23803 Pte T Mawson, 1/5th and 8th Border Regiment, wounded in action July 1916

23803 Pte T Mawson, 1/5th and 8th Border Regiment, wounded in action July 1916

 

Thomas Mawson was from Egremont in Cumberland, born circa 1890. With dark blue eyes and light brown hair, he was a clogger and shoemaker in civil life and appears to have been asthmatic since boyhood. By January 1915 he was living at 90, Main Street with his mother. An early war volunteer, he served for 16 days in 1915 with the Territorial Force in the 6^th and then 1/5th Battalion, the Border Regiment under the Regimental Number 2811 before being discharged as Physically Unfit having been ‘certificated as suffering from miners’ phthisis by depot medical officer’ on 20 February. He then attested his willingness to serve under the Derby Scheme in December 1915 and after a period in the Army Section ‘B’ Reserve, was mobilised on 9 February 1916. His medical record, made at Carlisle on the same day, gave his vital statistics as height 5 feet 7 ½ inches, weight 112lbs, chest measurement 34 ½ inches and range of expansion 3 ½ inches. No comment was made as to physical development.

Going overseas in relatively short order on 2 June, he would have joined the 8^th Borders in 25^th Division fairly shortly thereafter. At this time the battalion had just come out of the line in the Neuville St Vaast sector (north of Arras, close to Vimy Ridge) and was in billets at Savy (possibly Savy-Berlette, 12 miles north west of Arras), remaining there until 13 June. After several changes of camp, interspersed with training (with a particular focus on bayonet training) the battalion marched down to the Somme via Talmas and Forceville, arriving at the latter late on 30 June/1 July. On 2 July the battalion moved to Martinsart Wood, sending a ‘B Team’ of battle surplus officers and men to Vandecourt and then taking up a position in the front line trenches south of Thiepval in preparation for the next day’s attack. The battalion attacked at 6am, the plan calling for an attack in four waves, ‘D’ and ‘A’ Companies leading. In the event, whilst the first two companies went out punctually to time, the second two waves were held in the front line and then used to send reinforcements when required. 180 yards of much damaged German trench was taken but the battalion was then obliged to retire due to the right flank having given way. The war diary noted difficulties in communications owing to the reliance on runners/orderlies who were unfamiliar with the trench systems, as well as a lack of reinforcements from Reserve and commented “The German rifle & machine gun fire was not particularly severe and had communication with the right & left been kept up throughout the attack would have been successful”. The battalion suffered 4 officers killed and 10 wounded and 430 other rank casualties in this action and was relieved the following day, marching to Aveluy Wood and then on the 7^th moving to the Usna Redoubt (just in front of La Boisselle) via Albert, from where the whole battalion returned to the front line (former German trenches) between the 10^th and 12^th of July.

On 13 July the battalion was ordered to attack and take two lines of German trenches on the southern side of Ovillers, successfully taking them with little resistance, and then continuing the attack on 14 July, when the trench occupied by ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies (on the left) was retaken and a ‘block’ had to be established at its northern end whilst the trench was consolidated; meanwhile the rest of the battalion pushed on to take Ovillers Church and the trench to the north, being relieved by the 11^th Cheshires on the 15th. After resting in the former German front line (now the support trench to Ovillers) on 16 and 17 July the battalion was withdrawn via Senlis, Headauville and Amplier where it remained for some days.  

Meanwhile, Pte Mawson, having suffered a gun shot wound to the right leg, was listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office from 21 August 1916. He was therefore entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6 July 1916, the terms of this award being met by naming in this list.

Based upon an average lapse of circa one month between a man becoming a casualty and his name being published (to allow time to notify the family, etc) this might suggest that he was wounded in mid-July at Ovillers, However, given the large number of names to be published following the start of the Somme offensive, he may equally have been wounded in action on 3 July 1916 at Martinsart, He appears to have been invalided home on 19 July.

Although he appears to have recovered from his wound, his breathing difficulties clearly re-presented themselves, as he was admitted to the Military Hospital, Barrow, in January 1917 with Asthma, being medically boarded before an Invaliding Board on 3 February and recommended for discharge. Pte Mawson was discharged from the 3rd Battalion, the Border Regiment at Preston as Physically Unfit due to sickness (although a subsequent pension application and appeal was refused, presumably on the basis that the impairment was not due to service) on 24 February 1917 after 1 year 76 days of service. His Military character was recorded as ‘Good’, whilst his ‘Character awarded in accordance with King’s Regulations’ noted that he was ‘a steady, sober man’. He was issued the Silver War Badge, Badge Number 140264 in March 1917 as well as receiving a Gratuity of £45 for 25% disabling Asthma, and would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal some time after October 1920.