Royal Garrison Artillery Special Reservist: SR-1026 (later 276026) GNR E.J MILES R.A

SR-1026 (later 276026) GNR  E.J MILES R.A

Edward John Miles was born in  Churton, Shropshire in 1882. He was a Royal Garrison Artillery Special Reservist, having served for four years in the Shropshire and Staffordshire Royal Garrison Artillery before re-enlistment. He enlisted in the 'new' RGA Special Reserve at Shrewsbury on 26 August 1914, initially for one year. A labourer, he was aged 33. His next of kin was his wife, Esther Lily Miles (née Norris), of 35a Windsor Place, Castle Street,  Shrewsbury, whom he had married at Atcham in December 1912.

A "new" RGA Special Reserve, for men with previous service, was established on the outbreak of war, with terms of enlistment of one year or for the duration of the war.  The new numbering series commenced with "1" on the outbreak of war. Numbers were approaching 2400 by the end of October 1914, with SR/1330 having enlisted on 28 August 1914 and Gunner Miles, as SR/1026, on 26 August. By April 1916 numbering in this series had reached SR/8101. For the post-1917 renumbering  275,000 was added to the existing service number, thus making Gunner Miles' new regimental number from 25 October 1917 276026.

Upon re-enlistment, Gunner Miles was immediately posted to the Citadel, Plymouth and from there posted on to 10 Company, Royal Garrison Artillery on 1 January 1915, followed by 43 Company on 29 June and RGA 10 Depot on 7 November. 2 June 1916 saw him posted to the Heavy Artillery Depot at Woolwich and then on 14 July to No.3 Depot.

Gnr Miles remained in the UK for nearly two years, going overseas on 27 August 1916 from Devonport, ostensibly on posting to 'Base Details Egypt', but in fact disembarking in Salonika on 9 September 1916.

He appears to have been employed as an officer's batman. From [advance?] base depot he was first posted to 84th (Siege) Battery - equipped with four 6 inch Mk. XI and two 4.7 inch naval guns withdrawn from the naval defences of Alexandria and Mudros - but almost immediately (21 September 1916) posted-on to 130th (Siege) Battery. This battery, equipped with four 6 inch, 26cwt howitzers, had arrived in Salonika the previous month. The role of the siege batteries was primarily counter-battery work, destruction of earthworks,  interdiction of crossroads and transport lines, etc. Aqa

Something (the record is not entirely legible, possibly a bout of sickness) took him away from his battery in around June 1917, returning via Royal Artillery Base Depot on 9 September.

Later (7 August 1918, after what seems to have been a hospitalisation of some sort) he was posted to 320th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, also a 6 inch 26cwt howitzer battery,  which had arrived earlier in the year (March 1918?) from Egypt.  He was described by the commanding officer of the battery, Major K F Dunsterville, whose batman he possibly was, as "willing, hardworking and cheerful".

After being medically examined in the field on 19 February, he embarked for the UK from Salonika on 3 March 1919 in consideration of his long service. His Soldier's Protection Certificate was issued at Prees Heath on 15 March 1919 and he was discharged to the Army Reserve Class 'Z' on 13 April 1919. His home address on discharge was 16, Dogpole, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Pte Peter Nicholls, Essex Regiment, Royal Fusiliers (London Regiment)

Peter Nicholls was born in Ponders End to Richard, a brickworker and general labourer, and Sarah (Anne) Nicholls in around 1889.

By 1911 Peter was one of four siblings living at home, the others being Richard, Sarah Ann, and Annie. The family lived at 44 Falcon Road, Ponders End, Middlesex. Peter worked at home on his own account, selling wood. His brother Richard was a general labourer, like their father, whilst Sarah Ann was a lamp maker for an electric lamp manufacturer and Annie was still at school.

Peter may have originally been in a Territorial battalion of the Essex Regiment. Certainly, his Essex Regiment number of 375522 (as recorded on the medal roll), is in the number range 375,001 to 400,000 associated with the regiment's 16th Battalion. This was a Territorial formation created on 1 January 1917 from the Essex-based 66th Provisional Battalion (made up from personnel of the 2nd and 3rd line Territorial Battalions not available for overseas service and soldiers of low medical categories) and disbanded in December that year.

After training, presumably with the 16th battalion at Fleet and then Colchester, Peter was part of a draft going out to join the 13th Battalion, Essex Regiment on or about 17 June 1917. He was subsequently transferred, probably whilst still at Infantry base depot in France, to 1st London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) on 9 July 1917 and then attached to the 1st Royal Fusiliers, 17th Brigade, 24th Division. At around this time the battalion was at Henneveux training for the forthcoming Ypres offensive, and Pte Nicholls is likely to have been amongst the group of 80 from the 13th Essex who joined the battalion there on 13 July. After a commanding officer's inspection the following day, the battalion participated in a practice attack on the 16th, and then left for Senninghem a day later, marching by stages to Steenvorde (where they had a CO's inspection in Fighting Order and battalion sports) and then on to Micmac Camp, finally being distributed between the line (1 platoon each of 'A' and 'C' Companies, swapping with the remaining platoon the following night) and the Canada and Hedge Street tunnels nearby, on the 28th.

The battalion took part in the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, the opening attack of Third Ypres, on the morning of 31 July. Having left the British lines under cover of night, the battalion advanced with the British barrage at 3.50am. After hard fighting under machine gun and sniper fire, which took a particular toll on runners and stretcher-bearers, a line was secured around 500 yards west of Bassilbeek, before the battalion (now reorganised into two companies of 25 and 64 men respectively) was relieved by the 3rd Rifle Brigade and put to consolidating a line of strongpoints along the edge of Bodmin Copse*. The battalion incurred a total of 283 casualties in the month, the vast majority on 31 July.

Pte Nicholls was reported as killed in action on 22 August 1917. At this time the 1st Royal Fusiliers were back in the line at Bodmin Copse, a little way south and east of Sanctuary Wood. A small raid was carried out by the battalion on 22 August but no fatalities were reported, which suggests that the CWGC records are out by a day and he was instead the fatal casualty incurred by the battalion during its relief from the trenches under heavy bombardment on the following day, 23 August 1917.

The majority of his financial effects, including his War Gratuity, were made over to his widow, Alice M Nicholls. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

The following account of the action is taken from "The Royal Fusiliers in the Great War":

'The 1st attacked at zero with the 12th Battalion 200 yards in the rear. The leading companies as usual clung closely to the barrage. A number of casualties were sustained as the men crossed the valley in which lies the sunken road towards the eastern end of Shrewsbury Wood, but the Germans did not attempt to stand until the strong point south of Jeffrey Avenue was reached. This trench runs from the north-eastern face of Clonmel Copse to the northern edge of Shrewsbury Wood. At this point the battalion were held up until Lieutenant Flack's party rushed it. Flack knocked out the machine gun with a rifle grenade, and was subsequently awarded a bar to the M.C. for this service. This part of the line was then consolidated. C Company, under Captain Leeming, reached the trench on the south-western face of Bodmin Copse, and here he was killed. The German snipers were very active, and C Company was deprived of an efficient leader. This company on the left of the advance alone maintained its direction. A very sustained fire had been kept up from Lower Star Post, in the heart of Shrewsbury Wood, and it was owing to this, apparently, that the battalion on the ist Royal Fusiliers' right swerved, causing the Fusiliers' right company also to swerve.

...

That night a final line was established some 500 yards west of Bassillebeek and held by the 1st Battalion, the 12th, with the 3rd Rifle Brigade and the Leinsters. On this day, the 1st Battalion sustained 277 casualties, 12 being officers, 3 of whom were killed.

...

Fighting was still in progress on the line south of Shrewsbury Wood, and the conditions at the front were very terrible. Many wounded were still lying about in shell-holes as the stretcher bearers had suffered so many casualties. Seven officers and 69 other ranks were sent up to the 1st Battalion from the transport lines on August 2nd, and on the next day they moved back with the 12th Battalion to Micmac Camp. '