Monday 7th April 1919

2Lt. Cyril Edward Agar (see 29^th March), having returned to England with the cadre of the Battalion, was demobilized from the Dispersal Centre at Ripon; he gave his address as 88 Rotherham Road, Scarborough and he would resume his pre-war employment as a clerk.

2Lt. Cyril Edward Agar

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

Pte. Joseph Dixon (see 5^th October 1917) was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Ernest Jobling (see 8^th December 1916), who had been serving with the ASC, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Ernest Jobling (standing)

Pte. Thomas George Coates (see 21^st March 1918), who had been serving with 406^th Agricultural Company, Labour Corps was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

A pension award was made in the case of the late L.Cpl. Arthur Clark MM (25966) (see 24^th January), who had been officially missing in action since 26^th August 1918; his widow, Lilian, was awarded 29s. 7d. per week for herself and her three children.

An increase was authorised to the pension award in respect of the late Pte. Fred Benson (see 31^st October 1916) who had been killed in action in July 1916; his widowed mother, Ann, was to be awarded 12s. 6d. per week for life, instead of the 5s. 6d. per week she had received hitherto.

Pte. Fred Benson

Further correspondence was exchanged regarding the affairs of the late Capt. Bob Perks DSO (see 27^th March); a cheque, dated 21^st October 1918, for 150 lire signed by Capt. Perks for a payment to the ‘Expeditionary Force Canteen’ was the matter at issue. The cheque had been returned marked ‘drawer killed’ and therefore the amount was to be deducted from the payment due to be paid on Capt. Perks’ account.

Capt. Bob Perks DSO

Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson

Sunday 6th April 1919

Lt. Ronald Ferguson (see 29^th March), having returned to England with the cadre of the Battalion, was demobilized from the Dispersal Centre at Crystal Palace; he gave his address as The Hollies, Weybridge, Surrey and he would take up employment at the Stock Exchange, alongside his father.

Sgt. William Proctor (see 8^th March), who had been serving with 298^th Railway Company, Royal Engineers, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Frank Bates (see 5^th July 1916), who had been serving with the Labour Corps, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. John Parkinson (see 21^st June 1918), who had had the second finger of his left hand amputated having been wounded in June 1918, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z; he was assessed as having a 20% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 5s. 6d. per week, to be reviewed after one year.

Pte. Harry Pullin (see 20^th December 1918), who had been serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z; having been wounded in August 1918 he was assessed as having a 40% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 11s. per week, to be reviewed after one year.

Saturday 5th April 1919

Maj. William Norman Town (see 4^th April) and Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 4^th April) travelled from London to Halifax, where, at the Regimental Depot, the trophies and documents of the Battalion were handed over.

Capt. Dick Bolton MC (see 11^th March), who had been serving as Brigade Major with 69^th Brigade HQ, was posted back to England to take up employment with the War Office.

Capt. Dick Bolton MC

Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton

The remaining men of the cadre of the cadre of the Battalion returned to England. CSM Fred Pattison DCM (see 29^th March), A/CSM Middleton Busfield MSM (see 29^th March), A/CQMS George Alfred Giles (see 29^th March), Sgts. Herbert Grayshon (see 29^th March), John Scott (see 29^th March), Harry Smith (12240) (see 29^th March), George Edward Smitham (see 29^th March) and James Wilcox (see 29^th March); L.Sgt. Harold Bray (18231) (see 29^th March), Cpls. Charles Brown (see 29^th March) and John William Warner (see 29^th March), L.Cpls. Harry Leaper (see 29^th March), Percy Simpson (see 29^th March), Victor Lawson Smith (see 29^th March) and Ellis Watson (see 29th March); and Ptes. John Stanley Armitage (see 29^th March), William John Beeby (see 29^th March), Joe Arthur Bentley (see 29^th March), John Blackburn (see 29^th March), Samuel Cordingley (see 29^th March), David Eli Dyson (see 29^th March), Albert Edon (see 29^th March), James Albert Garbutt (see 29^th March), George Green (22749) (see 29^th March), Alfred Hall (see 29th March), Joseph Hirst (29641) (see 29^th March), James Knight (see 29^th March), Tom Midgley (see 29^th March), Henry Pike (see 29^th March), Tom Platts MM (see 29^th March), James Proctor (see 29^th March), Eddy Speak (see 29^th March), Alfred Spence (see 29^th March), Samuel Stansfield (see 29^th March), William Stokes (see 29^th March), Harry Sugden (see 29^th March), Albert Edward Trevor (see 29^th March), Fred Melton Vasey (see 29^th March), George Wheatley (see 29^th March), Arthur Walter Williams (see 29^th March) and Ernest Wilson (11751) (see 29^th March) were posted back to England from Le Havre and would be formally demobilized from the Dispersal centre at Ripon over the following few days. 

Pte. Leonard Briggs (see 22^nd February), who had been serving as a batman at 69^th Brigade HQ was also posted back to England for demobilization


Maj. Edward Borrow DSO (see 27^th October 1918) was appointed to a staff post in ‘Class bb’; the details of this appointment are unknown.

Maj. Edward Borrow DSO

Pte. Frederick McKell (see 6^th March), who had been serving in France with 1^st/7^thDWR, was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

A payment of £23 1s. 8d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £15) to the late Pte. Alfred Ambler (see 12^th October 1918) who had been killed in action on 12^th October 1918 while serving in France with 1^st/6^th DWR; the payment would go jointly to his father, George, and mother, Sarah.

A payment of £21 19s. 4d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £10) to the late Pte. George Towler Brown (see 28^thOctober) who had died of wounds on 28^th October 1918; the payment would go to his mother, Ellen. She would also receive a package of her late son’s personal effects, comprising of, ‘wallet, watch in case (broken)’.

Friday 4th April 1919

Maj. William Norman Town (see 3^rd April) and Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 3^rd April) arrived in Southampton and from there travelled to London.

2Lt. George Wallace Fricker (see 26^th March), who had been serving with 3DWR, was formally demobilized.

Ptes. James Butterworth (see 29^th March), Joseph Alfred Formby (see 29^th March), Louis Frank Lewis (see 29^th March), Albert Mellor (see 29^th March), Maurice Paignton (see 29^th March) and William Edmond Smith (see 29^th March) from the cadre of the Battalion were posted to England from Le Havre for demobilization; Lewis, Paignton would be demobilized from Fovant; Mellor from Heaton Park; and Smith from Crystal Palace.

Pte. Samuel Wilkinson (see 19^th March), who had been in hospital for treatment for gonorrhoea, was transferred from Seaforth Auxiliary Hospital in Dingwall back to 2^nd Western General Hospital in Manchester.

Pte. John Johnstone (see 4th July 1917) was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Thursday 3rd April 1919

Overnight, 3^rd/4^th Maj. William Norman Town (see 29^th March) and Capt. Leonard Norman Phillips MC (see 29^th March) travelled from Le Havre to Southampton onboard an American transport ship, the Nopatin. 

Pte. Reginald Dayson (see 21^st March), who was a prisoner at no.1 Military Prison at Rouen, was returned transferred to England to serve the remainder of his sentence; he travelled onboard the SS Nirvana, and would be admitted to Portland Prison, Dorset.

A/Capt. Fred Baume (see 8^th April 1918), who had been serving as an Area Anti-Gas Officer, was formally released from the Army and relinquished his acting rank of Captain on ceasing to hold his appointment; he reverted to the rank of Lieutenant.

Ptes. Samuel Lawton Birtles (see 31^st January), Owen Frank Hyde (see 1^st March), Ernest Portman (see 3^rd March) and Richard Henry Wedgbury (see 3^rd March) were officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Herbert Unwin (see 15^th March), who had been in England since having been wounded in October 1918, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. He was assessed as having a 20% disability and was awarded an Army pension of 5s. 6d. per week, to be reviewed after one year.

Cpl. Joseph Herbert Kenworthy MM (see 7^th June 1918), who had been serving with 23^rd Battalion Machine Gun Corps, was released from the Army; having originally enlisted on a territorial engagement he was formally recorded as having been ‘disembodied’ rather than transferred to the Reserve or discharged.

Pte. Anthony Goulding (see 23^rd May 1916), who had been serving in France with 2DWR, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Ernest Fozard (see 22^nd September 1918), who had been serving in France with 9DWR, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Jack Grady (see 7^th June 1917), who had been serving with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, was officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z; he would be awarded an Army pension on the grounds that he had suffered ‘chest trouble and shellshock’ as a result of his service.

Carl Parrington Branthwaite (see 18^th November 1918), who had been permanently discharged from the Army on account of illness contracted in service, appeared before a further Army Medical Board in Bradford. The Board restated his 100% disability, confirmed that he should remain in a convalescent hospital and ordered his case to be reviewed again in six months.

Percy Geldard (see 20^th October 1917), who had been discharged from the Army on account of wounds in June 1917, appeared before a Medical Board assembled in Accrington. The Board reported his condition to be ‘unchanged; no improvement’ from his previous Board, held in October 1917; however, their assessment of his degree of disability was revised from 20% to 50% and his pension increased to £1 per week, to be reviewed after one year.

A payment of £25 12s. 6d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £14 10s.) to the late Pte. William Dixon (see 13^th December 1918), who had died of wounds on 28^th October 1918; the payment would go to his father, William.

Pte. William Dixon

A payment of £36 19s. 1d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £16 10s.) to the late Pte. Ramsden Pyrah (see 30^th October), who had died of wounds on 30^th October 1918; the payment would go to his mother, Hannah. She would also receive a package of her late son’s personal effects, comprising of, ‘pouch, cigarette lighter, religious books, cigarette case, note book, wallet, letters, photos’.

Wednesday 2nd April 1919

The cadre of the Battalion completed their train journey, arriving at No.1 Rest Camp at Le Havre where the Battalion was ‘broken up’. 

Pte. Tom Clark Lockett was transferred to the British Army of the Rhine and was also appointed Acting Corporal on transfer. He was a 32 year-old theatrical scenery painter from Wolverhampton; he had originally served with 1^st/5^th DWR but, in the absence of a surviving service record, it has not been possible to establish when he had joined 10DWR nor any details of his military service.

Pte. Ernest Townsend (see 13^th March), serving with 3DWR in Crosby, was reported as “Being improperly dressed in town: ie having the buttons of his overcoat unfastened; and stating a falsehood to the Provost Corps: ie giving a wrong regimental number”; he was ordered to be confined to barracks for seven days.

Pte. James Deeks (see 24^th March 1917) was formally discharged from the Army as no longer physically fit for service due to sickness; he had been wounded while serving with 10DWR early in 1917 and had subsequently (date and details unknown) been transferred to the Labour Corps.

CQMS Hubert Charles Hoyle (see 16^th October 1918) and Ptes. Walter Barker (see 3^rd February), William Arthur Birch Machin (see 23^rd July 1918), William Naylor (see 12^th February), Isaac Raisman (see 18^th February 1918) and Walter Umpleby (see 8^th February) were officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Sgt. Harry Holmes MM (see 31^st January) and Ptes. John Hargreaves (18009) (see 15^th February), Charles McDermott (see 8^th February) and Sidney John Rainbow (see 8^th November), who had been serving with 3DWR at North Shields, were officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Fred Hargreaves (13528) (see 10^th July 1916), who had been serving with 9DWR, was also formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

The London Gazette published notice of the award of the Military Cross to 2Lt. Harry Waddington (see 3rd February), which he had been awarded while serving in France with 1^st/7^th DWR.

Thomas Whitaker, father of the late 2Lt. Samuel Whitaker (see 11^th March) who had died from ‘influenza and broncho-pneumonia’ shortly after returning home from Italy, wrote regarding the administration of his son’s estate:

“My son, 2^nd. Lieut. Samuel Whitaker, enlisted in the 16^th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment at Bradford on 21^st September 1914 and served with the Battalion in Egypt and France, first as a Private and subsequenly as a Lance Corporal. On the 28^th May 1918 he was discharged in consequence of having been appointed to a temporary commission with in the 3^rd West Riding Regiment, after serving 3 years, 250 days with the colours. He then served in Italy as 2^nd. Lieut. In the 10^th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and was demobilized at Clipstone on 17^th February last. He died on 26^th February last from pneumonia following an attack of influenza contracted on the journey from Italy.

He was married on 8^th May 1918 to Dora Russell Graves, by whom he is survived; there are no children of the marriage. I made application, on behalf of my son’s widow, to the Regimental Paymaster at York for payment of the Rank Service Gratuity to which she is entitled for her husband’s service and he replies that all claims for deceased officers are being dealt with by you and that the application should be sent to you. I shall be glad to hear from you regarding the claim as soon as may be. The deceased’s Clearance Certificate has been sent to Messrs. Cox & Co.”.

His previous letter of March 1919 (exact date uncertain) had laid out details of his son’s illness and death, 

“He left Italy on 7^th February 1919 for England for demobilization. He arrived at Clipstone on Sunday, 16^th February, about 11pm. It was bitterly cold and there was a heavy fall of snow. He had to wait outside the Camp there until about 2.30am when he received his Protection Certificate. He had some breakfast about 6am and left Clipstone about 9.30am and arrived at Keighley at about 2.30pm on the 17^th of February. He stated that the journey from Italy to Clipstone had been a long and most uncomfortable one. He was looking ill on arrival home and shivering with cold. He said he was afraid the previous night at Clipstone had ‘done for him’. After a cup of tea and a hot bath he went to bed and never got up again. The Doctor was called in on Wednesday the 19^th and said he was suffering from acute influenza. He died on the 26^th of February from (1) influenza (2) bronchial pneumonia. 

He was married on 6^th May 1918 to Dora Russell Graves, who survives him. There are no children of the marriage. Will you kindly inform me (1) what gratuity my son is entitled to (2) the amount of pension to which his widow is entitled and for what period it is payable”. 

A payment of £16 8s. 3d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £12 10s.) to the late Pte. Willie Cowgill (see 22^nd November 1918), who had died of wounds on 27^th October 1918; the payment would go to his widow, Amy, with £11 5s. 6d. expressly for the benfit of their two daughters, Winnie and Phyllis. She would also receive a parcel of her late husband’s personal effects, comprising of, “letters, photos, cigarette case, spectacles in case, knife, purse, wallet, 3 Italian coins”.

Pte. Willie Cowgill

Tuesday 1st April 1919

The cadre of the Battalion continued their train journey across France, travelling via Malesherbes and reaching Juvisy-sur-Orge, just south of Paris.

Pte. Frank William Rabjohn (see 6^th March), was discharged from 2^nd General Hospital at Le Havre and re-posted to Italy; he would arrive at the GHQ Concentration Camp at Tavernelle one week later.

Pte. John William Addison (see 22^nd March) was discharged from Keighley War Hospital and demobilized. 

Pte. John William Mallinson (see 11^th February), on attachment to 151^st Protection Company, Royal Defence Corps, was officially struck off the strength of his unit and posted to Newcastle for demobilization. The unexpired portion of the sentence of imprisonment which had been imposed on him whilst serving with 10DWR was now formally remitted.

Lt. Ernest Cyril Coke (see 18^th December 1918), who had been serving with 3DWR at North Shields, was formally released from the Army, with the formalities completed at no.1 Dispersal Unit at Crystal Palace. Lt. Coke’s address on discharge would be Enfield Lodge, Christchurch Road, Folkestone. He would return to his pre-war occupation as a civil engineer.

Pte. Edgar Baron (see 1^st March) was released from active service; having originally enlisted on a Territorial Force attestation, he was recorded as having been ‘disembodied’, rather than transferred to Class Z.

Pte. Wilfred Barrett (see 20^th September 1917) was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Ernest Bottom was formally transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. He was 31 years old and from Huddersfield, where, before enlisting in 1916, he had worked as a chocolate maker. He had originally served with 2DWR before being transferred to 10DWR and had, at some point (date and details unknown) suffered wounds to his back. In the absence of a surviving service record I am unable to establish more detail of his service beyond the fact that he had still been serving with 10DWR in Italy in February 1919.

Pte. Harry Martin (see 25^th October 1915), who had been serving with the ASC, was also transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z.

Pte. Charles Smith (12380) (see 26^th June 1918), serving in England with the Royal Defence Corps, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z; he was assessed as having suffered a 50% disability on account of the wounds he had suffered in July 1916 and was awarded an Army pension of 13s. 9d. per week.

Pte. Eber Casson Sykes (see 2^nd March), who had been serving in France with 298^th Reserve Labour Company, was also officially transferred to the Army Reserve Class Z. Having been wounded in July 1916, he was awarded an Army pension of 5s. 6d. per week, to be reviewed after one year.

A payment of £6 3s. 4d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances to the late Pte. Thomas Henry Hemingway (see 27^th October 1918), who had been killed in action on 27^th October 1918; the payment would go to his widow, Ann.

A payment of £33 18s. 11d. was authorised, being the amount due in pay and allowances (including a war gratuity of £24 10s.) to the late Pte. Squire Topham; (see 27^th December 1918), who had been killed in action on 27^th October 1918; the payment would go to his father, Edward.