Remembrance – Wilfred Hart Harris

by | Jun 14, 2020 | Remembrance

Today, Sunday 14th June, we remember Sempringham man Private Wilfred Hart Harris 1116, who died on this day from the effects of gas. He served with both the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and then the 2nd battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

Wilfred was born in Millthorpe, nr Pointon Lincolnshire early in 1894 to Philip and Mary Elizabeth Harris. Philip was a farmer’s son born on the 11th October 1864 in Millthorpe, who married Mary Elizabeth Hart in 1886 in the Bourne area. She was born in Renhold Bedfordshire on the 25th August 1860 and had been working as a housemaid in Nottingham in 1881.

The couple settled in Dowsby after the marriage in 1886 where they were to start their family, Philip working initially as a general labourer before moving back to Millthorpe in 1894 befoe eventually taking over his father’s farm after his death in 1896 .

The couple were to go on and raise a family of eight children:-
• Harold Philip Harris, 1887, Dowsby
• Mabel Constance Harris, 1889, Dowsby
• George William Harris, 1890, Dowsby
• Cecil Charles Harris, 1891, Dowsby
• Wilfred Hart Harris, 1894, Millthorpe
• Laurence Henry Harris, 1895, Millthorpe
• Percy Harris, 1897, Millthorpe
• Gordon Harris, 1899, Millthorpe

Wilfed can be found on the 1901 census living with his family in Millthorpe before moving out to become Farm Waggoner working for the Michelson family in Millthorpe by 1911.

Wilfred’s full service records cannot be found and are thought to have been burnt during the Blitz when the London warehouse that housed the WW1 was subject to a fire that destroyed over 60% of all records. The following potted history of Wilfred’s Army service has been pieced together from other remaining records such as Pension, Discharge and Medals records.

On the 4th November 1914 Wilfred enlisted on the Army and was posted to the 10th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, ‘The Grimsby Chums’, ready for his training.

The Battalion had been raised in Grimsby by the Mayor and started recruiting on the 9th September 1914. The battalion was billeted in Grimsby, the HQ being the Drill Hall and equipped by contracts made by the raiser with private firms payment being made by Northern Command either direct or by an Officer’s impact account, the Battalion was finally taken over by the war office in July 1915.
The Battalion moved form Grimsby to Brocklesby Park on Initially the Battalion was Brigaded on the 28th December 1914 to the 115th Infantry Brigade.

Their training continued at Brocklesby Park through the first half of 1915 being inspected by the 115th OC Brigadier General Bowles on the 19th February.
On the 23rd April they took part in a route concentration march from the South Humber Defences to Barnetby-Le-Beck were it was inspected by Brigadier General Nugent.
Training continued and the next month saw the Battalion entrained on the 19th May bound for Cleethorpes from where it Marched through Cleethorpes and Grimsby, halting to be addressed by the Mayor. The march occupied from 6pm to 8.30pm at which time the Battalion entrained at Grimsby and returned to Brocklesby.

Their next posting was to Studley Royal Camp in Ripon on the 17th June where it joined the 101st Infantry Brigade, part of the 34th Division. The 101st Brigade consisted of the 10th Lincs, 15th and 16th Royal Scots and the 11th Battalion Suffolk Regiment.
They were kept on the move for the next couple of Months as next was Musketry Firing Parts 1 and 2 and General Musketry course at Strenshall Camp, York where 76% of the Battalion qualified.
After being taken over by the War Office in July the training continued and on the 23rd of August the Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Lt-Col G.E. Heneage was sent for 5 days with the British Expeditionary Force. The 28th of August the Battalion was on the move again, moving to Peckham Down on Salisbury Plain, Lt-Col Heneage re-joining them the next day on return from France.

Their new camping ground having been in constant use for a long period was in bad condition and by no means sanitary, the tents were old and in bad condition. After 14 days of these conditions the Battalion struck camp and moved to higher ground after several officers and a considerable number of men were made unwell due to the insanitary conditions. From the 17th September they undertook Brigade training.
After one month at Peckham Down they were on the move again, this time the location of the new camp was Sutton Veny near Warminster and this time they were billeted into the Hutments of No 5 camp.
Their Divisional Training started on the 5th November, one year after Wilfred had joined the Battalion. The initial plan for Kitchener’s New Army was that it would be ready for war in the middle of 1916 but circumstances of the war dictated that this should be brought forward.
On the 10th November the Battalion was to undertake their Part III Musketry training using 30 old rifles that were issued to them, closely followed by Part IV training with 35 new rifles that had then been issued.

The 13th December was the first day of mobilisation for the Battalion and the communicated destination for their commencement into the war was going to be Egypt.
The next day the divisional training was an attack on “Enemy Trenches” by the 34th Division with general Paget and a mission of Japanese officers present. There was approval at then conduct of all ranks in the most adverse weather conditions and also the manner in which they carried out their work.

Chrsitmas day came and the only comment in the Battalion Diary wa sthat it was 3rd day of mobilisation before embarkation. Boxing day brought the news that service in Egypt had been withdrawn, their sun helmets had been withdrawn and they were all issued with warmer clothing to the vast disappointment of all ranks.

On the 9th January the Battalion was finally deployed and arrived in France although it would be another month before they saw their first trenches near Erquinghem on the outskirts of Armentiers. On the 2nd February A+B Companies went into the trenches for 2 days for instruction, A company were attached to the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters and B Company the 1st Battalion East Lancashire regiment. B Company had the Battalion’s first man wounded during his tour. They changed over and C and D companies started their instruction being attached to the 1st Worcesters and 1st Northants respectively. This time it was C company that had one man wounded.

Lord Kitchener inspected the 101st Brigade at Steenbecque on the 11th February, the Battalion marching their from their billets in Morbecque.

The first Battalion deaths would come on their first official tour of the trenches, in the Bois Grenier sector, on the 29th February 1916 where the diary reports that 4 men were killed including 1 N.C.O and 5 men wounded.

The Battalion would go on to see action in 1916 at The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge and The Battle of Pozieres Ridge.

It was actions on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 1st July 1916 that went down in history for all the Pals Battalions and the Grimsby Chums was no exception.

The previous month they had been at Bresle where the diary says that they were carrying out a series of tactical services. Towards the end of the month they resumed the regular tour of the trenches around Albert and the war diary has one thing to note that is of interest to our own local memorials research and we retell the story of the first day of the Battle of the Somme from a 10th Battalion point of view. The Battle commenced with six days of artillery bombardment for the enemy positions.

29th June 1916 – Albert
This was the fifth day of the artillery bombardment of the German trenches which commenced on the 24th. Lieut W.D. Wroe of C company was killed by shell fire on this day. He was the first officer of the Battalion to be killed since the battalion went on active service in January

30th June 1916 – Albert
German retaliatory fire heavier on this day than any other since the commencement of our bombardment.

1st July 1916 – Becourt
7.30am – At this hour the 101st Infantry Brigade, 34th Division delivered an assault on the German position south of La Boiselle. The 15th Royal Scots being the right assaulting battalion and the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment. The left assaulting battalion, the 18th Royal Scots right supporting battalion, the 11th Suffolks left supporting battalion.
The position of the German front line trenches assaulted by the 10th Lincolns was known as The Bloater + lay between the La Boiselle salient + the redoubt known as Heligoland. The formation of the 10th Lincolns was as follows A company on the right B in the centre C on the left. D company less 1 platoon was employed as a carrying company + advanced in far of the 103rd Brigade which was in reserve. Two minutes before the attack was timed to take place a mine was exploded near the south west corner of the La Boiselle salient forming an immense crater about 100 yds in diameter.
On leaving their trenches, the 10th Lincolns who advanced in 4 waves on a 3 platoon frontage at a distance of 100 yds between the first and second waves and 150 yards between the others, with a platoon of D company as a clearing platoon 50 yards in rear of the 4th wave + accompanied by 101/3 trench mortar battery were immediately exposed to a heavy shell fire, shrapnel and H.E. and the most intense enfilade machine gun fire from La Boiselle and Heligoland Redoubt. Advancing with the utmost steadiness and courage, not to be surpassed by any troops in the world, yet the distance they were away from the German trench (800 yds) + the intensity of the machine gun fire did not allow of the possibility of reaching and penetrating the enemy’s line. Some far men were able to enter the German Trench from New Crater + bombing their way up blocked it + helped to protect the right flank of the 102nd Brigade which attacked on our left, others consolidated + held positions in the New Crater a like object. One officer 2/lt Hendik with three men made his way on the right by way of the 21st Divisional front + consolidating a strong point in the German trench helped to protect the left flank of the 21st Division. It is doubtful if the troops have been subjected to a more intense machine gun fire than was experienced in this assault, a fire which made it impossible either to relieve or reinforce units during daylight.

4th July 1916
The 34th Division was relieved by the 19th Division in the early hours of the morning of July 4th, moving for the night to Albert + subsequently on the 5th July to Henecourt. The Battalion went into action with a total of 20 officers (of whom 4 were killed, 10 wounded and 1 missing) and 822 other ranks of whom 66 were killed, 259 wounded and 162 missing.
The rank and names of the officers taken into action are as follows:-
-Lt Col E K Cordeaux – – in command
-Major E H Kendrick – – 2nd in command
-Major W A Vignoles – Wounded
-Capt T Baker – Killed
-Hon. Major G L Bennett – Adjutant
-Capt C H Bellamy – Wounded
-Capt J F Worthington – Wounded
-Lieut H L Dent –
-Lieut R G Green – Wounded
-Lieut E Inman Missing
-Lieut R P Eason Wounded, died of wounds 1/7/16
-Lieut B G Anderson Wounded
-Lieut J K Murphy Wounded
-2nd Lieut L Cummins Killed
-2nd Lieut H W Bannister Wounded
-2nd Lieut H L Baines Killed
-2nd Lieut C H Jolin Wounded
-2nd Lieut R G Ingle Killed
-2nd Lieut J H Turnbull Wounded
-2nd Lieut J R Moore –
-2nd Lieut A Hartshorn –

The Commanding officer of the Battalion received the attached letter marked appendix 1 from Brigadier General R S Gore CMG Commanding 101st Infantry Brigade, the original of which is attached to this diary and a copy to the duplicate.

Owing to continuous machine gun and rifle fire just difficulty was experienced in recovering the wounded many of whom lay out in No Man’s Land for over 30 hours but through the constant executions of all ranks during the night of the 1st + 2nd and 2nd + 3rd July as far as could be ascertained all wounded belonging to the battalion had been brought in before leaving the fighting area. Any attempt to do this during daylight was immediately met with heavy machine gun + rifle fire from the enemy’s trenches and all our wounded where seen to move were at once fired upon by the German snipers.

4th July 1916 – Becourt
The 101st Brigade was relived this day the 10th Lincolns proceeding to billets in Albert for the night.

5th July 1916 – Albert
Moved to canvas camp at 8am in Long Valley near Albert

6th July 1916 – Albert
Moved to hutted camp at Henencourt Wood

7th July – 30th July 1916 – Henencourt.
During this period the Battalion received drafts of men from various units, Northampton Regt, North Staffs, South Staffs, Middlesex, Oxford L.I, Worcesters, Leicesters and a few Lincolns. A large proportion of these men were third line territorials + had in many cases only received about three months training. Training was carried out on the manoeuvre area near Bresle + the battalion was also occupied in wood fighting. Specialist training was carried on during the whole of this period.

Wilfred had survived the Battle of the Somme, we are not sure if he was wounded as there are no records available that shows him being wounded or appearing on any lists for Casualty Stations or Hospitals. The make up of the Battalion was now changed forever and the original ethos of the Chums and all Pals battalions was changed forever.

For Wilfred and the Battalion the war continued as can be seen in the list of battles they were involved in:-

31st July 1916 – Battle of Pozieres Ridge
15th September 1916 – Battle of Fleurs-Courcelette. Famous for being the first Battle that the British Army deployed their new weapon, the tank.
9th April 1917 – First Battle of the Scarpe (Battle of Arras)
23th April 1917 – Second Battle of the Scarpe (Battle of Arras)
28th April 1917 – Battle of Arleux

During July Wilfred was awarded 10 days leave from the 17th July. Afterward it was back to the hard fighting and the Arras area with the battle at Hargicourt before moving on to the Ypres Salient where the Battle of Paschendaele was well underway.

The Battalions first fighting on the salient was in October, arriving on the 9th October the Battalion, was involved on the attack on Poelkapelle and Paschendaele. The first wave of this battle on the 12th had not involved the Battalion but they later relieved the 4th Division west of Poelkepelle on the 13th October staying in the trenches until the 17th.

Eventually being relieved on the 23rd October the 34th Division suffered 1797 casualties during its time in Ypres, another 880 being evacuated sick. A memorial to the 34th Division is positioned off the Beekstraat, north of Langemark.

On the same day as Wilfred’s Division was being relieved, the 23rd October 1917, Wilfred’s brother, who was serving with the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action at Loos.

During 1918 the Battalion was to return to the Somme and were in situ at St Quentin where they carried out defensive battles to halt the German Spring Offensive and Operation Michael.

Wilfred can be found being given another 10 day leave between the 19th of March and the 2nd April 1918 before the Battalion was moved back towards the Belgian border being based at Erquinghem on the 9th April when the Enemy launched Operation Georgette as part of the Spring Offensive. The 34th Division was holding the line with the 101st Brigade including the 10th Lincolns in reserve. The Brigade did suffer a very high number of casualties from the intense artillery bombardment, especially from gas shells.
Over the two days the division was in such a precarious position that they received the order to withdraw across the Lys north of Armentieres and then eventually to fall back to a new defensive line north of Steenwerck.
The Battalion were then moved back to Bailleul and held a resistance of two days before the town fell to the enemy, Operation Georgette now seeing successes and eventually forcing the 34th Division back to take up reserve positions on the Ravelsberg Ridge.

On the 16th April the depleted 34th division was holding positions on the Ravelsberg Ridge but eventually the old brigades started to be reinforced with new and the 102 and 103 were able to withdraw leaving the 101st and the 10th Lincs holding a reserve line between Hille and Sint-Jans-Cappel.
The battalion diaries report 361 casualties during April.

This was to be the final actions for the 10th Lincolnshire Regiment and they were moved to Poperinghe and on the 18th may they were reduced to a training cadre with men being transferred to other battalions.

Wilfred was one of the men being transferred and by the 5th June he was back at the Base near Boulogne awaiting his next posting.

This posting came on the 3rd July when he was posted to the 2nd battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and he proceeded to Calais arriving at the 2nd Battalion’s base on the 20th July, three days later being posted to B Company 2nd Battalion.

Within a week or so Wilfred was then attached to the 175th Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers. Usually men for infantry Battalions could be attached to guard a tunnelling company. The 175th were to be used to build bridges in the Allied push out of the Somme later in 1918 in the final hundred days.

On the 20th August Wilfred re- joined the 2nd Battalion but it was to be a short service as we can see from the Battalion Diaries.

20th August 1918 – nr Auchonvillers
The disposition of the Battalion shows that B company and thus Wilfred were holding the left outpost on high ground along the Beaucourt- Serre Road in Q.6.d

6pm – The enemy held posts along the Battalion front about 300 yards away, and on right flank, where there was a strong Machine Gun post in Luminous Avenue to cover Beaucourt (Position of this post was in Q.12.b.9.4, about 150 yards from our right post.)
Orders received for 62nd Infantry Brigade to take part at dawn on the following ady in an attack on the enemy’s positions in conjunction with Brigade and Divisions on the flanks. The total frontage of the attack was to be about 9 miles.
The success of the initial attack in the 21st Divisional Sector and the possibility of carrying out further phases depend to a great extent on the capture of Beaucourt. This village was on the right flank of the outpost line held by the battalion, and its capture within half an hour of the battle enabled the remaining Battalions in the Brigade (1st Lincs, 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers) to advance and reach their objectives.
9pm – Enemy made a determined but unsuccessful raid on the left picquet of “B ” Company. Enemy strength estimated at 50. The enemy attempted to rush both flanks, but was met by the steady fire from the post. A party sent out on the left flank under 2/Lieut A Fairmann caused the enemy at once to withdraw.

21st August 1918 – Luminous Avenue

12:.15am – The enemy opened up an intensive gas bombardment of the area occupied by the 2 support companies, A and D Companies and the communications leading to the front line. This lasted until 12.15am and considerably interfered with these two companies, while they were preparing to move forward. Several severe gas casualties were sustained, but the remainder of the men, although all were suffering from the effects of gas shelling, remained at duty.

2am- Battalion headquarters and “A” and “D” companies moved forward to positions of assembly ready for the assault. Battalion HQ moved to Luminous Avenue Q.12.b.4.7. A company formed up on a line running north east from Luminous Avenue with their right at Q.12.b.8.6. D company formed up on a line running south west from Luminous Avenue in prolongation of A Company. Both companies were on a frontage of 100 yards with 2 platoons in leading wave and 2 platoons in second wave, 25 yards between platoons. Each platoon had 2 sections in front with L.G. Section on flank immediately behind. A bombing party of C company formed up in Luminous Avenue between A and D companies.
The morning was ideal for the forming up, as a thick mist head all movement, and the smoke barrage arranged was consequently cancelled. The enemy post at Q.12.b.9.4. Apparently heard the men forming up and opened fire, but orders were given for a trench mortar to fire a few rounds at the post and no further hindrance was caused.

5.35am – the company is completed the form in up by 5:35 am.

5.45am – zero hour for the attack on Beaucourt was 5:45 am at which our 12 Stokes guns open the barrage on enemy post at Kew.12.18.9.4 and selected targets behind. This fire was well directed and kept the enemy from firing back as well as driving him into his deep dugouts. Stokes motor barrage lifted as the troops advanced, Final stop in at 5:53 am.
At 5:45 am a hurricane bombardment of light colour of the guns was put down for eight minutes onto Beaucourt ruins.
At zero hour exactly, A and D Companies, under cover of this bombardment, moved forward to the assault. The bombing party of the company and the 2nd Lieut R sharpe rushed the enemy post at Q.12.b.9.4., capturing eight prisoners and their machine gun. This allowed A&E companies to move forward without a check. So eager were the men that they were able to keep close up to the fast moving barrage.
A company advanced keeping Luminous Avenue on the right and met little opposition and to reaching the railway road where a machine-gun on the left flank proved troublesome; A Lewis Gun section was sent out so that flank can the enemy retired. A company then move forward to the railway which was then consolidated.
D company advanced, keeping aluminous Avenue on their left. The leading wave – the head and reach railway road with but little opposition; the two platoons following behind encountered the enemy coming out of the numerous the dugouts. These were bombed and many taken prisoner. A party of the enemy was seen on the right flank in Railway Road, and these, after being fired on by Lewis Guns, surrendered. The left leading platoon of the company lost direction on getting to railway road and proceeded to crossroads in Beaucourt at Q.7.d.3.8. This platoon as it turned out was most useful in guarding the left flank.
There was a short delay in the ruins of Beaucourt, while dugouts and small parties of the enemy were cleared up, and the two platoons then continued the advance to the railway. I then ordered A company to consolidate the line of the railway and D company to form a support line along railway road, paying attention into each case to the left flank. The total number of prisoners captured by the two companies was three officers and 90 other ranks, who belonged to the 68 RI regiment 16 R Division.

10am – by this time the mist cleared and considerable trouble was caused from machine-gun fire from Logging Support., South of the River Ancre, and throughout the afternoon the position was heavily shelled.

At 3:30 pm 12/13th Northumberland Fusiliers push trolls across to the south side of the River Ancre but made little progress owing to machine-gun fire from Thiepval Ridge.

At 8:45 pm the company were able to get in touch with 1st E. Yorks at R.8.A.45.35.

At 3 am on August 22 A + D companies were relieved by one company Northumberland Fusiliers (12/13th) and March to Acheux.
This was necessary I went to the large number of men who had been gassed.

2pm – the two companies holding the outpost line, B and C companies, were ordered to assemble and moved to the line reached by the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment in their advance. C company move forward on the right and B company on the left, both companies moving in artillery formation. On reaching the valley in R.1.B and D, the two companies passed through the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment and advanced to the sunk road in R.3.C.

This action continued non stop for the 2nd Battalion until the 26th, 4 days later, when they were relived and placed in Brigade Reserve. However for Wilfred Harris the damage had been done on the 21st.

The Battalion Diary for August reports that the casualties were:-
Killed, 1 Officer and 32 Ranks
Wounded, 2 officers and 132 Ranks
Missing, 1 Officer and 5 Ranks.
A large note in the margin states that this did not include men gassed.

The normal procedure for a wounded man would mean being taken to a Aid and Bearer (First aid) post close to the front line to be assessed by a medical officer. From here the route would be by stretcher bearers of the Field Ambulance back to an advanced dressing station to get further treatment before being evacuated to a casualty clearing station. At the casualty clearing station, typically a few miles behind the lines, he would once again be assessed and then arrangements made to place him on an ambulance train to take him back to the Base Hospital. At any stage he could be patched up and sent back to the line if he was still physically fighting fit.

For Wilfred he was taken to the 11th Field Ambulance and then moved down the line reaching the 34th Casualty Clearing Station at Fienvillers being admitted on the 30th August with the effects of Gas Mist.
After initial treatment he was then moved by 10th Ambulance train and arrived at the 7th Stationary Hospital at Boulogne on the 7th September 1918.

In total Wilfred would stay a total of 2 months in hospital, exactly where for the full period is unknown. Once discharged he reported to number 2 Infantry Command Depot, a military convalescent camp. Once there he was found to be an unsuitable case for a command depot as he was diagnosed with organic heart disease and proceeded on leave under act 1056/18 with instructions to report direct to the 3rd Battalion on expiration of the same. This meant in effect he was struck off strength of the depot on the 16th November 1918 and posted to the 3rd Battalion on the 24th November 1918.

On the 8th December 1918 Wilfred was discharged from Army service, being no longer physically fit or war service

The official Army Medical Report on a Soldier Boarded Prior to Discharge or Transfer reports that Wilfred was suffering from severe V.D.H. (Valvular Disease of the Heart) due to mustard gas poisoning in August 1918. No previous history of rheumatic fever. The patient complains of angina like pains in left shoulder and arm. There is a long list of medical terminology in the report written in very bad handwriting.
The medical officer’s verdict was a 70% disablement for 12 months. It also recommended that he should be discharged as permanently unfit.
This was signed by the medical officer Captain Chas Hannigan in Cork. The papers were stamped at Dublin on 8th December 1918.

After a service lasting four and a half years with two and a half years in France, having been present at all of the major battles that the 10th Battalion and then the 2nd went through, Private Wilfred Hart Harris was discharged from the Army on the 8th December 1918 and was awarded the silver war badge number B58015.

However unfortunately that is not the end of Wilfred’s story.

Grantham Journal Saturday 21st June 1919
HARRIS – In ever-loving memory of Wilfred Hart, the dearly beloved son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Harris, of Pointon, who died on June 14th, 1919, from the effects of gas poisoning received in France on August 21st, 1918.
We cannot yet realise his death,
It seems a hateful dream:
He died for all of us at home-
A sacrifice supreme.
Mr. and Mrs. Harris wish to thank all kind friends for sympathy shown to them in their sad bereavement and for flowers sent.

Wilfred is buried in a private grave in Sempringham Parish Church, Lincolnshire, a grave that also commemorated his brother killed at Loos.

Remembrance – Alfred Thompson

by | Jun 8, 2020 | Remembrance

Our second remembrance of today is Alfred Thompson who was killed this day, 8th June 1917, serving with the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, commemorated on the Bourne and Arras memorials. One of two 4th Battalion men from the Bourne area to fall on this day

Alfred Thompson was born late in 1897 in Little Horton, near Bradford, to George Thompson a railway worker and his wife Annie Susannah Osbourne, both born in Little Horton. George and Annie were married in 1891 in St Peter’s Bradford and were blessed with their first of three children in 1895.
• James Thompson, 1895, Little Horton
• Ellen Thompson, 1896, Little Horton
• Alfred Thompson, 1897, Little Horton

In 1901 the young family are living in Horton where George was working as a carter for the railway and Susannah (Annie Susannah) as a Worsted Spinner.

10 years later Annie (Annie Susannah), Ellen and Alfred can be found living with her parents in Darton Street Bradford. Annie and both children are working in a Worsted Spinning factory and Alfred was employed as a Doffer. A Doffer took the full bobbins off the spinning machines and replaced them with empty ones. George has not been found on the 1911 census to date although Annie lists that she has been married for 18 years and so it is to be assumed that George is still alive.

In September 1913 Annie Susannah, referred to variously as Annie or Susannah Hubbard in official records, remarried to Charles Hubbard in Deeping St Nicholas Fen and in 1919 was living in Tongue End near Bourne Lincolnshire.

As Alfred’s army records have not been found, assumed to have been destroyed in the London Blitz warehouse fire, we can only trace his movements through the surviving records and so some of the dates and information may be approximate.

Alfred enlisted into the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment in Spalding around May or June 1915, although the exact date is unknown. The medal rolls show that he has three separate entries for Battalions served, first the 4th Lincs (3941), then the 5th Lincs (3941) and finally the 4th Lincs again (201275).

Alfred enlisted originally into the 4th Battalion and after training was posted to France to join his battalion on 10th December 1915. At that time the Battalion were in Thiennes and on the 22nd December 1915 an entry in the Battalion Diary reports that “106 Reinforcements arrived from the 3/4th Battalion at 2.30pm, kit inspection held on arrival”. This would be Alfred’s first meeting with his Battalion ion the field.

The prospect of a long winter in the trenches was dispelled during the month of January by orders to the 46th Division to embark for Egypt at an early date, and on the 7th January both the 1/4th and 1/5th Battalions left Marseilles in T.S.S. “ Anchises.”
The vessel reached Alexandria on the 13th January and they left by rail for El Shalufa, two miles south of the Bitter Lakes, where, after detraining, they crossed the Suez Canal by ferry, and bivouacked to the east of it.
By day the desert to the east was patrolled by Indian Lancers, but by night each battalion, in turn, furnished an outpost line round the camp. The days were very hot, and the nights cold; any wind that blew carried clouds of dust; nevertheless a fortnight passed very pleasantly.

This peaceful existence came to an end when the 46th Division received sudden orders to return to France, and on the 4th February the 4th Battalion embarked at Alexandria on the “ Minnewaska,” and the 5th on the “ Megantic,” disembarking in Marseilles on the 9th February 1916.
The evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula set free a large number of troops for service in Egypt and the 46th Division was in consequence ordered back to France.

The Battalion then spend time in Ailly Le Haute Clocher training until the end of February and then on to Doullens, it would not be until the 11th of March 1916 that the Battalion would be back in trenches since the 2nd December and Alfred’s first taste of the trenches. Later it in the month was a movement for the Battalion and into trenches around Fonquevillers for June.

Eventually they would be given orders for a Zero Time of 7-30am for a planned attack on the 1st July, the first day of the Battle of the Somme. Their orders were to “take over a trench line south of the Gommecourt Road on the night of 27th/28th” This was to be their sector for the big push and they were to attack Gommecourt although the 4th battalion was not in the front wave.
The Battalion Diary does not give much detail for the Battle of the Somme and they remained in the trenches until the 8th July when they were relived and dropped back to Bienvillers to provide working parties.

Alfred’s next mention in any documents is on the 10th July 1916 when we find A Thompson of B Company 1/4th Lincs being admitted to the 2nd General Hospital at Le Havre with Suppuration of the Lymph Glands, axilla (Axillary Lymph Nodes). After two days in the General Hospital he was transferred to H.S. Carisbrook Castle and returned to England.

Usually after convalescence, if fully fighting fit, a man would be pushed back to the front but depending upon the level of fitness obtained it was possible that they were assigned to a Home Service Unit for duties such as defending ammunitions factories, military facilities or docks until the point when they were declared fit for a return to the Front.
It was very usual for a man to be sent back to France and then at the base camp be assigned or posted to a Battalion or Regiment that needed men as reinforcements the most urgently.

We have no records to say what happened in Alfred’s case although his medal roles show that he was posted to the 5th Battalion (still with regimental number 3941) and then back to the 4th Battalion (regimental number 201275) at some point in his war story. All we can say for certain is that when he was killed he was back with the 4th Battalion.

The following shows the movements of the 4th Battalion in the month before Arthur Thompson’s death and are taken from the 4th Battalion diaries. This is the most accurate way of seeing Arthur’s movements over the last days of his life.

May 28th 1917 – Bovigny Boyeffles
The 138th Brigade (Lincolns and Leicesters) was withdrawn from the line, the 4th Battalion Lincolns taking up billets at Bouvigny Boyeffles. There it was that the striking news reached them. The Battalion had been honoured by the command to take part in an extensive enterprise on a 2000 yards front North West., West and South West of Lens. The 138th Infantry Brigade being further represented by the 5th Leicesters. Our Battalion was thrilled with the news and one heard repeatedly the remark “Our first real chance since Hohenzollern”

29th May – June 3rd 1917 – Bouvigny Boyeffles
Training began in earnest. A replica to scale of the ground over which the attack would be launched was planned and laid out at Marqueffles Farm a mile or so South East of Bouvigny. From “assembly trenches” one’s eye ranged forward to persuasive notice boards announcing in bold letters “Railway Cutting” and “Bridge Destroyed”, on past crinoline wire entanglements to objective trenches, first and second line strongholds of the enemy, strangely quiescent, and labelled according to their map designations, Ahead, Agnes, Alcove, Archie, Alice, Amy, Admiral and Annie such were the communications and trenches guarding hill 65. These it was, the Battalion was to storm.
Daily to the practice ground went the Battalion joined by D Company (captain Wakeley) of the 4th Leicesters – our “Moppers-up” elect. The artillery and machine gun barrage to cover our advance and keep the impetuous in check was indicated by flagmen and thus the progress of the attacking waves was directed.
On six successive days the course was covered. Forward at Zero to the “Cutting”, half right form to face the objective trenches, B Company then edging away to the left, half D Company inclining to the right and joining up with C Company on that flank. “Moppers-up” in position behind the first wave – Gradually the movement attained a clock work precision and every man wac capable of pushing his path blindfold.
On the seventh day Dress rehersal. General Holland 1st Corps Commander, General W Thwaites 46th Division G.O.C, Colonel Thorpe Commanding 138th Infantry Brigade (Whose presence and responsibility for the tactical dispositions inspired the confidence of all ranks), and their staffs surveyed the final training bout. Fully equipped with arms, spades, picks, bombs, lights and flares the “Attack” began. The repeated “Toot toot” of a “claxton” from a contact plane aloft completed the programme. Flares were lighted to announce the progress of the advance.

4th June 1917
The higher commands were satisfied. It only remained to form up and receive the confident good wishes of the staff, and , with a full day’s rest on the morrow, all were ready and impatient for the real thing.

5th June 1917
A day of well-earned rest.

6th June 1917
On the morning of the June 6th the Commanding Officer announced to the Battalion, at a special parade, that plans had been altered and instead of the premeditated operation the attack was to be a series of destructive raids. The same evening the Battalion marched away from Bouvigny and billeted in the ruins of Cite Des Bureaux, Lievin.

7th June 1917 – Cite Des Bureaux, Lievin

8th June 1917 – Cite Des Riaumont
The 8th June arrived – a perfect summer day. The afternoon was spent in moving up to the cellars in Cite De Riaumont adjoining the assembly trenches. All Companies reached these without mishap except D Company which lost the services of 2nd Lieut E A Dennis (13 Platoon) wounded by one of the enemy’s shells that were already finding our starting zone.
Time crept on towards zero. “Sausages” enlivened the waiting period as they crashed on and around the ruins which sheltered us. Well before 8pm “C”, “D” and “B” Companies were in position in their respective assembly trenches. In some way the enemy seems to have known our timed movements and intentions. The intensity of the barrage to which the assembled troops was subjected was and experience no one on the spot is likely to forget.
“D” Company fared worst as, while the bombardment of their sector was accurate to a degree, on the flank sectors it was sufficiently plus to miss the assembled platoons.

At Zero – 3 Captain R D Ellis commanding D Company and Captain Wakeley O.C. 4th Leicesters “Mopping-Up” Company were caught by the same shell as they came into position in the rear trench. Both were killed outright.

At 8:30pm the synchronised signal to advance was given. C Company on the right got away without mishap, two platoons South of Cutting and one under 2nd Lieut A B Hardy, who was wounded almost immediately, to bring covering fire from the Cutting. D Company in the centre as soon as they “Jumped Off”, by ranks and increased intervals to lessen gaps, showed the effects of their experience in the assembly trenches. B Company on the left were a joy to behold as they went over the line.
The Cutting was reached.
D Company by this time reduced by half its number and B company, already caught by the enemy’s guns, scaled the further slope of the Cutting together and advanced to their objectives. Captain E.J.S. Maples commanding B Company was at this juncture struck in the forearm by an ugly piece of shell case but continued the advance with his men. Owing to the position of their line being oblique to the “A” Barrage and the stokes mortars which were to deal with this sector being put out of action, the enemy had time to man his trenches from his dug-outs. C Company with the platoon of the 5th Leicester’s on their right were completely held up. When the first waves of “D” & “B” Companies reached the first German trench his barrage was already on it, and a temporary check occurred until the reinforcing waves came up. Owing to this check we were unable to keep up with our barrage, and the enemy had lined his second trench before our arrival there. Hand to hand fighting ensued and after a further advance of D Company to the South and B Company to the East the odds became overwhelming. We fell back first to Ahead and then the Cutting. Meantime Sergeant Quinton E, with his platoon got further afield than the rest. It was during this stage of the fight that B Company lost 2nd Lieut R T Thomson and 2nd Lieut H C Chase, both of whom died gloriously, the former a result of a second wound and the latter from a shell burst. Sergeant E Quinton, B Company, and his platoon after several attempts to re-join their comrades, in which they repeatedly bumped up against strong parties of the enemy, finally succeeded in rushing an opposition post and fighting their way back to our line, after having been in the German lines for four hours; a triumph of leadership on the part of Sergeant E Quinton. The demolished bridge on the right flank was at once mamed, and under 2nd Liuet W F Maskell (D Company 14 Platoon) kept the enemy at respectful distance, sterling work being done by the Lewis gun. The front of the Cutting was lines by the remnant of B and D Companies under Captain E J S Maples and was held until orders for withdrawal to Assembly Trenches was received, A Company having manned our original line of posts. It was not till then that Captain E J S Maples withdrew from the fight and had his arm properly dressed, some 3 hours after he was wounded.

The greatest assistance had been rendered throughout by the 138th Machine Gun Company under Major A A Ellwood, a 4th Lincoln officer and particularly by a detachment of two of his guns under Lieut Stentiford, manned by 4th Lincolns.

The attack on the right hand had gone well, A Company 4th Leicesters having reached their objectives and sent back 27 prisoners.

9th June 1917 – Chateau (Leivin)
The day was spent reorganising Companies. Evacuation of wounded continues and by night search parties went out, discovering two more wounded men and a number of dead, who before had been reckoned as missing. On the night of the 9th we were relieved by the 5th Lincolns and moved to billets in Aix Noulette. Here we rested that night and also the following day.

10th June 1917 – Aix Noulette
In the afternoon we were honoured by a visit of the G.O.C the Battalion paraded in clean fatigue and were addressed by the General. He expressed himself well pleased with the excellent fighting qualities our men showed, and with the number of Boches they killed.

On the night of the 10th we moved into support in Lievin.

Private Alfred Thompson was killed in the actions that took place during the attack on the 8th June.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private Alfred Thompson, 201275, 1st/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 8 June 1917 Age 19. Son of Mrs Susannah Hubbard (formerly Thompson) Tongue End, Spalding, Lincs. Remembered with honour, Arras Memorial.

We Will Remember Them

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/…/alfred-…/

Remembrance – Ernest Codling

by | Jun 8, 2020 | Remembrance

Today we remember Bourne man Ernest Codling who was killed in action on this day, 8th June 1917, serving with the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment during the second day of the Battle of Messines Ridge.

Ernest Codling was born on the 28th August 1896 at 51 King Street Lincoln to John Codling, a railway porter from Lincoln and his wife Mary Elizabeth Cobb. John and Mary were married in Lincoln in 1892.

John and Mary had 8 children in total, unfortunately they had lost 3 of them before 1911.

  • Albert Codling, 1893, Lincoln
  • Gertrude Mary Codling, 1894, Lincoln
  • Ernest Codling, 1896, Lincoln
  • John William Codling, 1906, Lincoln
  • Doris May Codling, 1910, Lincoln

The three children they lost were between census returns and so their names are not currently known.

In 1901 John, Mary and their three children were living at 37 Queen Street Lincoln. The next year Ernest started St Peter at Gowts infants school on the 11th June 1902 where he remained until 22nd August 1905. The National Schools admission register indicates that when leaving St Peter at Gowts Ernest went on to attend the newly re-organised St Andrews school in St Andrews Street Lincoln.

By 1911 Ernest had moved from home and was living with his uncle, William Marshall Codling, at Watering Dyke Farm, Grange-de-Lings near Nettleham, Lincoln. Here he worked as a farm servant and the census lists his job as “odd duties”.

Ernest later moved back to live with his parents at 1 Naan Cottages, Grey Street, Lincoln and started working as a warehouseman.

During the war years the family moved to Bourne and settled there. Whilst in Bourne the family received the sad new that Ernest’s oldest brother, Albert, who had joined the Lincolnshire Regiment before the war, had been killed in May 1915 in the area around Ypres.

Ernest enlisted into the army at Lincoln on the 8th December 1914.

Ernest’s full service records, like that of 60% of the men from WW1 cannot be found. It is likely that they are part of the records destroyed in a London warehouse fire during the Blitz. The following story of Ernest’s war has been pieced together with as much accuracy as possible for other surviving records.

The medal rolls also show that Ernest has three separate regimental numbers tied into different Battalions of the Lincolnshire regiment. It is likely that on enlistment he was assigned to the 4th Battalion (3442) to start training. The associated medal card shows that he was not eligible for the 1914/15 Star and certainly no 1914/15 star medal roll has been found which would support this fact. You would assume that he did not serve abroad before the end of 1915 however other documents may dispute this fact. Until recent documents were found with regards to a wounded list it was always thought that Ernest did not serve abroad until 1916.

The 4th Battalion had been mobilised for war and landed at Harvre on the 1st March 1915 as part of the 138th Brigade of the 46th Division. There is no documentary evidence to say that Ernest was amongst this first mobilisation and if he had started training immediately on enlistment it could be possible but without the proof we will not describe the exact movements of the 4th Battalion at this point.

Albert Codling, Ernest’s brother was also serving with the 4th Battalion and certainly was part of the first mobilisation in March 1915. Albert had been killed on the 13th May in fighting around Lindenhoek and it is possible that Ernest was already in the Battalion fighting at the same time.

During 1915 the Battalion would also be involved in the first liquid fire attack at Hooge.

We next find that on the Army’s Casualty List issued by the war office on the 28th October 1915, Private Ernest Codling 3442, 4th Battalion, serving in France and Flanders was listed as “Wounded”. In our experience these lists could be as much as 4 weeks and in extreme cases 6 weeks behind real life and therefore the exact date of being wounded and the nature of this remains unknown for now.

During September the Battalion had been at Bellewarde just outside Ypres but during the first week of October they were moved to Busnettes, North-West of Bethune where they underwent training. On the 8th the officers were taken to Vermelles where they inspected the trenches and got a first look at the Hohenzollern Redoubt. The rest of the men would see a model of the Redout 2 days later as part of their training.

On the 13th October the Hohenzollern Redoubt was taken, the 4th Lincs in support of the 5th Lincs and 4th Leics but at great cost to the Battalion with 10 officers and 385 other ranks falling as casualties.

It is not known if it was this action where Ernest was wounded or if it was during the time in late September near Ypres.

After a man had recovered from his injuries, if bad enough he would be sent back for convalescence rather than his old Battalion until a time when he was classed as medically fit re-join a Battalion. In many cases the attrition rate and the rate of replacements was so great that it was most likely that they would be placed into a Battalion that was in most need of experienced men. This may be the trigger for Ernest being posted to the 5th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment (20047) or his later posting to the 6th Battalion (40635), in both cases we have no documentary proof of the dates.

There are similar 200xx regimental numbering ranges being used by men joining the Supernumery Companies of the 5th Lincs around September 1915 (reserve companies on home service), and so we suspect that Ernest Joined a company of the 5th Lincs when he was fit enough and this may have been at one of the base camps or back in England. It is possible that he was then posted to the 6th Battalion when he regained A1 fitness. This is a possibility based on other records for men around a similar time but without any documentary proof plus we have no further wounded lists that support a second injury or posting to the 6th battalion.

We do know that when he was killed, Ernest Codling was with the 6th Battalion and so we can only look at his movements during his last month. Unfortunately, the diaries for the 6th Battalion from this period are largely unreadable and so a ful transcription may take a long while and a lot of patience.

The following extract is from “The History of the 6th Service Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment” by Colonel F.G. Spring, and is the best source of information for this period (May 1917). For clarity the 6th Battalion were Part of the 33rd Infantry Brigade of the 11th Division, 2nd Army.  

“The maintenance of pressure on the Arras front, which kept the enemy constantly on the alert, enabled final preparations to be made for the opening of the Flanders offensive, which was to begin with the Battle of Messines.

The actual front selected for this operation extended between nine and ten miles from a point opposite St. Yves to Mount Sorrel. The objective of the attack was a group of hills known as the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge, which lies about midway between Armentières and Ypres. Messines itself is situated on the southern spur of the ridge which commands a wide view of the valley of the Lys and enfiladed the British lines to the south. North-west of Messines, Wytschaete, situated at the point of the salient and on the highest part of the ridge, commanded a view of almost the entire town of Ypres and all the old British positions in the Ypres Salient.

A special feature in the operations due to take place on the 7th of June was one original in warfare – the explosion of nineteen deep mines at the moment of assault. No such mining feat had ever before been attempted. In the construction of these mines, eight thousand yards of gallery had been driven and over one million pounds of explosives used.

Nine divisions were to take part in the actual assault, and three were in support, among which was the 11th Division who latter lay opposite Wytschaete, and in rear of the 16th Division at the centre of the attack.

Having left Albert (Somme) on the night of 17th/18th of May, the 6th Lincolns detrained at Caëstre and marched to Le Thieushouck where they were billeted. The first three days at Le Thieushouck were spent in interior economy and company training, although the training was greatly restricted by the highly cultivated state of the surrounding ground. On May 22nd the Division was informed that it was to take part in the coming operations, and two days later the Battalion marched to a training area situated on the frontier between France and Belgium, about six miles in rear of the Wytschaete sector. The following two weeks there were spent in training for the attack.

The 11th Division received orders to pass through the 16th Division when the latter had captured its objective. The role of the 33rd Brigade was to pass through and capture a trench system three miles east of Wytschaete.

At midday on the 6th of June orders were received to attack the following morning. Preparations were quickly made and at 11.30 p.m. the Lincolnshire marched to Butterfly Farm, two miles from the front line, to await final orders.

As dawn was breaking on the 7th, there was a sudden rumbling of the earth, huge flames shot up, clouds of smoke, dust and debris, a rocking of the ground – as the nineteen mines “went up.” Before one was able to regain one’s normal faculties, there was another deafening crash as the barrage roared out from a thousand guns. The 6th Lincolns had taken up a position among the “Heavies” and were almost stunned by the ear-splitting din of the monsters as they roared and poured a hail of big shells upon the wretched Germans.

The 6th Lincolns waited in suspense for the first results of the attack. The barrage still continued but at about 9 a.m., word was received that the 16th Division had taken their first two objectives and were pushing on to the third.

At about 11 a.m., orders were received to advance to the Vierstraat Switch, a trench running parallel to, and about a thousand yards behind, the British line.

At about midday the battalion reached its destination and the men had dinner, while Lieut.-Colonel Gater went to Brigade Headquarters for further orders.

Just after 2 p.m., he returned with the information that at 3 p.m., another barrage would fall under cover of which the battalion was to attack the third objective.

The forming-up place was to be two miles away on the further slope of the Wytschaete Ridge but the intervening ground was badly cut up by shell-holes, broken trenches and communication trenches full of troops and wounded men. The battalion, being scattered over a thousand yards of trench, had to be got together, and so as not to be late, Battalion Headquarters and ‘D’ Company started off and arrived at the forming-up line just as the barrage opened. The other companies had not yet come up, so Lieut.-Colonel Gater decided to push on with ‘D’ Company for fear of losing the barrage. ‘D’ Company shook out into artillery formation and advanced. Australian troops were on the right and portions of the 6th Border Regiment on the left, with the 7th South Staffords and 9th Sherwood Foresters in support and reserve respectively.

The enemy’s artillery opened fire as soon as our barrage fell but his barrage was weak and ill-directed, and many of his guns were effectively smothered by our fire. ‘D’ Company extended into line in two waves after passing through the first line of posts held by the 16th Division. Very little opposition was encountered: the enemy either ran or surrendered until the objective was nearly reached. Here the Germans attempted a counter-attack but with the assistance of tanks it was broken up, and by 5 p.m. the objective had been gained. Casualties during the attack had been extraordinarily light, ‘D’ Company losing only two or three men. The heaviest losses were in Battalion Headquarters: Lieutenant F.C. Thorn and Regimental-Sergeant-Major Smith and twenty Other Ranks being wounded.

The senior Company Commander, Captain Howis, brought up the remaining three companies with very few casualties. The appearance of these companies, comparatively fresh and intact, was of enormous value in consolidating the position. As dusk was falling the German guns began to shell the position heavily. Captain Sutherland was wounded in the face, and a platoon of ‘C’ Company, holding a strong point, was entirely wiped out (with the exception of and Lieutenant Read, who was badly wounded).

Early next morning on the 8th, another counter-attack developed which at one time looked serious until A Company, with Lewis gun and rifle-fire, succeeded in breaking it up. Second Lieutenant Rowlands was wounded and ‘A’ Company had altogether about a dozen casualties. One N.C.O. – Sergeant Biggadike – was conspicuous for his bravery; he died very gallantly, successfully maintaining his post which the enemy attempted to rush.

Lieut.-Colonel G.H. Gater was wounded in the face when leading ‘D’ Company to the attack but with great self-sacrifice remained at duty until his battalion went out of the line.

There was another counter-attack on the evening of the 9th, accompanied by heavy shell-fire, during which, to everyone’s regret, the Battalion Medical Officer, Captain Frere, was killed, and many other casualties were suffered.

On the night of the 10th/11th of June, the 6th Lincolns were relieved by the 34th Brigade and moved back to camp near Kemmel. The total casualties of the Battalion during the Battle of Messines 1917 were six officers and one hundred and sixty Other Ranks.

The Battalion remained in camp until the 18th of June, engaged in salvage work, and then began to march back in easy stages to Ganspette”.

Ernest Codling was killed in action on the 8th June whilst taking part in the planned offensive described above.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private E Codling, 40635, 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 8 June 1917
Remembered with honour, Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

Ernest is buried in Messines Ridge cemetery no more than 4 miles from Lindenhoek Chalet where his brother Albert is buried, having been killed on the 13th May 1915 in operations with the 4th Battalion.

Ernest’s photograph courtesy of Jonathan Smith

Remembrance – John Anthony Nowers

by | Jun 8, 2020 | Remembrance

Today we remember John Anthony Nowers, of the 26th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, who died this day June 7th 1917 and commemorated on the Billingborough War Memorial. #OTD

John Nowers was born on 6th May 1889 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire to Ernest Henry Trevor Nowers, an assistant bank manager born in Teyham, Kent and his wife Minnie Elizabeth Terry, born in Lydd, Kent, who were married in 1888 in Romney Marsh.

The couple first moved to Market Harborough, Leicestershire and then by 1891 into Northampton before settling in Empringham Road Stamford by 1901 expanding their family to 4 children.

John Anthony Nowers, 1889, Market Harborough
William Arthur Nowers, 1890, Northampton
Dorothy Mary Nowers, 1893, Northampton
Geoffrey Pickering Nowers, 1904, Northampton

John was educated at Stamford Grammar School.
By 1911 the family had moved again and now were living in Tinwell House, Tinwell, near Stamford. John Anthony Nowers is now working as a bank clerk for Messrs Barclays Bank and his father is working as an assistant bank manager.

Ernest Knowers is also reported as the Reverend Ernest henry Trevor Nowers on some documents, although we have not personally researched this.

John enlisted in Lincoln on 6th September 1915 and joined the 26th battalion Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment).
After training John was finally posted with his battalion to France on 6th May 1916 to serve with the Expeditionary Force.

The following shows John’s movements through a potted history of the his time with the battalion and excerpts from the Battalion diary. These show his first month abroad leading up to the Battalion’s first action; The battle at Fleurs in which John witnessed the first use of tanks in a battle and he received a recommendation; and movements in the month leading up to his death.

4th may 1916 – Aldershot
3am – Battalion entrained (Three separate parties) from Farnborough for Southampton. Embarked on SS Mona-Queen and arrived at Harvre 5/5/16. Transports came over on S.S. Bellerophon.

5th May 1916 – Harvre
7.30am – Battalion marched to No1 Rest Camp, Harvre and rested.

6th May 1916 – Harvre
7.30am – Battalion entrained in two parties at the Gare des Marchandises, Harvre at Point 1 & 3

7th May 1917 – Steenbecque
9am – Detrained at Steenbecque and marched to Staple and were billeted in the vicinity.

8th may 1917 – Staple
Battalion rested at Staple

9th may 1917 – Staple
Battalion marches from Staple to new billets in the vicinity of Outtersteene

10th may 1917 – Outtersteene
7am – 1st Party of Officers and men proceeded to trenches for instruction and were attached to 5th Camerons

23rd May 1916 – Outtersteene
7am – Party of Officers and 1 section of NCOs and men per platoon of A & B Companies proceeded to trenches for instruction and were attached to the 5th Cameron Highlanders.

25th May 1916 – Outtersteene
7am – Party of Officers and 1 section of NCOs and men per platoon of C & D Companies proceeded to trenches for instruction and were attached to 5th Cameron Highlanders.

30th May 1916 – Outtersteene
5.30pm – Battalion marched from Outtersteene to new billets at The Piggerieswhere they arrived on the morning of the 31st instant, after spending the night at La Creche.

1st June 1916 – The Piggeries
In Brigade reserve at the Piggeries Ploegsteert. The day was quiet and there is nothing to record. We suffered our first casualties on active service having 2 men killed and 10 wounded on working parties.

2nd June to 4th June 1916 – The Piggeries
Remained in reserve at the Piggeries. Things were generally quiet and there is nothing to report. One of the wounded men reported above died in hospital at Bailleul.

5th June 1916 – In The Line
6am – The Battalion for the first time occupied the trenches relieving the 18th King’s Royal Rifle Corps in the line and taking over Tp 124 125 126 127. The day was very quiet. There was a little artillery on enemy’s part and enemy snipers were troublesome. There was a good deal of movement in rear and men were putting up wires along Messines Gappard Road.

June – September 1916
This was the first action seen by the new Battalion and they remained in the Ploegsteert area until the 23rd of August 1916 when they entrained at Bailleul for Pont Remys on the Somme, a journey that took 10 hours. Once there they were marched to their billets at Vauchelles de Quesnoy near Abbeville. They remained here in training until the 7th September when they entrained for Mericourt. The next few days saw the Battalion move to Becordel, close to the trenches at Fricourt.

14th September 1916 – Near Fricourt (Battle of Fleurs)
5.15pm – At this hour the Battalion left the camp at Becordel and marched up to the line. The journey was very tiring owing to continual stoppages on the road on account of heavy traffic. At about 9pm we arrived at the brigade dump, east of Montauban where after having received stores, ammunition etc we proceeded via Flare Lane up to our part of the assembly in front of Delville Wood, the Companies taking up their positions for the attack which was timed to commence at 6.20am. The Battalion arrived and took up their positions about 10 minutes only before the attack commenced. They had been on the march from 5.15pm the previous evening and went into attack on the morning of the 15th without a rest or sleep.

15th September 1916
6.20am – The order of battle of our own Brigade (The 124th Infantry Brigade) was as follows, Front line 21st Kings Royal Rifle Corps and 10th Queens West Surrey Regiment. The 26th battalion Royal Fusiliers were in support of the 21st KRRC and the 32nd Royal Fusiliers in support of the 10th Queens. Map Reference, French Map. France. Sheet 57c S.W. Edition 3A.
6.20am – The 21st K.R.R.C were in position for attack on Switch Trench supported by 26th R.F. (Two Companies in Edge Trench and two Companies in Green Trench). Attack commenced at 6.20am.
6.30am – The Battalion were within 80 yards of the 1st objective (Switch Trench) and found that 1st waves were advancing through our own barrage in a half right direction, the left flank being about 300 yards East of Fleurs village. The position of our left flank should have been on Fleurs Road. A halt was ordered and the mistake was as far as possible rectified.
6.50am – The left sector of 1st Objective was taken with very little opposition. Our barrage advanced and infantry followed and took up position in front of 2nd objective – Fleurs Trench. At this point men from various Battalions struggled back through our barrage on the right – 2nd Lieut Gauthern (26th R.F) did excellent work in bringing men out of the barrage at great personal risk.
7.45am – Our barrage lifted from 2nd objective and the infantry moved forward and took the trench. Casualties were suffered here from hostile rifle and machine gun fire. A number of prisoners were taken. Our D Company took something like 150 prisoners. The 2nd objective Fleurs Trench had been severely damaged by our artillery fire.
The infantry remained in this trench until the 122nd Infantry Brigade on our left commenced to clear the village of Fleurs. In the attack on the first objectives the infantry was assisted by Tanks of the Heavy Machine Gun Company but by the time the 2nd Objective was taken there was only 1 tank in our sector which had not been put out of action. This tank was sent forward along the right of the Fleurs village to assist the 122nd Brigade and to cover their right flank. A small party under 2nd Lieut Wood followed the tank to keep in touch with the troops clearing the village. The battalion was reorganised as our barrage moved forward and advanced in two waves.
10.15am – The tank moved forward in front of our waves to the 3rd objective – Hogs Head and Flea Trench. Our first wave was advancing, but when about 200 yards from the Hogshead Lt Col Oakley, of the 10th Queens ordered a withdrawal to Fleurs Trench, the reason being that the troops that had taken the village of Fleurs had lost all their officers and had retired. We proceeded to consolidate Fleurs trench.
3pm – An advance was ordered and under heavy machine gun and rifle fire they occupied the line of the 3rd objective. Shortly afterwards the line again moved forward on the signal of Lieut Colonel, the Earl of Faversham, commanding the 21st K.R.R.C. We advanced toward Gird Trench under heavy and increasing fire, but at a point about 150 yards away from our objective, when our left flank was held up by a part of the enemy who had advanced in front of their trench and lay concealed in a corn field.
5pm – An order was passed down to retire. We could not find out where this order originated and movement backwards was as far as possible prevented but men on our right flank commenced to double back and the right flank was quickly broken. The enemy immediately opened heavy artillery fire along the whole front and we were forced to withdraw to an old trench, situated about N32.a.1.5 which we found occupied by 20 or 30 men and 2 Vickers guns. We could not find anybody on either flank with whom to get into touch and therefore the men were ordered to “Stand to” until dusk. At dusk we retired to a new line which was being consolidated between the 2nd and 3rd objectives. We remained here and proceeded with consolidation.
11pm – The Brigade was relieved by the 123rd Brigade and proceeded into the support line, with the exception of a section under captain Etchells, which was in front of the line and was unable to reach the remainder of the Battalion.

16th September 1916
The Battalion remained in the support line and were subject to heavy artillery fire throughout the whole day. We were not called upon during the day by the Brigade in front. Captain Etchells and his Company were relieved on Saturday evening and in view of the heavy fighting they had done they were ordered to remain at the Brigade Dump during Saturday night and on Sunday Morning they were ordered to proceed back to the transport lines. The rest of the Battalion remained in support during Sunday and although subject to heavy artillery fire suffered no casualties.

18th September 1916
During the early hours of the morning we were relieved by the North Lancashire Regiment and the Battalion proceeded back to the transport lines and after a march and rest returned to camp at E9.
Our casualties during the action were as follows:- Officers, Lieutentants M.J. Shaw, A.S. Wright (Killed): Lieutenants G.M. Starelock, G.K.S.???wood (Died of wounds): Lieutenants Sir W.A. Blount, Bart and Y.K. Patterson, R.LW Francis and C.T. Wells (Wounded). Other ranks 33 (Killed), 58 (Missing) and 140 Wounded.
Prisoners taken by the Battalion – 2 Officers, 158 Other ranks.

As part of the above described Battle of Fleurs, John Nowers in the afternoon and evening of the 15th, remained alone with two badly wounded officers and afterwards insisted in carrying them back, for which he received a Gallantry card and was recommended for the D.C.M.

The Battalion stayed in the Somme area and on the 16th October they were moved behind the lines to Airaines receiving reinforcements and continuing training. Two days later they were moved to Belgium to camps on the south west of Ypres.

The Battalion spent the rest of the year in and out of trenches around the Ypres and Kemmel areas.

On the 4th January 1917 John Nowers of A Company 26th (Bankers) Battalion Royal Fusiliers was admitted into the 139th Field Ambulance with an abscess on his left wrist. Two days later on the 6th January we was transferred to the 41st Divisional Rest Station.

The cycle of front line and training continued into 1917 and by April the Battalion can be found in trenches around St Eloi, south of Ypres before moving back to the training area in May.

1st June 1917 – Arnecke
After spending the night in billets at Arnecke the Battalion entrained at Arnecke station at 9:05am and detrained at Poperinghe station about 11:25am and proceeded to the camp at Micmac North taking over from 20th battalion Durham Light Infantry.

2nd – 5th June 1917 – Micmac Camp North
There is nothing of importance to record during this period. The Battalion furnished a large number of working parties for the front line system of trenches preparing for the offensive operations. Casualties 1 other rank killed.

5th June 1917 – Micmac Camp (east)
6am – At this hour in accordance with March Table, Battalion Headquarters B and D Companies moved from Micmac Camp East up into the trenches. B Company occupied front line trenches O.2.5 O.2.6 and O.2.7 with two platoons and had two platoons in the support line within the same limits. D Company occupied the reserve line, crater Lane to Bus House Road (Exclusive) and Vormezelle sector from junction with Middlesex Lane to Vormezelle St Eloi Road.
Battalion headquarters were in dug outs in Convent Lane. The remaining two Companies moved from Micmac Camp East to Micmac Camp South.
The day passed uneventfully in the line. There was heavy artillery fire on both sides, but there is nothing of importance to record. Patrols were sent out by B company at night. They found the enemy were thoroughly cut and no obstacle. Owing to a bright moon one of the patrols which got almost up to the enemy parapet was bombed and the officer was slightly wounded.
11pm – At this hour A & C companies left Micmac Camp East and proceeded to occupy GHQ 2nd line which they did at 1:30am on the 6th June in accordance with March table.

6th June 1917 – in the line
The whole battalion was disposed in the line in accordance with march table. The artillery duel continued throughout the day otherwise there is nothing of importance to record.
Orders for moving into assembly positions were issued and no indication as to zero hour was received.

7th June 1917 – in the line
The day of the attack on the 2nd Army front from Observatory Wood to St Yves.
According to orders issued the Battalion was supposed to be in its assembly positions 2 hours before zero, 1:10am, but owing to considerable traffic in the communications trenches and on account of the traffic it was not until
2:35am that the Battalion was finally ready and the Companies all out in their groups of waves between our own trench and the support line. Although a bit tired the men were in splendid spirits. They had been trained up to the minute. Every officer and man knew exactly what was the objective was and were ready to gain it. After 6 long weary winter months of waiting in the St Eloi Sector, overlooked by the enemy, every movement and turn observed, all ranks were assembled with one thought – To get the Bosche out of it –
All had complete confidence in our supporting artillery.
2:50am – At this hour the enemy having spotted the Battalions assembling in No Man’s Land began to send up the “stand to” signal (A rocket, bursting into golden red stars) and his artillery opened a barrage. Luckily however his artillery barrage was weak and it did not disorganise or worry the assembled men.
3:10am – Promptly to the second our artillery opened and our line of waves was went forward. About 5 seconds after zero the St Eloi mine went up with a huge blaze and a rocking of the ground. This seemed to startle the men for they seemed to turn left handed. Fortunately, this check was only momentary and the men soon settled down and were over the top and following the 32nd Royal Fusiliers who were in front in good order. The enemy defence barrage came down on No Man’s Land about 4 minutes after zero but it only caught our rear wave and caused little damage. The attack went off exactly as per schedule. The 32nd Royal Fusiliers took the enemy front trenches and at zero plus 35 minutes this Battalion were ready to advance on their objective Dammstrasse. This consisted of a sunken road which was strongly fortified and which was supposed to be a bit of a stumbling block. The ground had been thoroughly prepared by our artillery who maintained a heavy pounding barrage on the objective. The cooperation between the infantry and the artillery was excellent. The advance behind the creeping barrage was orderly and the men kept their distance and direction admirably.
4.11am – Prompt to time the barrage lifted off the Dammstrasse and our men rushed in and captured it with very little resistance and before large numbers of the enemy who had been sheltering in strong concrete dug outs were able to come out and fight. A large number of prisoners estimated between 300 and 400 were taken by the Battalion. Those of the enemy who did not choose to evacuate their strongholds were bombed out of it. The enemy, with the exception of one machine gun crew who was soon knocked out, showed no inclination to fight. He was beaten and demoralised by the intensity of our artillery fire and the suddenness of the attack.
According to orders a line was immediately dug about 50 to 100 yards in front of the Dammstrasse (Blue Line) as close up to our protection barrage as possible and the work of consolidation was carried on with all possible speed. Enemy artillery fire was ineffective.
According to plan the 3 remaining Battalions of the Brigade came up behind us and formed up ready to advance on to the Black Line which they did. All objectives to this Brigade were taken to the scheduled time and were held.
3pm – Exactly 12 hours after zero at 3.10pm the 24th Durhams who had come up across the ground in a magnificent way and went through and carried on the advance and by about 5pm news was received that all objectives had been taken. Meanwhile large numbers of prisoners kept streaming back.
Casualties:
Officers, Wounded 5
Other Ranks, Killed 25, Wounded 161, missing 7.

8th June 1917 – In the Line
2am – At about this hour orders were received for the relief of the Battalion by the 23rd Middlesex Regiment and
the 20th Durham Light Infantry. This was carried out and completed by 3:30am and the Battalion was withdrawn to G.H.Q 2nd Line near Ridge Wood.
During the day the Divisional Commander inspected the men and heartily congratulated them on their splendid achievement.
7:30pm – The Battalion moved from GHQ 2nd Line to bivouacs in Elzenhalle where they spent the night. There is nothing important to record.

During the attack of the 7th June as part of the Battle for Messines Ridge, Acting Corporal John Anthony Nowers was wounded in the feet and whilst awaiting his turn for help was killed by a shell burst.

Grantham Journal Saturday 30 June 1916
BILLINGBOROUGH
KILLED IN ACTION – Mrs Nowers of the Old Hall, received an official notification of Sunday that her son, Corporal J. A. Nowers (Royal Fusiliers) was killed in action on June 7th. The deepest sympathy is extended to the family.

UK De Ruvigny”s Roll of Honour 1914 – 1919
NOWERS, JOHN ANTHONY, Corpl, No. 19415, 26th (Service) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt). eldest s. of the late Ernest Henry Trevor Nowers of Stamford, co. Lincoln, by his wife Minnie Elizabeth, daughter. of Matthew Terry of Lydd, co. Kent; b Market Harborough , co. Leicester, 6 May 1889; educ. Stamford Grammar School; was employed by Messrs. Barclay & co., Bankers; enlisted 6 Sept 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from 6 May 1916; took park in the Battle of Fleurs 15 Sept., on which afternoon and evening he remained alone with two badly wounded officers and for which he received a Gallantry card and was recommended for the D.C.M.; took park in the operations of Messines, where he was killed in action 7 June 1917; was wounded in the feet and awaiting his turn for help when he was killed by a shell. Buried initially at St Eloi in an unmarked grave, John was later reburied in Voormezeele after the Armistice.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Corporal John Anthony Nowers, 19425, 26th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers who died on 7 June 1917 Age 28
Son of the late Mr E. H. R. Nowers and of Mrs M. E. Nowers of The Gables, Stamford Remembered with honour, Voormezeele Enclosure No 3

John is also remembered on the memorials of Billingborough, Stamford St Mary’s, Tinwell and Stamford Grammar School.

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/…/john-an…/

Remembrance – Ernest Wyles

by | May 27, 2020 | Remembrance

Today we remember Bourne man Ernest Wyles who was killed in action on the 27th May 1918 serving with the 25th Machine Gun Corps.

Ernest was born in 1890 in Market Deeping to Edward Wyles a gamekeeper born in Market Deeping in 1848 and his wife Emily Bellairs born in Market Deeping in 1849.

The couple were married in Market Deeping on the 8th January 1866 and stayed in Market deeping all their lives having 15 children there. They declared that one child had died before 1911 when they filled out the census.

  • Arthur Wyles, 1866, Market Deeping
  • Edward Wyles, 1867, Market Deeping
  • John William Wyles, 1868, Market Deeping
  • Walter Wyles, 1870, Market Deeping
  • Annie Wyles, 1872, Market Deeping
  • Frederick Wyles, 1875, Market Deeping
  • Emily Wyles, 1878, Market Deeping
  • Albert Wyles, 1880, Market Deeping
  • Levinia Wyles, 1882, Market Deeping
  • George Wyles, 1884, Market Deeping
  • Walter Wyles, 1885, Market Deeping
  • Harvey Wyles, 1887, Market Deeping
  • Percy Charles Wyles, 1888, Market Deeping
  • Ernest Wyles, 1890, Market Deeping

In 1891 Ernest is living with his parents in Towngate, Market Deeping, Edward employed as a Gamekeeper.  Ten years later in 1901 nothing much had changed, they were still in Towngate, and Edward was employed as a gamekeeper although by now only Percy, an agricultural labourer and Ernest, a scholar, were still living at home.

By 1911 They had moved to Uffington with both Percy and Ernest still living at home. Now though Edward is working as a County Council Roadman, Percy is working as a Brewer’s Drayman and Ernest, now 21, worked as a carter in a brickyards.

Ernest was married in 1915 to Ivy Ophelia Parker, a dressmaker, who was living in Eastgate Bourne. She was born in Bourne on the 6th October 1894, the Daughter of George Henry Parker and Mary Jane Philips.

In 1919 Ivy was living at 10 Clarence Terrace, Austerby, Bourne according to Army Pension Records, other records show that she also lived at The Mason’s Arms on South Street in Bourne after this.

Around July 1916 Ernest enlisted in the army. Conscription had come in in January 1916 for all single men of age 18 to 40 to serve their country. This had changed in  May 1916 to include Married men thus making Ernest eligible for conscription.

Ernest’s service records, like 60% of all WW1 soldiers were subject to a fire in the storage warehouse in London during the Blitz. That leaves us trying to piece together his story of the war from various remaining records and therefore exact dates are largely not known.

Ernest on enlistment and training had been posted to the 7th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment with a regimental number of 25075. After training he would have joined his Battalion in France. They had been out in Gallipoli in 1915 followed by Egypt defending the Suez Canal before being posted to France in July 1916.

We would expect Ernest to join his regiment around November of 1916. As we do not know the exact date we cannot really tell when and where he fought.

The Battalion had been involved in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge at the end of September and then had been moved into the Ancre sector of the Somme by January 1917.

1917 had the Battalion in the Somme initially and then moved out to Belgium in readiness for the battle of Messines Ridge.

On the war office daily list of the 27th August 1917 Private Ernest Wyles 25075 of the South Staffordshire Regiment was listed as wounded. These lists could be 4 to 6 weeks behind the actual dates and therefor there is no actual date or location that he was wounded in the records. At the end of July and the beginning of August the Battalion were in trenches around Hulluch, to the North of Loos.

After leaving the trenches around Merthyr Sap and Bacon Sap on 6th August the Battalion went into Divisional Reserve for one week of training. During August the Battalion lost few men as casualties and the Diary even lists any Privates that were wounded and so we have to assume that as Ernest was not mentioned he was wounded during their last tour in the trenches around Essex Trench at the end of July.

Ernest Wyles was posted to the Machine Gun Corps, the date cannot be seen from any records but in many cases once a wounded soldier had convalesced and then was posted medically fit for action they would be posted to a battalion that was in need of replacements.

We are not sure of the details of his wound, convalescent period, if he re-joined the South Staffs or when he was posted to the Machine Gun Corp, then we have to look at the Diaries for the Machine Gun Corps in Ernest’s last days in May 1918 and their action around the 27th Just south of The Aisne.

9th May 1918 – Herzeele
Battalion entrained at Heidebeke for move to IX Corps (6th French spring? Area), HQ and A+B Companies left at 7.45pm, C+D Companies at 10.45pm. At 10.40pm just prior to the departure o the train, enemy aeroplane dropped 6 small bombs on the metals close to the train. No damage was done. 

10th May 1918
On Train

11th May 1918 – Fismes
Arrived Fismes in the morning. Marched to Cohan to billets. 

12th May 1918 – Cohan
Cleaning up. Services held in the morning. Weather fine and hot. 

13th May 1918 to 22nd May 1918
Training – Training programme was attached to the diary (Appendix no 4). Hot and sunny weather.
52 other ranks reported for duty on 20th May.

23rd May 1918 – Hourges
Lt Col W.T.Raikes to Paris for 4 days leave. Battalion marched to billets at Hourges. 

24th to 26th May
Training – Training program was attached to the diary (Appendix no 5).

27th  to 31st May 1918
Operations, see attached story. 

“Story of operations from May 27th 1918 to June 1st 1918, 25th battalion Machine Gun Corps.

On the night of the 26th of May 1918 the battalion was ordered to proceed to the forward area from billets in Hourges. Companies as under were allotted to brigades and proceeded from camp independently to the following areas:-

A company under Major S.L.Courtauld M.C. to 7 Brigade Guyencourt (Right)
B Company under Major D Campbell to 74th Brigade, Muscourt (Left)
C Company under Capt T.C.B. Udall to 75th Brigade, Ventelay (Centre)
D Company under Major G McCree to reserve in Romain 

The companies arrived after the preliminary bombardment had commenced and the 3 first arrived reconnoitred positions in their respective areas, the 2nd positions (Line of the Maizy Cormicy Road).

The enemy was engaged at about 8.30am by Bouffinereux-Roucy-Concevreux + Maizy. 4 Guns of B company under 2nd Lieutenant W.L. Johnstone did great execution at the bridges at this later place, but were forced to give way and fall back on Muscourt about noon.

Two sections of the Reserve Company were ordered to reinforce 75 and 74 Brigades respectively, and later the remaining two sections were sent to the 74 Brigade where situation on the left flank appeared to be serious.

In the late afternoon of 27th a strong enemy attack was completely wiped out at point blank range on the Muscourt – Romain road by the concentrated fire of 7 machine guns. On the night however the enemy working well through the woods E & W of Guyencourt cut off or destroyed by close range sniping a number of A + C Companies guns. Good work appears to have been done in the attacks, but owing to the infantry retirement, the guns were left entirely isolated and unsupported and the enemy were thus enabled to attack from all sides. Capt T.C.B. Udall who had made his HQ in Roucy, was surrounded and possibly a prisoner.

About midnight 27th the enemy were reported in Courlandon and Ventelay and it was considered unpracticable to hold the salient north of Romain. A retirement was therefore ordered to the high ground N of Montigny. In all 11 Guns were still working under orders of the Battalion H.Q, though it is kown that several others had attached themselves to infantry units in the neighbourhood of Bouvancourt.

By the end of the report on the 31st May the line had been pushed back daily and the Battalion reported the following casualties.

Killed, 5 officers and 10 other ranks
Wounded, 10 officers  and 120 other ranks
Missing, 5 officers and 108 other ranks. 

Private Ernest Wyles was reported to have died and was most likely one of the missing men killed in the action of the 27th May 1918 described in the Battalion diary.

On the 19th December Ivy Wyles was awarded Ernest’s pension and war gratuity and one year later his War Gratuity payment. Ernest’s medal card suggests that as of the 6th March 1923 his British War Medal and Victory Medal were still “Undisposed of” which meant never sent or claimed up to this date.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private Ernest Wyles, 136409, 25th Bn., Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) who died on 27 May 1918 Age 23. Husband of Ivy Opthelia Wyles, of 15, Mason Arms, South St., Bourne, Lincs. Remembered with honour, Soissons Memorial

Ernest is also remembered on the Roll of Honour in Bourn Abbey Church and listed on the Bourne War Memorial.

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/our-villages/bourne/ernest-wyles/

 We will remember them

Remembrance – Bertie Kettle

by | May 26, 2020 | Remembrance

This week we remember Bourne man Private Bertie Kettle who died in Leicester Royal Infirmary on 26th May 1919 of Septic Pneumonia. He was a recently ex serviceman who had been serving with the 11th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment.

Bertie Kettle was born between January and March 1894 in Bourne to John Kettle a Fellmonger’s Labourer born in Morton Lincolnshire in 1855 and his wife Elizabeth Holmes, born in 1863 also in Morton.

John was first marred to Rachel Pocock in 1974 and they had lived in Eastgate Bourne but unfortunately Rachel died in 1883 leaving the widow John with four children to bring up.
John and Elizabeth were married in 1884 and this was registered in the Sleaford District. They lived in Bourne where all of their 9 children were born.

• John Robert Kettle, 1875, Bourne (Half brother)
• Emma Kettle, 1877, Gosberton (Half sister)
• Rose Alice Kettle, 1879, Bourne (Half sister)
• Jessie Kettle, 1881, Bourne (Half sister)
• Sarah Elizabeth Kettle, 1885, Bourne
• Mabel Kettle, 1887, Bourne
• John Kettle, 1888, Bourne
• Gertrude Kettle, 1890, Bourne
• Bertie Kettle, 1894, Bourne
• Florence Evelyn Kettle, 1896, Bourne
• Lily Kettle, 1897, Bourne
• Harry Sidney Kettle, 1900, Bourne
• Emily Kettle, 1902, Bourne

In 1901 Bertie was living with his parents in Victoria Place in Bourne. John was working as a fellmonger’s labourer (most likely working in the Tannery for T.W. Mays). Elizabeth and six of their children were in the four room house.
Moving on 10 years and the family are to be found on the 1911 census now in a five room house just around the corner in Eastgate. John is still working as a fellmonger and also now eldest son John and also Bertie are doing the same work., sister Gertie was working at a Pea factory. In 1911 the Eastgate area of Bourne was a hive of activity.

Bertie’s war records have not been found and you would have to assume, like 60% of the WW1 service records, were destroyed in a London warehouse fire in the Blitz.
Unfortunately this leaves us with trying to tell his story through other available records. The fact that he died in 1919 immediately means that records like Soldier’s Died in the Great War do not list Bertie.

On enlistment he was posted to the 11th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and given the regimental number of 22575. The exact date of enlistment is unknown and as his medal rolls show that he never served with any other battalion, we can say that he would not have most likely joined around the end of October or the beginning of November 1915. This conclusion is made by comparing the enlistment dates of men of the Leicestershire Regiment that had a similar regimental number.

The 11th Battalion were a service battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. The Battalion was Formed at Leicester in October 1915 by the Mayor and a local committee.
In March 1916 they landed in France and less than one month later, 1st April, came under orders of 6th Division as a Pioneer Battalion. A pioneer battalion could be involved in building or repairing bridges, roads and other similar projects but were a fighting infantry unit and although not normally in the first wave when the Army went over the top would sometimes be called upon to be in the following waves.

As Bertie was awarded the Victory Medal, this meant that he must have served in a theatre of war and so this would suggest that he was mobilised for war and served in France with the Battalion, again the exact dates are unknown. If Bertie had joined around November 1915, it would be most likely that he was one of the men that embarked for France with the 11th Battalion in March 1916. By March he would have a few months basic training before embarking.

The Battalion saw action in the war on the Somme at Fleurs-Courcelette at what was the first use of Tanks in action by the British Army.
In 1917 the 11th Leicesters were in action at Hill 70 in Lens during April and then in November at the Battle of Cambrai and Bourlon Wood.
1918 had them starting on the Somme during March at St Quentin and then in the Lys sector around Bailleul and Kemmel holding off the German Spring offensive. For the 100 days offensive they served in September in St Quentin followed by Cambrai and finally the Battle of the Selle on the 20th October.
They ended the war in divisional reserve at Bohain-en-Vermandois on the 11th November.

After the armistice the Battalion were involved in the march to the Rhine and the occupation of the Rhineland. They had Christmas dinner 1918 on the Rhine and shortly afterwards in 1919 they received orders that in March 1919 the 6th Division will cease to exist. Divisional units such as the Pioneers were posted into the new Midland Division.
Records of other 11th Battalion men would indicate that some of the men and quite possibly Bertie were demobilised in April 1918 at Catterick.

How much of this Battalion’s story is shared with Bertie is unknown. There are no wounded records, mentions in the Times’ Casualty Lists or Silver War Badge records to suggest that his war ended any earlier than March 1919.

Bertie was living with his sister, Rose Neale, at 9 Scott Street, Leicester and was unemployed in May 1919 when he was taken ill and admitted to Leicester Royal Infirmary. He was diagnosed with Quinsy (abscess near the tonsils) which 5 days later developed into Septicaemia and then after another 2 days he died of Septic Pneumonia, aged 25 years.

Bertie’s death certificate states that he was unemployed and an ex soldier with the 11th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment.

Bertie Kettle is buried in Welford Road Cemetery in Leicester and is commemorated on the War Memorial in Bourne, Lincolnshire and also on he memorial in St Michael’s Church, Scott Street, Leicester.

Remembrance – Albert Codling

by | May 13, 2020 | Remembrance

Today we remember Bourne and Lincoln man, Lance-Corporal Albert Codling, who was killed in action on 13th May 1915 serving with the 1/4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

Albert Codling was born on 15th December 1892 at 51 King Street Lincoln to John Codling, a railway porter from Lincoln and his wife Mary Elizabeth Cobb.

John and Mary were married in Lincoln in 1892 having 8 children born there:-
-Albert Codling, 1893, Lincoln
-Gertrude Mary Codling, 1894, Lincoln
-Ernest Codling, 1896, Lincoln
-Frank Codling, 1899, Lincoln (Died 1901)
-Elsie Codling, 1901, Lincoln (Died 1904)
-Edith Codling, 1904, Lincoln (Died 1905)
-John William Codling, 1906, Lincoln
-Doris May Codling, 1910, Lincoln

In 1901 John, Mary and their three children were living at 37 Queen Street Lincoln. 10 years later the family had moved and were now living at 1 Naam Cottages, Grey Street, Lincoln, as found on the 1911 census. John is still working as a railway porter and now the 18 year old Albert is working in a cake mill making cattle cake.

Albert had a change of career and started to work for the Midland Railway as a drayman.

In May 1912 Albert enlisted in Lincoln with the Lincolnshire Regiment, given the regimental number 1608 and posted to the 4th Battalion, a territorial battalion.

Unfortunately Albert’s full service records are not to be found, most likely destroyed during the warehouse fire in London in the Blitz that destroyed 60% of all WW1 service records. The following story tracks Albert’s life in the army from other available sources. We have also added some background information about the 4th Battalion that covers the period between his enlistment and the Battalion embarking for France.

The following information is taken from the History of The Lincolnshire Regiment by C R Simpson.

“At the outbreak of war the Lincolnshire Regiment was made up of 5 Battalions. The 1st and 2nd were the regular battalions, the 3rd Battalion was a militia battalion and the 4th and 5th Battalions were the territorial battalions.
The 4th Battalion was based at the Drill Hall in Lincoln whilst the 5th was based in the north of the county.
On the 25th of July, 1914, the 4th battalion (Lieut.-Colonel J.W. Jessop) and 5th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel T.E. Sandall) were assembled at Bridlington for their usual annual
“Territorial Battalion” training, but on the 2nd of August, received orders to return to their Headquarters on the 3rd. By the afternoon of the 4th both battalions had returned to their respective Headquarters and been dismissed with orders to hold themselves in readiness to assemble at their Drill Halls on receipt of the hourly expected orders to mobilise. These came during the evening. The 5th, the first day of mobilisation, was one of great excitement and activity. At that early period only five Territorial battalions had signed the General Service obligation “ to serve overseas if required in time of national danger,” but on the declaration of war it was not long before the majority of Territorial units throughout the country volunteered for service overseas whenever they were required.

The first duties which fell to the lot of the Lincolnshire Territorials were to guard Grimsby Docks and Harbour, to protect the electric power station, wireless station at Weelsby and the construction of defences at the mouth of the Humber.

On the 10th of August, both battalions reported mobilisation complete and the following day they entrained for Belper, the War Station of the Lincolnshire and Leicestershire Brigade. For the next few days training consisted chiefly of route marching with full equipment. On the 15th, however, a move was made to Luton, which for several months was the home of the North Midland Division, the Lincolnshire being billeted in the town.

On the 15th of September, 1914, the Government called on the Territorials to volunteer for foreign service, and practically all battalions throughout the country answered the call, though for various reasons not all ranks could undertake overseas obligations: Units of which not less than sixty per cent. volunteered were designated “General Service”, and were ordered to recruit up to establishment and twenty-five per cent beyond it. As soon as units had obtained a sufficiently high percentage of volunteers for service overseas, a second unit of similar strength was formed : the latter were termed “ Second Line ” units; Later, “ Third Line ” units were formed. The original Territorial battalions then became known as the First Line units. Thus the original 4th and 5th Lincolnshire territorial Battalions became the 1/4th and 1/5th Battalions.”

The 1/4th and 1/5th Lincolnshire were eventually posted to the 138th (Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade, 46th (North Midlands) Division, and went to France with that formation in February 1915.

Part of the Battalion arrived in Havre on the 1st March, the other half embarking embarked on the Duchess of Argyll on the 2nd March. By the 3rd March the 2nd half of Battalion had arrived and billeted at Shed No6 at Pondicherry.
The Battalion formed again and after entraining at Harve in the evening arrived at Arneke at 2.30pm on the 4th March and marched 4 miles into Zuytpeene, about 10 miles from the Belgian border. They stayed here until the 9th March when they moved to Strazeele and then on to Sailly-sur-la-Lys.

On the 12th and 13th the Battalion were ordered to Stand To both days for a 2 hour notice of movement due to operational orders but nothing prevailed and they stayed in Sailly until the 16th. Upon leaving Sailly they were moved to Le Kirlem where they were trained in the attack and defence of trenches until the 26th both as brigade and also divisional training.
Finally after 26 days abroad the Battalion were moved to billets at the Brewery in Ploegsteert on the 27th march.

They were now attached to the Somerset Light Infantry for instruction in trench duties and 280 men of all ranks were employed during the day working for the Royal Engineers and another 80 men of ll ranks at night. One company in turn was placed in the trenches for 24 hours. This routine went on until the last day of the month with similar number of men assigned to digging by day (220), other duties by night (80) and with anywhere between one platoon and one company spending a day in the trenches.

It was Back to Le Kirlam for their four days away from the trenches and then on to Bailleul where officers joined the 5th Leicesters in the trenches. It would be another three days, 9th April, before the full Battalion was once again required for front line duty. Now based in Dranoutre they Battalion experienced their first full tour in the trenches and after 3 quiet days were subject to enemy shelling on the 13th April. The enemy shelled Frenchmens and Pond Farms and the Battalion reported their first casualties, Lieut Staniland and 3 privates killed and 6 wounded at Pond Farm. Later that night they were relieved by the 5th Leicesters and went back to billets 3/4 mile north of Dranoutre.

Their next tour started on the 18th when after a delay of one day, when they were ordered to stand to because of operations against hill 60, it was back to the same trenches with companies taking over Cookers, Cobb and packhorse Farms. This tour ended on the night of the 22nd but this time instead of returning to billets they were stood to at Lindenhoek waiting until he next day as 14 officers and 400 men of the Royal Irish Rifles were in their Billets. This last tour was deemed by the Battalion Adjutant as fairly quiet with only the loss of Lt W.B. Hirst despite being shelled by H.E. on their last day in the trench. They moved onto their billets the next day (24th April) and immediately C Company were on fatigue laying cable between Regentst and Picadillly. After only one day in the Billets the Battalion was back in the trenches until the month end. The Battalion Diary once again notes it as a quiet time with one visit in their trenches by the Officer Commanding North Midlands Division (46th Div).

For May and Albert’s last days we refer to the Battalion Diaries to tell the story.

May 1st 1915
Battalion in Huts at Locre. Interior Economy.

May 2nd 1915
In huts at Locre. A+D Companies on digging fatigue all night

May 3rd 1915
In huts at Locre. Interior Economy

May 4th 1915
Battalion relieved 5th Leicesters in evening. Relief completed 11:30pm

May 5th 1915
In the trenches. Bn HQ Cob Farm. Quiet Day

May 6th 1915
In the trenches. Quiet Day. Weather Hot

May 7th 1915
In the trenches. All night whole of front was wired completed 2:45am

May 8th 1915
In the trenches. Quiet day. Fire at R.E. Farm
Relieved by 5th Leicesters at midnight.

May 9th 1915
In huts at Locre. Lt Hall and Lt Fox reported from 2/4th Lincs Regt
Church Parade at 6pm

May 10th 1915
Left Locre at 7.45pm and relieved 5th Bn Sherwood Foresters at Lindenhoek at midnight. Bn HQ Lindenhoek Chalet.
Trenches occupied as follows F4 F6 – C Coy, F5-A Coy, G1,2+6 D Coy, S.P3-A Coy. In reserve-D Coy.

May 11th 1915
In the trenches. Quiet day.

May 12th 1915
In the trenches. Quiet day.

May 13th 1915
In the trenches. Enemy shelled our front line during afternoon + early evening. At 7pm they fired trench mortars (7) against G1+2 salient. They then directed machine gun fire at the breach made in the trench + shelled remainder of line. Under cover of this they sent across a party estimated at 20 men with bombs + explosive cylinders, 4 of which were afterwards found at the bottom of mine. The Battalion stood to all night + 5th Leicesters reinforced us with 1 Coy. 1 German (9th Bavarian Regiment) was left dead in G1. Nothing further took place.

The Battalion stayed in the trenches until the 16th when they were relieved by the 5th Leicesters.
On the 17th the Battalion diary notes that whilst they were in huts at Locre they observed a Zeppelin heading S.E at 5am and commented that it was most likely the one that dropped bombs on Ramsgate.

Lance Corporal Albert Codling was killed in action on the 13th May 1915 as part of the action described in the Battalion Diary. He was buried in Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery.

During the war years the family moved to Bourne and settled there. Whilst living at 3 Woodview Bourne the family received the sad new that Albert had been killed in May 1915 in the area around Ypres.

The Soldier’s Died in the Great War shows that Albert Codling died on the 16th October 1915 but that this date was amended in pen over the typing in the original ledger.

The Imperial War Graves report into Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery shows that a cross was originally placed on the grave Plot 1 Row C Grave 14 (ledger ref:1037/2A) and they noted the name as Private A Cooling on the typed ledger and this was engraved on the original headstone. The original typed date of death was 13th May 1915, although this was later crossed out with 16th October written in, once again to be changed back to 13th May 1915 later.
A note on this ledger changes Albert’s entry to Lance Corporal A Codling. A footnote to the page reads “Amendment received from Records and transmitted to DDW with request to have the headstone amended. See A/11/60. -2.3.58”

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Lance Corporal A Codling, 1608, 1st/4th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 13 May 1915. Son of Mr. J. Codling, of 3, Wood View, Bourne, Lincs. Remembered with honour, Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery.
Albert is also remembered on the Bourne War Memorial, the Lincoln War Memorial and also the Lincoln Railway war memorial.

Albert’s brother Ernest also enlisted on the 8th December 1914. Initially he served with the 4th and then 5th and 6th Lincolnshire Battalions. Ernest was posted abroad in 1916 and was killed in action serving with the 6th Battalion on 8th June 1917 on the Messines Ridge. He is buried at the Messines Ridge British Cemetery no more than 4 miles from his brother.

When the Lincoln war memorial questionnaire was sent out to ascertain the names of the fallen, this was filled in for both Albert and Ernest and returned by Gertrude Codling (their sister) of Turks Head Cottage, Cecil Street, Lincoln. The original returns are held at the Lincolnshire Archives.

Albert’s photograph © Jonathan Smith

Remembrance – Cecil Hornsey

by | May 13, 2020 | Remembrance

Plymouth Naval Memorial

Today we remembered Bourne man, Cecil Armstrong Hornsey who accidently died on this day, 13th may 1915, serving on H. M. Destroyer Brisk with the Royal Navy in Scapa Flow.

Cecil was born on 6th February 1893 in Hastings, Sussex to John Hornsey, a druggist and chemist born in Portobello Scotland in 1866 and his wife Agnes Sophia Smith born in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk in 1872.

The couple were married on the 22nd August 1891 in Great Dunmow Essex, at the church of St Mary the Virgin. Afterwards they moved to Hastings where the first of their three children, Cecil was born 18 months later.
– Cecil Armstrong Hornsey, 1893, Hastings
– Winifred Mary Hornsey, 1895, Bourne
– Dorothy Lillian Hornsey, 1899, Bourne

By 1895 the family were living in Bourne and the 1901 census shows that they were living at 59 Woodview. John was working as a chemist (Drug) on his own account and Agnes as a school teacher.

10 years later in 1901, Agnes has yet be found on the census and the family are living in various places.
John Hornsey is living with his sisters at 47 St Mary’s Terrace in Hastings and working as a chemist. The two girls are living as boarders with William Dingley and his family in Meadowgate Bourne, Winifred working as a dressmaker’s apprentice and Dorothy is still at school. William Dingley was a postman and by 1918 Winifred is listed in appointments to the British Postal Service and working for the service in London.

At the age of 16 Cecil joined the Royal Navy on 24th September 1909. His occupation at the time was given as a Chemist’s apprentice. He Joined as a Boy 2nd Class – “a boy aged 15 to 17 rated as such on entry to a training ship of the Royal Navy. Such entry was conditional on a boy’s adequate physical height, weight and medical fitness and evidence of being of ‘good character'”.
His enlistment paper tells us that he was 5’6″ tall with auburn hair, blue eyes and fair complexion.

He was first posted to H.M.S. Ganges, a name given to one of the off-shore ships which was part of the Royal Naval Training Establishment, at Shotley near Ipswich, Suffolk. The ship now known as Ganges was originally designated as H.M.S. Caroline and moved to Shotley when no longer useful as a fighting vessel. Shotley at the time was going through expansion and they had just installed three radio masts as part of the newly formed Signal School.
On 5th May 1910 Cecil became a Boy 1st Class. To classify as a boy 1st Class Cecil would have needed to have served as 2nd Class for 9-18 months, shown sufficient proficiency in seamanship and accumulated at least one good conduct badge. The requirements varied between training ships and his rate of pay would have been increased. This was a rating for boys ages 16-18.
Cecil remained at HMS Ganges for only another 9 days before getting his first posting at Sea.

The first sea posting for Cecil Hornsey was on the 17th May 1910 to H.M.S. Levithan, a Drake Class armoured cruiser. H.M.S. Levithan had previously been placed on reserve but was recommissioned in 1909 for service with the 4th Cruiser Squadron which was in service with the British 1st Fleet. Cecil served for 4 months getting his first taste of the sea.
After his 4 months had elapsed he was next posted to HMS Vivid I, which was a designator of one of the buildings of the shore based training school at Devonport. Here young men were trained in Seamanship, Signalling and Telegraphy and Cecil spent 2 weeks here getting extra training before his next posting.

That next posting was H.M.S. Defence on the 1st October 1910.

H.M.S. Defence was a Minotaur-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in 1907, the last armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy. Following naval reorganisation in 1909 HMS Defence was reassigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron part of the 1st Division of the Home Fleet.
Cecil served on H.M.S. Defence as a Boy 1st Class until on his 18th Birthday, a Boy no longer, he was promoted to an Ordinary Seaman – “a seaman with between one and two years’ experience at sea, who showed enough seamanship to be so rated by their captain”.

Cecil Hornsey was officially engaged by the Navy on 6th February 1911, his 18th Birthday, for a period of 12 years. One week after gaining his promotion he was posted back to H.M.S. Vivid at Devonport for further training.

By the time of the 1911 Census, 2nd April, Cecil can be found as one of the 1265 men and petty officers living at the naval barracks in Devonport, Plymouth. At that time Devonport had 5 men’s blocks and was capable of accommodating 4465 men. The barracks was under the command of Commodore Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss.

After 11 weeks training at H.M.S. Vivid, Cecil was then ready for his next sea based posting, his next ship being H.M.S. Fox.

H.M.S Fox was a second class protected cruiser of the Astraea-class of the Royal Navy. Commissioned in 1896, H.M.S. Fox represented an improvement on previous types in this class, 1,000 tons displacement larger with better seaworthiness due to improved hull design. It also had somewhat increased firepower and superior arrangement of guns. H.M.S. Fox had been assigned to the East India Fleet from 1908. Cecil was with the ship for 2 months before moving on to another East India based ship, H.M.S. Highflyer.

HMS Highflyer was the lead ship of the Highflyer-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s. She spent her early career as flagship for the East Indies and North America and West Indies Stations. She was reduced to reserve in 1908 before again becoming the flagship in the East Indies in 1911.

Cecil was posted to H.M.S Highflyer for 18 months starting on 20th July 1911 although during his time with the ship he spent 10 days in he cells between the 29th May and the 9th June 1912 which did not count as military service days.

The next posting Cecil Hornsey had was with H.M.S. Philomel again serving with the East India Station. This posting started on the 14th September 1912 and within 3 month Cecil received his next promotion to Able Seaman – “a seaman with more than two years’ experience at sea and considered “well acquainted with his duty”.
H.M.S. Philomel was a 1890s commissioned Pearl-class cruiser and Cecil’s time with her was her final time in the Royal Navy. Cecil’s posting ended on the 22nd October 1913 and he ended back on the records of H.M.S. Vivid. H.M.S. Philomel was taken to Singapore where she was recommissioned before being loaned to the Royal New Zealand Navy .

Cecil Hornsey was then listed as being posted to H.M.S. Vivid I between 23rd October 1913 and 4th May 1914 and then posted to H.M.S. Brisk on 5th May 1914 which was to be his last posting.

H.M.S. Brisk was a ‘H’ Class destroyer launched in 1910. She had two 4″ Guns, Two 12 pounders and two 21″ torpedo tubes and was attached to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. In July 1914 the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla were part of the first fleet serving under H.M.S Active as the Flotilla Cruiser and H.M.S. Blake as the Depot ship.

The flotilla was variously attached to the 1st Fleet, Home and Atlantic Fleets, Home Fleet before finally in April 1915 becoming directly in command of the Grand Fleet.
The flotilla in May 1915 was:
Flotilla Cruiser: H.M.S. Active
Flotilla Leader: H.M.S Broke
Depot Ship: H.M.S Blake
Destroyers: H.M.S. Acorn, Alarm, Brisk, Cameleon, Comet, Fury, Hope, Larne, Lyra, Martin, Minstrel, Nemesis, Nereide, Nymphe, Redpole, Rifleman, Ruby, Sheldrake and Staunch.

On the 13th may 1915 Able Seaman Cecil Armstrong Hornsey died from accidental drowning.

The ledger from H.M.S. Blake reads for 1915:
6185, Hornsey, C A, Age 21, Able Seamen, “Brisk”, May 13th, Location Scapa Flow, Drowning – Knocked overboard by recoil of gun.

It would appear that during a firing of one of H.M.S Brisk’s 4″ guns Cecil Hornsey was knocked overboard and drowned. The body was never recovered.
The Royal Navy noted that they had notified Cecil’s Aunt Lily, St Margaret’s Terrace, West Hill, Hastings of his death.

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
• In memory of Able Seaman Cecil Armstrong Hornsey, J/6554, H.M.S “Brisk”, Royal Navy who died on 13 May 1915 Age 22
• Son of John and Agnes Sophia Hornsey, of 56, St. Mary’s Terrace, West Hill, Hastings. Awarded Naval General Service Medal (Persian Gulf)
• Remembered with honour, Plymouth Naval Memorial

John and Agnes were listed living at 56 St Mary’s Terrace, West Hill, Hastings by the CWGC, although on Cecil’s pension record his father John’s address is given as Carrington Military Hospital, Nottinghamshire.

Rest in Peace.

Pictures, Plymouth Naval Memorial, HMS Ganges (Shotley) c1910, HMS Leviathan, HMS Brisk

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/…/cecil-h…/

HMS Brisk

Remembrance – Gunner Robert William Day

by | May 11, 2020 | Uncategorised

Today we remember Robert William Day of Thurlby who died of wounds on the 11th May 1918 whilst serving with the 149th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

Robert was born late in 1884 in Bainton Lincolnshire to Robert William Day, a Farm Labourer born in Godmanchester and his wife Elizabeth Holiday born in 1861 in Thurlby near Bourne.

The couple were married in 1882 in the Peterborough District and only had the one child, Robert.
In 1891 the Couple were living in Uffington, Lincolnshire where Robert was working as a miller’s labourer.
We next find Robert with his parents on the 1901 census in Battersea, London. Father Robert is working as a general labourer and young Robert is now 15 and working as a Warehouse Porter.
Another 10 years on and Robert Snr and Elizabeth are living in her home village of Thurlby, Robert working as a Farm labourer. Robert Jnr is no longer at home.

Robert William Day Jnr., in the meantime is found getting Married in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1909. He married Elizabeth Mary Rochester in the summer and their Daughter Elizabeth Ann Rochester Day was born on 23rd November 1909.
The 1911 census is very interesting as we can find Elizabeth Day in Belford, Northumberland, working as a general domestic servant. She has entered herself on the census as single with no children and we know at the same time Daughter Elizabeth Ann is living with her Grandparents John and Elizabeth Rochester.
Robert Day cannot be found on any 1911 census return and we suspect has most likely joined the Army.

Robert first served abroad in September 1914, usually this means that he was either already serving at the outbreak of war or on Army reserve and immediately re-joined.

Unfortunately no records appear to still exist and like 60% of all WW1 full service records, probably destroyed in a warehouse fire in the Blitz. All we can say is that he initially served with the 12th Brigade RFA, possibly his old Brigade and first war posting. He also know that he was serving with the 149th Brigade when he was wounded in the field and later died of wounds.

The 12th Brigade formed part of Britain’s pre war regular army and comprised the 43rd, 86th and 87th Howitzer Batteries.

On august 5th the Brigade was mobilised and moved to Queenstown (Cork, Ireland). They embarked on the Cymric on the 15th August and proceeded to Liverpool. The 6th Division concentrated around Cambridge between the 19th and the 31st August. On the 7th September the 12th Brigade proceeded to Southampton and on the 8th embarked on ship with the rest of the division.

After arriving in St Nazaire on the 10th they disembarked and stayed in camp there until the 12th.
Over the next week they were moved around by train and eventually on the 16th arrived at Serches (S.E. of Soissons). Coming under orders of the 5th division , after dark they came into action near Le Pavillon Farm. The 43rd and 86th Batteries set up north of the farm and 87th in the rear of Les Carrierres. The guns were entrenched in the night.
On the 17th September they were ordered to shell Chivres village (N.E of Soissons) and the vicinity, setting the village on fire. On the 19th they registered the enemy’s trenches near Y of Vregny. At the time it would look they were using the names on the maps to pinpoint their position. The Brigade diary notes that this registering of trenches was done with the help of Aircraft.
The actions above would have been Robert’s first actions of the war.

After the 18th May 1915, the 86th Battery was transferred and a year later on the 12th May 1916 the Brigade was broken up.

The 149th was a new army Brigade and joined the 30th Division on the 13th August 1915 at Grantham. This was made up of 4 batteries and over time these Batteries moved around and so it is impossible with the information we have about Robert to even try and work out when and where he joined the 149th. If there is anyone who has researched batteries that could have moved from the 12th to the 149th please do get in touch.

We can say for certain that he was with the 149th when he was wounded and so we look to the Brigade Diary around that time to tell Robert’s story. By now a Brigade was made up of 4 batteries A,B,C,D. and at the end of April the 149th had been in the Ypres Salient.

28th April 1918- H21.b.2.3
Quieter day – enemy shelled A battery position, causing a few casualties, during the night 28/29 a prisoner captured near Voormezeele warned us that the Bosch intended to make further attack on Ypres on the following day – every precaution was taken but no attack developed.
Orders received to take over the line from 51st Brigade RFA on the night – but these were afterwards cancelled.

29th April 1918
Enemy further attempted to force positions on our right but were unsuccessful. A concentration of the enemy round Voormezeele was spotted by 1 F.O.O. and completely dispersed by our guns. Harassing fire carried out during the night.

30th Aril 1918
Quiet day – very little shelling by the enemy he was reported to be moving up his guns. Two or three very successful shots on enemy movement under direct observation were carried out. To trench mortar batteries were effectively silenced by our howitzer battery.

May 1918
In action south of Ypres Cover in front from south of the Zillebeke lake to Lock 8 on Canal.

5th may 1918
Moved to cover Ridge Wood to the Voormezeele front, changing positions with 245 brigade RFA (49 DA).

8th May 1918
French operation in neighbourhood of Locre 4am. Bangs put down to assist.
Enemy attack, bombardment beginning 3 am gas shell and all calibres. Battery positions heavily gas shelled 3 am to 2 pm afternoon. Enemy advance on La Clytte to Voormezeele front but situation ?? Late.
Brigade relieved by 156 Brigade RFA after delay through attack.
Marched to Staple area same evening (20 mile)

9th May 1918
In action again relieving 64th Brigade RFA on front Meteren and W adjoining French

10th May 1918
All Quiet

11th May 1918
Batteries shelled in the morning. Some casualties.

It was on the 11th May 1918 that Gunner Robert William Day died of wounds. He is buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. At the time Boulogne would have been one of the ports used to evacuate the badly wounded back to England.
Normally after getting injured a man would be cleared through a casualty clearing station or field hospital and placed on an ambulance train taking them back to hospitals away from the line, such as Boulogne, Etaples, Le treport. Here they would continue to be treated until they could be evacuated back to England and further hospitalisation and hopefully convalescence.
The train would take several hours maybe even half a day and so it is unlikely that Robert was one of the casualties of the shelling on the 11th, but more likely was one of the casualties 8th from the bombardment and gas shelling, those wounds being fatal and then passing away at hospital or I transit through the Boulogne hospital system.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Gunner Robert William Day, 21714, 149th Bde., Royal Field Artillery who died on 11 May 1918 Age 32. Son of Robert William and Elizabeth Day, of Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs.
Remembered with honour, Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

Robert is also remembered on the Roll of Honour in St Firmin’s Church, Thurlby.

Robert’s effects were left jointly to his Mother and Father, Elizabeth and Robert W Day. This was the same with the War Gratuity. The Gratuity paid was £22/-/- which confirms that Robert most likely re-joined the Army on the outbreak of war but does not allow us to calculate an exact date.

Unusually his wife Elizabeth did not receive anything although she was the recipient of his pension. Robert’s pension card is very interesting as it tells us that Elizabeth Mary Day, his wife, was serving with the Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps, W.A.A.C., initially at the MTC Depot Army Service Corps in Plumstead, then 36 Camp, Ripon.
From other records we can see that she also served in Gateshead and finally at the Officers Command Depot in Scarborough, each time as a waitress. She served between September 1917 eventually leaving on compassionate grounds on 22nd November 1918.
On none of her records is Robert mentioned, although he would be away serving when the WAAC started and she can only be found on his pension records.
What the relationship was between Robert and Elizabeth was we will probably never know. On the day that he died she was in hospital and then spent the next 12 days on sick leave. The reason for the compassionate leave in November is also unknown.

The Commonwealth War Graves report into headstones for Boulogne Eastern Cemetery shows that his father, R.W.Day Esq., Thurlby, Lincolnshire, had the extra inscription added on the engraving of the stone, “Not dead but gone before”.

We will remember them.

The find about Robert’s wife is a piece of research carried out today and goes to prove that it dos not matter how much time you spend researching someone, something new will eventually come along and so our men’s stories will never be completely told.

https://www.southlincolnshirewarmemorials.org.uk/…/robert-…/

Remembrance – Harry Briggs

by | May 9, 2020 | Remembrance

Today we remember Thurlby Man, Harry Briggs, who was killed in action on 9th May 1915 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment at Aubers Ridge.

Harry was born in Gainsborough in october 1880 to Henry Simpson Briggs, born 1854 in Lincoln, and his Wife Sarah Priestley, born in Lincoln in 1857.

The couple were married in the Lincoln area in 1874 and their first child was born in 1875.
Lilian Briggs, 1875, Lincoln
Florence Briggs, 1878, Lincoln
Annie Briggs, 1879, Lincoln
Harry Briggs, 1880, Gainsborough.

The family lived in Lincoln where Henry worked as a boot repairer. Eventually they moved to Gainsborough where Sarah died in 1880 possibly in childbirth or shortly after.

In 1881 on census night, April 3rd, Harry was living with his siblings and widowed father on Church Street Gainsborough. Elizabeth Rowe, a 34 year old house keeper born in Thurlby was also in the house and listed as a servant. Unusually Elizabeth was listed above the children and immediately after the head of the house, Henry. It is usual for any servants to be listed after the family on census returns.

Henry was remarried in 1881, in Gainsborough, to Elizabeth Rowe, who already had a son James Henry, born in 1873, although they had no other children together.
By 1891 the family were living at 4 North Row, St George Hanover Square, London where Henry was working as a coffee House Keeper. The four children are all living with them, including Harry’s Step brother James.

The family then moved back to Elizabeth’s own village of Thurlby near Bourne, where in 1898 Elizabeth died. On the 1901 census Henry is now living alone on The Green in Thurlby.

In 1901 Harry cannot be found on any census return but by that time he had joined the Army and would have been serving in South Africa.

Henry, Harry’s Father, was married a third time to Lucy Gillham in 1902 the marriage being registered in the Bourne district.

Harry was already serving with the 4th Essex Regiment as well as working as a Barman when he, at the age of 18 years and 0 months, signed up for 12 years service on the 14th March 1898. This means he lied about his age as he would turn 18 in that October.
At that time the 12 years was made up of 7 years in regular service plus an extra 5 years in Army Reserve. The very same day he passed his, medical and was fit for service.

He was then posted as a regular to the Essex Regiment with a regimental number of 5081. This posting was on the 8th June 1898.
On the 15th August 1898 Harry was reported absent and then returned to duty on the 24th August 1898.

During the next 2 years. Harry’s pay records show that he was serving at home and this changed on 29th March 1900 when his records were changed to show overseas pay. This was because the 1st Battalion was sent out to South Africa where he stayed in South Africa until 14th August 1902.
The pay records fit with some of the Essex Regiment history as 1st and 2nd battalions served in the Second Boer War Notably, the regiment participated in the Relief of Kimberley and the Battle of Paardeberg. The four Volunteer Battalions contributed two Special Service Companies to assist the 1st Battalion and were also awarded the battle honour South Africa 1900–02.

The next posting in Harry’s records was on the 16th August 1902 when his battalion arrived in India. After the Boer War ended the 1st Battalion were transferred to Bangalore as part of the Madras Command. The strength of the Battalion that left Natal for India on the SS Ionian in August were 966 Officers and men.
There is a note in Harry medical records that just states Bangalore 6th September 1902, there are no notes or reason for this entry.
Harry undertook education whilst serving with the Battalion and on the 22nd December 1903 he passed his Certificate of Education 3rd Class.

Whilst serving with the 1st battalion Essex Regiment in India on the 18th March 1904 Harry was appointed Lance Corporal. The next month, on 7th April 1904 after 6 years service, Harry was found fit to be able to extend his service to 8 years.
It was a good start to the year and on the 20th June 1904 he went on to attain his Certificate of Education 2nd Class.

Training was very much a part of Army life and on the 16th September 1904 Harry passed his Mounted Infantry Certificate (Typically a 3 to 6 week course) although within days, Harry fell ill. On the 20th September 1904 Harry was admitted to hospital, possibly with a type of fever and remained there for 44 days, being discharged on the 2nd November.

Harry, now a long serving soldier was then awarded two Good Conduct Badges on 2nd June 1905. Later in the same year he had by then completed his 8 years service and on the 24th October 1905 Harry’s records note that “Extended service to complete 12 years with the colours”, thus his Army engagement was extended.
The next month, on the 28th November 1905, Harry was once again admitted to hospital this time with Malarial Fever and stayed there for 10 days, being discharged on the 7th December 1905.

The next entry for Harry in his medical sheet is on the 17th November 1906 when he is admitted to hospital for Impetigo that was said to have originated by a bite from an insect. On this occasion he stayed in hospital for 11 days and was discharged on the 27th November 1906.

Within a couple of weeks the Battalion received their next posting and on the 13th December 1906 their time in India ended and they were moved to Burma for a further 2 years.

Whilst in Mandalay, Harry’s records show a further 4 hospital stays, the first time 5 days for S.C. Fever (Nov 1907).
It would appear that training in other skills were on he agenda in Burma as whilst here in October 1907 he attended classes and was awarded certificates in both Butchery and Victualling on the 27th of that month.

Harry’s next hospital stay was 18 days for inflammation of the gums which resulted in the extraction of teeth to make way for dentures (Mar 1908). Plus a further 5 days in April 1908, and finally 29 days starting on 31st May 1908 for inflammation. Of Conn: Tissue.
During this time of ill health during 1908 Harry was promoted to Corporal on 13th April.

12th December 1908 saw the 1st battalion Essex Regiment being moved back to India.

Harry is re-engaged by the Army on 24th March 1909 when his extended service ran out and he passed a further medical examination. The note in his service record states that:
” Re-engaged for such a term as shall complete 21 years with the colours”
The last entry for the 1st Battalion is that on 13th August 1910 Harry ceases to draw service pay.
Harry is then posted to the 2nd Battalion on the 17th December 1910 and remains there until the 7th January 1911.
Officially his records show that his service overseas in India finished on the 6th January 1911. The records from the 7th January 1911 show that is service is now home service which at the time could have also include service in Ireland.

On the 1st July 1911 Harry is reverted “at his own request” to Private. The same day he is posted to the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment by the authority of 2nd Bn Ireland (A reference to 2nd Battalion Essex Regiment).
Harry is issued with a new regimental number 9181.
At the time the number range for the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment is consistent with 9181 being issued around July 1911.

On the pay book Harry’s home service only lasted until the 27th December 1911 when Harry and the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment were moved out to Gibraltar.

The next note in Harry’s medial file is that he was revaccinated whilst in Gibraltar on the 23rd March 1913.

On 7th January 1914, the 2nd battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel George Bunbury McAndrew, were posted to Bermuda and stationed at Prospect Camp, in Devonshire Parish, on the outskirts of the City of Hamilton (the colonial capital).
When war was declared on the 4th of August, the battalion was under orders to return to Britain. The Governor of Bermuda, Lieutenant-General Sir George Bullock, was temporarily abroad and Lieutenant-Colonel McAndrew filled his place, overseeing the placement of the colony onto a war footing.

The Battalion left Bermuda and headed for Canada as the first part of their leg home on 13th September 1914 heading to Halifax Nova Scotia on the SS Canada before embarking for Devonport on the 3rd October 1914.

Arriving back home on the 20th October the Battalion was moved to Hursley Park, Winchester to join the 25th Brigade, 8th Division. There they prepared for war and some men were given 48 hours leave before they were mobilised on the 5th November.
During this time Harry’s records show that he was deprived of 8 days pay for absence on 26th October 1914.

At 12 Noon on the 5th November the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment marched out of camp to join the British Expeditionary Force, arriving at Southampton at 5pm, they immediately embarked on SS Cestrian and sailed to France.
On arriving at Havre on the 6th November they marched to a reserve camp just outside of the city, three days later entraining for their eventual destination of Champiny, 10km South West of Armentieres. Here the Battalion entered trenches on the 14th November to see their first action of the Great War.

Private Harry Briggs was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 14th December 1914.

The Battalion remained in the Armentieres area until in March 1915 being moved up to be part of the Battle for Neuve-Chapelle which took place between the 10th and 13th March. During this battle the Battalion saw an artillery bombardment using 300 guns for over one hour and then the battalion were part of the main attack. During the 7 days before being relieved the battle has cost the Battalion 7 officers killed, 8 wounded, 298 men killed and wounded.

Harry Briggs was promoted to Acting Corporal on 23rd March 1915.

The Battalion remained in this sector, in and out of trenches for the rest of March 1915, providing working parties and burying the dead before moving back to billets at Bac St Maur by the end of the month. This was similar in April, some training was carried out in the second week when the Battalion were out of the trenches and in Divisional Reserve. They were given training, which included wire cutting and specific training for blocking party use.

On the 17th April the Battalion were addressed by the Commander in Chief on the Battle of Neuve-Chapelle and then they carried out practice attacks in readiness for the next planned attack. The rest of the month they went back to the usual pattern of three days in the trenches and then three days out in support. Eventually they found themselves moved into the Laventie section by the end of the month.
Another tour of the trenches was carried out at the beginning of May and on the 7th they received orders for an attack on Fromelles, which was to be carried out early on the 9th. At 11pm on the night of the 8th the Battalion left the Billets and marched down to the assembly trenches.

The northern part of the assault would involve the 25th infantry Brigade of the 8th division, which included the second Lincolnshire battalion’s four companies. By 2 am, the 25th Brigade was lined up in assembly trenches opposite a section of enemy line. At 5 am the artillery guns open fire, pounding German defences and blowing wire entanglements apart. The guns ceased at 5:40 am and two companies of the second Lincolns advanced towards the village of Rouge Bancs, close behind the Royal Irish rifles and the 2nd Rifle Brigade. German artillery opened fire on the advancing troops, and they were subjected to a storm of machine gun and rifle fire from both flanks. The two leading formations suffered heavy losses.
We can see in great details the actions of this day and the following extract has been taken from the 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment for May 1915.

5th May 1915
2 pm –
Battalion moved into close billets south east of Sailly.

6th-7th May 1915
Orders for attack on Fromelles received and issued to companies.

8th May 1915
11pm –
Battalion left billets and marched down to assembly trenches near Rue Petillon where it formed up ready for attack on the following morning. The battalion was on the left flank of the second line. W and X companies in front with Y and Z immediately behind.

9th May 1915
5am –
Artillery began bombardment of enemies trenches and on lifting at 5:40 am the 1st Royal Irish Rifles in the front line commenced the attack with the battalion following close behind. The enemy at once opened a heavy artillery and rifle fire. The leading companies of the battalion were able to advance as far as the trenches immediately in front of our own fire parapet and there found further advance impossible, heavy flanking fire from rifles and machine guns being brought to bear on them. Before this position was reached 2/Lieut Ayres (3rd Dorsetshire regiment and Lieut Nisbet were killed and Lieuts Nind and Clifford, wounded.
The 1st Royal Irish Rifles who preceded the battalion were also unable to reach the German trench.
The two companies of the battalion in the second line had by this time reached our own parapet and as a further advance from this point was impossible the GOC 25th infantry Brigade issued orders for these two companies to endeavour to work down for sap leading towards the main crater on the left and after gaining possession of the German trench to work Westwood and join up with the left of the 2nd Rifle Brigade.
At this moment the Brigadier was killed and the command of the Brigade devolved on Major S. Fiby G. Cox, Major H.E.R Boxer assuming command of the battalion. Capt B. J. Thruston was sent forward with the left party.
He sent on first a blocking and bombing party under 2/Lieut E.O. Black who succeeded in gaining the German trench and clearing 300 to the west but running out of bombs could advance no further. The remainder of the party followed close behind, but came under an extremely heavy fire from the right and left front especially the latter. Capt Thruston seeing this gave instructions for the bombing party of the Scottish rifles to go forward and clear the trench to the east of the mine crater. This they did.
9am –
While this was going on men were being sent across to occupy and put in a state of defence the trenches so cleared. Heavy casualties were suffered and only a small proportion of the men reach their objective. Capt Thruston having located to machine guns which were firing from beyond the crater and causing many casualties, collected five machine guns and very quickly silenced them.
10.30am –
Capt Thruston reported that he was in possession of the German trench to the west of the mind crater and was awaiting further orders. Considerable difficulty was experienced in communicating with this party owing to the ground between the opposing trenches being swept by enfilade machine-gun fire from hostile trenches further north east which had not been touched by our guns.
4pm –
An order eventually reached Captain Thruston directing him to bring his party back.
8pm –
As this was impossible during daylight he waited until 8 pm at which hour he was attacked on both flanks and rear, the enemy bombing and rushing in from the crater on the left first. Sing the situation and having no machine gun war bonds and being so hard pressed Captain Thruston gave the order for the party to get back to their own parapet, which they did. On the way back second lieutenant Black became missing.
11pm –
Orders were received for the battalion to proceed to billets. The party under Captain French (formally Major boxer) with Drew to our own parapet under cover of darkness, having been throughout the day severely subjected to shell and rifle fire.

10th May – Bac St Maur
2am –
Battalion reached billets just south of back St Maur.

By 3am on the 10th May all surviving Allied troops had been withdrawn from the German lines. It would take three days for all of the wounded men to be moved from the battlefield to field hospitals. The Battalion Diary notes, that in the attack, from the other ranks alone , 28 killed or died of wounds, 172 wounded, 77 missing, this was in addition to the officers that were named in the diary.
Not only was Harry Briggs killed in this attack but also the Battalion lost Baston man Private Archer Cook.
It was for his actions during this attack that Corporal Charles Sharpe of Bourne was awarded the Victoria Cross, being in the lead of the bombing party that took the 300 yards of enemy trench mentioned in the diary, that being after all of his party had become casualties, missing or killed.

More than 11,000 British casualties were sustained on 9th May 1915, the vast majority within yards of their own front line. If you look at length of the front for the attack this was one of the highest loss rates of any attack of the war.

The British Commander in Chief Sir John French had complained about the shortage of artillery shells to Colonel Tim Repington, the military correspondent for the Times newspaper. An article published on the 14 May in the Times placed the failure of the attack on the government. “British soldiers died in vain on the Aubers Ridge…because more shells were needed.” The story resulted in a political crisis, the Shell Scandal, which contributed to the Liberals being forced to accept a coalition government on the 25 May 1915. The Shell Scandal also brought about the creation of the Ministry of Munitions headed by David Lloyd George.

Grantham Journal Saturday 22nd May 1915
THURLBY
FOUR MORE THURLBY MEN have enlisted this week, vis Messrs. Cole, C Brown, G Healey, and E Foyster, thus bringing the total number of recruits to 36
ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE WAR – On Monday Mr. H. Briggs received from the War Office the news that his son, Corpl. H. Briggs, of the 2nd Lincolns, had been killed in action in France. This is the first casualty amongst the village men.

The following is correspondence between the Army and Harry’s father after his death:-

In September1915, The war Office made a request that Harry’s Effects then held by the Infantry Records office in Litchfield return any articles of personal property they held for 9181 Acting Corporal Harry Briggs, 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, be despatched to Mr H.S. Briggs, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincolnshire.
This was completed on the 16th September and a Watch, Disc, Purse and a German Coin were posted to Harry’s Father along with a form to sign for receipt and a stamped addressed envelope for its return.
Henry Briggs signed this on the 18th September and on the form wrote the following note:
I do not know if he deposited any thing with you at the records office but he led me to understand that his medals were in your charge and I should be pleased if you will forward them to me at your convenience.

In September 1915 the Infantry Office at Litchfield sent the medals that Harry had been entitled to for his pre-war service to his father. These medals were:
South Africa Medal, Queens 5 Clasp
South Africa Medal, King’s 2 Clasp

In 1919 the Army once again sent correspondence to Mr H S Briggs of Thurlby Bourne Lincs, requesting that he fill out the form stating the deceased soldier’s next of Kin. The response was:-
Father: Harry Simpson Briggs, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs
Sisters:
Lilian Weaver age 42 address not known
Annie Graves age 38 address unknown
Florence Wade, age 40, High Street, Thurlby

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Corporal Harry Briggs, 9181, 2nd Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 9 May 1915 Age 34. Son of Henry Simpson Briggs, of Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs; husband of the late Sarah Briggs. Remembered with honour, Ploegsteert Memorial

Harry is also remembered on the Roll of Honour. In St Firmin’s Church, Thurlby.

Acknowledgements to Thurlby Village Web Site for the use of Harry’s Photograph.