41435 PTE FH SAWYER 11th and 7th Battalions, The Suffolk Regiment (PoW)
Frank Henry Sawyer was from Tunstall, near Woodbridge in Suffolk, born 30 April 1898. He attested his willingness to serve on 9 August 1916, aged 17 years 11 months, and was immediately posted to the Army Reserve until he became of age. A gamekeeper in civil life, he was mobilised on 20 or 21 February 1917 on posting to the 261st Training Reserve Battalion under the regimental number 6782, then 'B' Company, 262 Infantry Battalion. He was posted to the BEF on 18 September 1917, and transferred, probably whilst still at Infantry base depot, to the Suffolk Regiment on 23 September and then posted to the 11th battalion the same day.
He served overseas with 'C' Company of the 11th Suffolks (18/9 to 24/11 1917), being admitted to 104th Field Ambulance with ICT (inflammation of the connective tissue or skin infection) to his left knee on 9 November 1917; he then went to 20 Casualty Clearing Section to have it dressed on 16 November, followed by referral to No.10 General Hospital for ulceration over the patella and fluid in the right knee joint (synovitis). After returning to the UK for treatment and being placed on the strength of the Suffolk Regiment depot, he was discharged to duty from Eastleigh Hospital on 19 December 1917, joining the 3rd Battalion, the Suffolk Regiment on the 28th.
On 15 February 1918 he was posted overseas to 'L' Infantry Base Depot and there joined the 7th battalion, the Suffolk Regiment four days later. (12/2 to 4/4 1918). He served with 'D' Company.
He suffered a Gun Shot Wound to his right wrist, and was made a Prisoner of War in March 1918, being recorded on his service record and on ICRC records as captured at Albert on 30 March 1918 (this is interesting as, from the battalion's war diary, the Albert operations took place on 26-28 March and on 30 March the battalion was out of the line reorganizing at Henecourt; possibly Pte Sawyer was separated from his unit and attached to another, or evading capture alone until taken by German forces two days later).
On 24 March 1918 the battalion was in billets at Cantrainne, having marched there overnight from Estaires. At 11:45pm they embussed out, eventually arriving at Senlis the following day (25/03). That afternoon, they headed towards Fricourt, getting within 1 mile by 10pm but then being ordered back.
On the morning of the 26th the battalion was deployed initially to defend a line east of Albert, but was forced to withdraw through the town in the face of the advancing enemy. It then took position west of the town, to defend the general line of the railway by Albert, 'B' Company on the left , 'A' on the right, 'D' in reserve and 'C' forming an outpost line, later pulled back once the bridges were destroyed, having inflicted some casualties on the enemy and then put to fill a gap in the line along the railway south of 'A' Company. In the face of enemy pressure, 'A' was forced back under strong enemy enfilade fire but 'B' and the right flank Company were holding. 'D' Company became engaged after the houses west of the railway line were taken, taking casualties and repelling enemy bombing attacks through the night. After being temporarily forced back around 10:30pm the overall line was regained by counter-attack and held overnight ('D' prolonging the line to the left of 'A' Company) until 11am on the 27th when 'B' Company were forced by heavy shellfire and withdrawal by a neighbouring battalion to fall back to the reserve line held by the 9th Essex in support. The war diary notes that this withdrawal was accompanied by considerable confusion and that only 53 out of 133 other ranks of 'B' rejoined the battalion after relief early the following day (28/03) at Henecourt. When the defence was reorganised at 2pm on the 27th, 'C' occupied the high ground south of the Amiens Road, with one platoon in the area between the Millencourt-Albert track and Bouzincourt Road and another in Reserve, 'A' holding the immediate vicinity of the road, 'D' Company in part was put in the line with part of 'A', guarding the high ground up to the crucifix on the Millencourt Road. Relief took place on the 28th. By the end of the action the war diary reported 38 other ranks killed, 110 wounded and 96 missing.
Fortunately Pte Sawyer was able to send his next of kin a post card, dated 18 April, to confirm that he was a prisoner of war. He was shown as missing on War Office Daily List No. 5585 of 06/06/1918. War Office Daily List No.5641, Report Date: 12/08/1918 advised that he had been Reported as Prisoner of War in lists received from the German Government.
Pte Sawyer was repatriated to Britain via Hull and returned to Ripon Camp.
He later served in Egypt. He was posted to the 1/5th Suffolks on 11 May 1919 and then, with effect from 3 October 1919, compulsorily transferred to the Middlesex Regiment and posted to the 2/19th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (St Pancras) under the new regimental number 623391. At some point he was appointed Lance-Corporal. His military character was given on his Conduct Sheet as 'Very Good'. Prior to discharged he was medically examined at El Kantara and found to have a 20% disabling impairment to his right wrist. He was demobilised in 1920. He had one dependent, his mother, Mrs E Sawyer, and was pensioned at 8 Shillings a week after the war, for one year. His medals (British War Medal and Victory Medal, being his full entitlement) were issued off the London Regiment roll.
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