Today we remember John James Booth, a Morton boy who never returned from that part of a foreign field that remains forever England.
Killed in action 19th June 1917, buried at Loos British Cemetery, France and remembered on the Morton War Memorial.
This week we remembered Morton man Albert Edward Whitethread, who died on the 1st June 1917 during training.
Albert was born in Fosdyke, Lincolnshire in the summer of 1881. His father John Whitethread was a blacksmith and general dealer born in West Dereham in 1849. He married Albert’s mother, Mary Ann Percival in 1876 in the Spalding area.
The family moved to Bourne in 1883/4 where Albert their 6th child was born. By 1891 the family had moved again to Morton where John took over the Blacksmith’s shop.
By now they were a large family and by 1911 they had their 11th Child but also had lost one.
William Robert Whitethread, 1877, Sleaford
Fanny Whitethread, early 1878, Spalding
Herbert Whitethread, late 1878, Heal
Clara Whitethread, 1879, Heal
Beatrice Whitethread, 1880, Heal
Albert Edward Whitethread, 1881 Fosdyke
Agnoria Jane Whitethread, 1883, Fosdyke
Ethel Whitethread, 1884, Bourne
Edith Whitethread, 1888, Morton
John Arthur Whitethread, 1893, Morton
On 31st May 1909 Albert married Annie Katherine Skeeles (b1880 St Ives, Huntingdonshhire) in Atherstone. They had one child, Constance Lillian Whitethread, born in 1910.
By 1911 Albert was living with his brother William in Hanthorpe. William had a saddlers business but Albert still, although living there was still working as a blacksmith.
Albert’s wife Annie and daughter Constance were living in Morton as borders with the Taylor family.
Albert Whitethread was enlisted on the 24th June 1916 in Grantham and his place of residence at the time was listed as Bourne.
He was called up on the 15th March 1917 and posted into “James Bradford’s 3rd Company” Army Service Corps two days later, his attestation papers list his rank as a Driver.
On the 24th May 1917 Albert was transferred to the 88th Training Reserve Battalion. This was, up to the end of 1916, the 19th reserve Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment but the re-organisation of the Training Battalions from September 1916 meant that the Training Reserve were no longer aligned to any regiment. This was the case until May 1917 when the training Battalions were returned to a regimental affiliation.
The 88th Training Battalion were stationed at Link House Camp, Blythe, Northumberland and Albert would have been sent there for training with the Battalion on 24th May.
Albert was admitted to the 1st Northern General Hospital in Newcastle on the 31st May 1917. He died the next day, on the 1st June, after Broncho Pneumonia set in.
On Albert’s pension papers from July 1917, Annie Katherine or “Kate” is listed as Wife (Separated) and daughter Constance is living with her Grand Parents in St Ives.
Grantham Journal Saturday 9th June 1917
MORTON
SAD NEWS – Yet another Morton young man has paid the great sacrifice, under distressing circumstances. A few days ago, Mr John Whitethread, blacksmith, received a wire from Newcastle informing him that his son, Albert Whitethread, a private in the R.F.A., was in hospital and seriously ill. Mr Whitethread went at once, only to find that the worst had happened, and that his son had been dead some time. The body was conveyed to Morton on Tuesday, and the funeral took place on Wednesday, the service being conducted in the Wesleyan Chapel by the Rev Comyn Jones, Congregational minister, of Bourne, the body afterwards being interred in the Churchyard. The Rev Jones conducted the service. Great sympathy is felt for the bereaved family. Deceased was well known, and only recently left Morton for the military duties. We understand that death was due to pneumonia. There were several beautiful floral tributes.
The internment in Morton churchyard was paid for by the military and Albert has a Commonwealth War Graves headstone.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private Albert Edward Whitethread, TR5/74304, 88th Battalion, Training Reserve who died on 15 June 1917 Age 35. Remembered with honour, Morton (St John the Baptist) Churchyard.
All records say he died on the 1st June and so the statement on the CWGC website is believed to be a typing error.
Today we remember Arthur Thompson of Rippingale who died on the 10th June 1918 fighting for our freedom with the 51st Battalion Australian Infantry A.I.F.
Remembered on the Rippingale memorial and also in the Australian Memorial Cemetery at Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Today we commemorated the 101st anniversary of the death of local man Alfred Weldon of Witham on the Hill who was serving with the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment when he was killed in action on the 8th June 1917.
Alfred was born in the spring of 1893 in Witham on the Hill to Thomas Weldon, an agricultural labourer born in Tickencote and his wife Louisa born in Witham on the Hill.
Thomas had married Louisa Holmes in 1884 and although their first son was born in Baston they made their home in Witham on the Hill where their other children were born:-
William Weldon, 1887, Baston
Rachel Weldon, 1888, Witham on the Hill
Ellen Weldon, 1891, Witham on the Hill
Alfred Weldon, 1893, Witham on the Hill
Louisa Weldon, 1895, Witham on the Hill
Frances Weldon, 1899, Witham on the Hill
They had one further child who they had sadly lost.
Thomas passed away before 1901 and Louisa moved the young family into her father’s house. They were still in the same house 10 years later but by now Louisa’s father had passed away and her brother had moved in with them.
By now Alfred is 17 and working as a farm labourer.
Alfred enlisted into the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire regiment in Bourne and joined the force in May 1915 (number 4186) and posted to france the same year.
Alred served with the 4th Battalion throughout the war. The medal rolls star that he was posted to France on the 7th December 1915, this is consistent with him serving with the 1st 4th (first line Battalion) as the 2nd/4th served in Ireland before moving to France in January 1917. Although the Commonwealth War Graves documents state that he was serving with the 2nd 4th (Second Line Battalion) at the time of his death.
Without his service records, which were most likely destroyed in the warehouse fire in the blitz, it is not possible to say when or even if Arthur was transferred from the 1st to 2nd 4th Battalion.
The 1st 4th had seen action on the Western Front in 1915, spent one month in Egypt in January 1916 before being posted back to France.
If you look at the 1st 4th and 2nd 4th locations around the 8th June 1917, then you would have to say that the fact that he is commemorated at Thiepval would point to a battalion in the Somme. However if you look at the 2nd 4th Diary, being on the Somme on that date, there are no casualties reported and the Battalion had faced sever days on trench digging.
The 1st 4th were in Cite des Riaumont, Lievin, near Lens and undertook an attack on the 8th June that resulted in numerous casualties.
The final piece of the unsolved puzzle comes from a newspaper article in April 1918.
<He was about to come home on leave when the attack on Messines was made in June 1917, from which date he was posted “Missing”. Now his mother has been notified by the War Office of his presumed death since the Messiness attack. His Mother lives at Witham-on-the-Hill.>
From all of this we can only assume that he was still with the 1st 4th Lincolnshire regiment and that he was reported missing after their attack on the 8th June 1917 near Leivin on the same day as the Messiness Ridge was attacked just 50km away.
The 4th Battalion Diaries describe the days leading up to and the day of the attack that most likely saw Alfred make the ultimate sacrifice.
The following shows the movements of the 4th Battalion in the month before Arthur’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 ful 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 increadsw 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.
Normally the casualties from this battle would be commemorated on the arras memorial but, Irrespective of where he is commemorated, Alfred lost his life on the 8th June 1917.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private Alfred Weldon, 201410, 2nd/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment who died on 8 June 1917
Remembered with honour, Thiepval Memorial.
Rest in Peace Alfred.
Today we remember Alfred Thompson who was killed 101 years ago on the 8th June 1917 serving with the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, commemorated on the Bourne and Arras memorials.
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 and 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.
Alfred enlisted into the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment in Spalding although the exact date is unknown. The medal rolls show that he has three separate entries for Battalions served, first the 4th Lincs, then the 5th Lincs and finally the 4th lincs again. It is possible that he was enlisted into the 4th Battalion and then upon completing training was posted to the 5th Battalion. Usually once in the field then if wounded a man would sometimes be posted to a Battalion that needed reinforcements when that man was declared fit for service again. The medals rolls also show that Arthur saw active service abroad in 1915 and so possibly enlisted in 1914 or early 1915.
As Arthur’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. These do not show when or why he was posted between the Battalions and so the only thing we can be sure of is that he was serving with the 4th battalion at the time of his death.
The following shows the movements of the 4th Battalion in the month before Arthur’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 ful 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 increadsw 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.
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
Today we remember Ernest Codling on the 101st anniversary of his death, when he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country serving with the 6th Lincolnshire’s on the 8th June 1917. Ernest is commemorated on the Bourne War Memorial and buried at the Messines Ridge British Cemetery
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.
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. It is most likely that he was then posted to the 5th Battalion (20047) or the 6th Battalion (40635) upon completion of training. The only other reason men were transferred from one active Battalion to another one would be if they were injured and then reassigned when they became fit to serve again.
As with a lot of records from the Great War, Ernest’s army records are believed to have been destroyed in a warehouse fire in London in the blitz and so we can only look at his movements by piecing together any surviving information.
The medals card index shows that Ernest did not serve abroad before the start of 1916. Whether this posting was with the 4th, 5th or 6th Battalion is unknown.
The 4th and 5th battalions had both been posted to the Western front in March 1915. The 2nd / 4th and 2nd / 5th Battalions had seen service in Ireland in 1916 before being posted to France in February 1917.
The 6th Battalion had spent 1915 in Galipoli before being shipped to Egypt between February and July of 1916. In July they sailed back to Europe and were posted to the Western front just south west of Arras by the 18th July. Because it is not known exactly when Ernest was posted to the 6th Battalion it is impossible to trace his movements at this time.
.
We do know that when he was killed, Ernest 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 transcription may take a long while.
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.
“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 at Albert 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 where 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.
Photographs courtesy of Jonathan Smith and graveside photo Joyce Stevenson.
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