Thanks to Michal Kubeček, the source of the VMware problem with Kernel 4.18-rc1 has been found, and a Kernel patch produced:  http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1806.2/02730.html

I have applied this, and can confirm that VMware (14.1.2 patched) now operates correctly..

The kernel patch now has to run the gauntlet of the LKML ‘review process’, and so may be changed over time, but this version does the job..

Robert Gadsdon.   June 19, 2018.