A Luton soldier who had taken part in the battle of the River Piave in June 1918 that threw the Austrians out of occupied Italy described what he had gone through, and vented his anger on men in Britain who had gone on strike while he and his comrades were fighting. In a letter reproduced in the first edition of the 'N-T-F & Tuesday Telegraph' of December 3rd, 1918, Pte W. H. Darby wrote to his employer, Mr F. C. Bailey, of Williamson Street:

“Yes, I think our 'boys' out here, with the help of the Italians, have done more to end the war quickly than is seen on the surface. Had the Austrians prevented us from crossing the River Piave, which is about one and a half miles wide where we crossed (although it is not one large river but a matter of 12 mountain streams all flowing with a fast current in the one river bed) things might have been different. What work it was to cross, with no bridges and a terrible gun fire, not counting bombs and shells. I'll leave you to guess how bravely the work was done.

“Once across, and the enemy's first line taken, it became hard work to catch him up. It was some sight to see the prisoners rolling in, not in tens but in the thousands. There was no fight left in them. But it was a terrible sight to see the dead Austrians lying in all directions. There were very few of our 'boys'.

“Our creeping barrage was great, and did not give the enemy much chance. But a worse plight was to see the poor, starved civilians who had clung to their homes since the Italian retreat just over a year ago. They have had an awful time under the rule of the Austrians.

I would like, now that all fighting is finished, to see every man who struck work during the war put straight way into khaki and sent out to garrison duty abroad for three or four years, and the jobs they have been coining money at given to the 'Tommies' who have done all the dirty work for them. I feel very strongly about this, and I am only one of hundreds of thousands who think this.

“When we come back to civilian life we shall find all the best jobs will be held by the men who have had the benefits, whilst we who have suffered the discomforts of active service will have other jobs given to us, and if we murmur will be told to go back into the Army.

“I can see a serious bust-up coming on in England when the 'boys' are discharged.”