially ‘absent without leave’ since failing to return from leave to England, surrendered himself to the Police in Leeds. He was then ordered to be despatched, under escort, to the Rest Camp at Southampton, pending a return to Italy. In actual fact, he would be posted to 3DWR, then stationed at Great Crosby, Liverpool; here he would be ordered to forfeit 78 days’ pay.

2Lt. John Davis MM (see 12^th July 1918), who had been on light duties with 3DWR in England since having been wounded on 7^th June 1917, appeared before a further Army Medical Board. The Board reported that there had been no improvement in 2Lt. Davis’ condition since his previous board; “Still has pain over wound and pain running down to wrist and between 1^st and 2^nd fingers. Scar is adherent.” He was instructed to re-join 3DWR.

2Lt. John Davis MM

Pte. Isaac Robinson (see 8^th January), who was on leave in England, was formally demobilized from the Dispersal Centre at Ripon.

Pte. William John Thomas Hurst (see 3^rd January) was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Capt. Alan G. Tindill, 17^th Northumberland Fusiliers, brother of 2Lt. Lawrence Tindill MM (see 7^th January), who had been officially missing in action since 21^st June 1918, wrote to the War Office regarding his brother:

“I beg to bring before you the following particulars regarding the above officer who was reported missing from the British forces on the Italian Front on June 21^st 1918.

This officer took part in a raid organised by his Battalion on the night of June 21^st on the Austrian positions on the Ave sector and when the raid was over it was found that Lt. Tindill and Pte Goodship (Pte. John James Goodship, see 7^th January) were missing. Pte Goodship is now officially known to be a prisoner in the hands of the Austrians.

On 21^st August (sic.; recte 26^th August) the above Battalion carried out another raid on the Austrian positions in the same sector and in the course of the operations some Austrian officers were captured, one of whom in examination stated that on the night of 21^st June they captured an English officer and a private and the description he gave was a correct one of Lt. Tindill. The Austrian officer stated that Lt. Tindill had several times been taken up to points of observation by his captors with a view to obtaining information as to the British positions, which information Lt. Tindill had refused to give.

These particulars can, I feel sure, be confirmed by Lt. Col. Lethbridge DSO (Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO, see 12^th January), who was commanding 10^th West Riding Regt. up to August 21^st. Up to the present no word has been received officially from or concerning this officer, but a letter has been received from a Major Town (Maj. William Norman Town, see 6^th January) of 10^th West Riding Regt. stating that after the Armistice the bodies of an officer and corporal had been found and that presumably this officer was Lt Tindill.

I shall be glad if you will take this matter up with a view to obtaining some definite particulars regarding Lt Tindill’s fate.

Monday 13th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

Pte. Reginald Hancock (see 17^th December 1918), serving with 497^th Home Service Employment Company, was medically examined prior to being demobilized. The examining officer reported that Pte. Hancock, “complains of shortness of breath. Wound of entrance upper part middle third of sternum. No exit. Bullet said to be in left chest. No x-ray plate available. Chest expansion good. Heart normal”. He determined that Pte. Hancock had suffered no disability and that, therefore, no pension should be payable.

A package of personal effects belonging to the late Pte. Thomas Kay (see 19^th May 1917), who had been killed in action on 19^th May 1917, was despatched to Pte. Kay’s mother; the package comprised of wallet, letters, photos, disc”. However, presumably on account of the terms of Pte. Kay’s will, the effects were forwarded with the proviso that, “These effects are to be handed up to the father on his reappearance”. This provision would also explain why no payment had yet been authorised of the credit amount of £2 19s. 6d. which was due to Pte. Kay at the time of his death.

Sunday 12th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

It appears to have been around mid to late January, although the exact date cannot be confirmed, that a series of photographs were taken at Montecchia. Two of the photographs survive amongst the collection of Capt. Dick Bolton MC (see 17^th December 1918)  and two others have been obtained independently.

One image was captioned by Capt. Bolton as “Sgts of A Coy 10 DofW at Montecchia di Crosara” and has seven of the eight men identified as (standing) ‘Vickers, Nichols, Exley, Hoggarth’ (seated) ‘Maunders, Odell, Briggs’. The eighth man (standing to the right) is not named by Capt. Bolton. The identities of Sgts. Lionel Vickers (see 6^th November 1918), Willie Nichols (see 1^st December 1918), Sydney Alec Exley (see 23^rd May 1918; it is not known when he had been promoted), Albert Hoggarth (see 20^th November 1918), Bob Maunders (see 5th December 1918) and CSM Ernest James Odell (see 5^th January) are quite clear. However, I am unable to identify any ‘Sgt. Briggs’ as serving with 10DWR at this time. I believe the eight (unnamed) man to be Sgt. James Walker MM (see 6^th January).

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

All eight of these men also feature in a second photograph, captioned by Capt. Bolton as, “Senior NCO’s 10^th DofW Regt. at Montecchia di Crosara, Feb. (sic.) 1919”. This group photograph is clearly taken outside the church in Montecchia. Also among those identified in this photograph are RSM Charles Edward Parker, DCM, MM (see 14^th December 1918) and RQMS Frank Stephenson (see 27^th November 1918) (seated fourth and fifth from the left respectively). These two are flanked by the four Company Segeant Majors, three of whom I believe to be, second left, A/CSM Middleton Busfield MSM (see 7^th January) (note the medal ribbon of the Meritorious Service Medal, but also the absence of CSM sleeve badge, as he held the rank on an acting basis); third left, CSM Odell (see above); and seventh left, CSM Alfred Dolding (see 23^rd December 1918) (note the wound stripe on the lower left sleeve). The remaining men are, as yet, unidentified. 

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

In addition to these two photographs, copies of two further images have been identified, taken in the same location and presumably on the same day. These appear to show the men of two companies, assembled ahead of the increasing departure of men for demobilization.

The first image is clearly ‘A’ Company, as the eight sergeants identified by Capt. Bolton are seated across the front row, together with RQMS Stephenson (see above), who had been CQMS to ‘A’ Company prior to being promoted to his regimental post. I believe the two officers to be, on the left, 2Lt. Albert Joseph Acarnley MC (see 26^th October 1918) and, on the right, Lt. Herbert Edwin James Biggs (see 5^th January). The remaining men are, as yet, unidentified.

The second image, I believe to be ‘B’ Company, with Capt. Henry Kelly VC, MC (see 31st October 1918), seated five from the left, and CSM Busfield, seated third left. The other officers seated along the front row I believe to be from fourth left, 2Lt. Wilfred Frederick John Thomson MC (see 2^nd December 1918) (note the Military Cross ribbon), Capt. Kelly (see above), Maj. James Christopher Bull MC (see 6^th January), Lt.Col. Francis Washington Lethbridge DSO (see 6^th January), Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 6^th January), Capt. James Watson Paterson (see 6^th January), and two, as yet unidentified officers.

Pte. Walter James Biddle (see 22^nd November 1918) was discharged from hospital (details unknown) in Marseilles and posted to the Base Depot at Arquata Scrivia.   

Pte. Fred Teal (see 8^th December 1918), who was on leave in England, was officially struck off the strength of 10DWR.

Saturday 11th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

L.Cpl. Albert Nixon (see 14^th March 1918) and Pte. William Andrew Leiper Long (see 5^th December 1918) departed for England on two weeks’ leave.

Pte. Harry Jackson (24186) (see 21^st October 1918) was evacuated to England; on arrival in England he would be admitted to hospital in Eastleigh.

Cpl. Alfred Taylor (see 30^th November), serving with 69^th Brigade Trench Mortar Battery, was posted back to England for demobilization; the formalities for him would be completed at North Camp, Ripon.

Ptes. Arthur Clark (25164) (see 27^th December 1918) and Arthur James Miles (see 6^th December 1918), who were on leave in England, were officially struck off the strength of 10DWR, as a precursor to being demobilized.

Pte. Frank Wood (3/11631) (see 1^st June 1918), serving with 25^th Garrison Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps, was posted back to England for demobilization.

Sgt. James Leach (see 20^th May 1916), who had been serving on the Army Gymnastic Staff as a Sergeant Instructor, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to sickness suffered in service; he was awarded a pension of 6s. 6d. per week.

Pte. Harry Hey (15995) (see 17^th October 1916), who had been serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers, was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service, having been gassed and suffering from neurasthenia. He was assessed as having suffered a 50% disability and was awarded an Army pension of £1 13s. 5d. per week.

Friday 10th January 1919

Billets at Grumolo and Montecchia di Crosara

A/Sgt. George William Keeling MM (see 28^th October 1918), Cpls. Stephen Grady (see 30^th September 1918) and Walter Smith (18428) (see 25^th August 1918), L.Cpl. Thomas Riding (see 7^th October 1918), and Ptes. Robert Henry Arnold MM (see 21^st October 1918), Joseph Dagger (see 29^th October 1917) and William James Nunn (see 26^th November 1918) departed on two weeks’ leave to England.

Pte. Cuthbert Dyer (see 3^rd January) was posted back to England in preparation for being released from the Army.


L.Cpl. James Barker (12288) (see 5^th July 1918), serving with 2^nd Reserve Battalion Machine Gun Corps, based at Belton Park, Grantham, was admitted to East Leeds War Hospital. He would be operated upon for the amputation of the little finger of his left hand which had been fractured when he had been wounded in October 1916. It was noted that, “Wound now healed, but had broken down several times. Amputation through metacarpal bone, near head thereof. Hand is defective, though still quite useful”. After six days he would be discharged to the Dispersal Centre at Rugeley in preparation for demobilization.

Pte. John George Inshaw (see 23^rd December 1918), who was on leave in England, was demobilized from no.1 Dispersal Unit at Chiseldon Camp, Wilts.. His final medical examination found that he reported, “Swelling on instep of right foot, arising in November 1917 and caused through marching. There is tenderness dorsal to right foot. He has hammer toes and slight deformity of the foot which he states was present on joining the Army”; the injury was considered to have been aggravated, rather than caused by, his military service and to have caused less than 20% disablement. He was therefore not deemed eligible for any pension payment. 

Cpl. William Hay Murdock (see 18^th December 1918) and Ptes. Thomas Henry Dixon (see 22^nd December), Walter William Ford (see 20^th July 1918), Michael Langley (see 1^st March) and William Noel Simpson (see 22^nd December 1918) who were on leave in England, were officially struck off the strength of 10DWR. Murdock, Dixon and Simpson were discharged from the Dispersal Centre at Ripon; Ford from Chiseldon; and Langley from Prees Heath.

Pte. Henry Charles Lindsay (see 18^th November 1918), serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was reported absent off his Christmas leave; he would report at 11.50pm on 16^th January and would be admonished but suffer no formal punishment.

Pte. Ernest Anderson was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. He had been an original member of 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 more detail about his military service.

Pte. John McGowan was also formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. He had served with both 2DWR (going to France in May 1915) and 8DWR before joining 10DWR (date and circumstances unknown). In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to make a positive identification of this man or to establish any more detail about his military service.