WW1RN Silver War Badge Stoker II D Bedwell HMS Berwick & Centurion, from Norwich. Mental infirmity

WW1 Royal Navy Silver War Badge issued to D Bedwell, Stoker Class II, lived Catton, Norwich admitted to Asylum after the war

Silver War Badge 33330 was issued to Bedwell, D, Stoker Second Class, and was issued by HMS Pembroke on 20 November 1918.

Unfortunately neither the Royal Navy SWB applications list nor the issue list give Stoker Bedwell’s service number. However, there is only one Bedwell with the initial ‘D’ in the RN medal roll and likewise only a single Bedwell with the initial ‘D’ in the Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services 1848-1939. He can therefore be firmly identified with Donald H Bedwell, Service Number K 50438, who was awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal for World War I service.

As set out in his Royal Naval service record, Donald Hector Bedwell was born on 9 March 1900 in Norwich, Norfolk. He first saw service aged 18 years 6 days upon mobilisation as Stoker Service Number K50438, and was allocated to HMS Vivid II, which represented the Stokers and Engine Room Artificers School in Devonport. His Last Service Date was 18 December 1918 (which would broadly agree with the issue date of the Silver War Badge) and his Last Ship Served On was recorded as Vivid II.

Stoker Bedwell saw active service on HMS Berwick (a Monmouth class armoured cruiser) from 29 June to 18 August 1918, and on HMS Centurion (a King George V class battleship) between 12 September to 4 November 1918, so probably saw most of his service in the North Sea. His service record indicates that he was Discharged for ‘mental deficiency’; since he was awarded the King's Certificate that would suggest that this was considered to be either attributable to, or aggravated by, active service (The award of the Silver War Badge is not mentioned in his service record but it follows that if he was eligible for the King's Certificate, he was eligible for the SWB). He was awarded naval prize money of £2 15s, presumably for prizes taken whilst aboard Berwick or Centurion.

There is a Royal Naval medical treatment at Sea and on Land 1914-19 record for a ‘Ronald Bedwell’, 18, Stoker aboard HMS Centurion, admitted on 23 October 1918 with mental debility and discharged back to duty on 5 November 1918, passing through Hospital Queensferry. This is presumably the same man, a mistake having been made in the transcription (there is no ‘Ronald Bedwell’ recorded in the Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services 1848-1939).

Donald H Bedwell was the son of John W Bedwell (a fireman on the tramways) and Ruth Bedwell in Norwich, the family living in the parish of New Catton Christchurch. John would have been circa 29 and Ruth about 32 when their son was born. The family were living at 170 Philadelphia Lane and remained there at least until 1911, by which time the schoolboy Donald Bedwell was 11 and his father employed as a main & service labourer for a gas manufacturer). By this time the family had grown to include Blanche Bedwell (9), Elsie Bedwell (8), and Florence Bedwell (also 8).

After his naval service, Donald Bedwell was committed 0n 9 December 1918 to Norwich City asylum, this presumably related to his discharge reason. He was pensioned at 8s 3d a week for one year.

Donald Bedwell’s death was registered, aged 35, in the first quarter of 1936 in the St Faiths Registration district of Norfolk.

241144 Pte Cunningham 1/5th East Lancashire Regiment, wounded June 1917

241144 Pte Cunningham 1/5th East Lancashire Regiment, wounded June 1917

William Cunningham, born in 1892, was a coal miner, having worked prior to his enlistment for J Hargreaves, Reedley Pit, Burnley. He lived in Burnley, Lancashire, where he married Margaret Ann Murray on 4 October 1915. They had one son, John. William stood 5 feet 3 ½” tall upon discharge and was described as having a fresh complexion, blue eyes, and dark brown hair. He enlisted for the duration of the war at Burnley on 23 December 1914. Having attested for and been embodied in the 5^th East Lancashires on 23 December 1914, he spent approximately seven months training with ‘A’ Company of the 2/5^th East Lancashires and was posted to the 1/5^th with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force on 2 July 1915. He landed at Gallipoli on or about 18 August 1915, most probably being sent as a reinforcement in light of the battalion having lost two-thirds of its strength due to death, injuries or sickness. He served as a Private under the regimental numbers 2569 or 3309 and then 241144 in the 1/5^th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment in Gallipoli and Egypt from 2 July 1915 to 11 March 1917, and then in France from 12 March to 17 May 1917. He was regimentally employed as a bomber. He was wounded, suffering a Gun Shot Wound to his Chest, neck and right arm (any penetrating wound, in this case possibly a shrapnel wound) on 28 April 1917. At this time the battalion was at Nobescourt Farm, Roisel, ten miles north-west of St Quentin, primarily involved in furnishing working parties, and it seems likely that it was in the course of one of these that Pte Cunningham was wounded. He was sent home to join the strength of 193 Territorial Force Depot on 18 May. Subsequent to being posted home his commanding officer with the 1/5^th filled in his Particulars as to Character, noting that Pte Cunningham was sober, reliable and intelligent, had shown special aptitude for employment as a miner (being useful with a spade), and was a good soldier.  Pte Cunningham had a couple of Absent Without Leave charges on his Regimental Conduct sheet including being late to report at tattoo on being posted to his Reserve battalion. After a temporary attachment from the 4^th East Lancashires to the 17^th (Transport Workers) Battalion, Scottish Rifles, he was re-posted to and then transferred from ‘C’ Company of the 4^th (Reserve) Battalion at Scarborough to the Army ‘P (T)’ Reserve (to return to his occupation as miner) on 27 July 1918. He was aged 25 years 9 months at this time, having served 3 years and 217 days in total. His military character was given as ‘very good’ notwithstanding three charges on his regimental conduct sheet for absence (one from the 2/5^th at Southport, one from the 1/5^th at Suez, and the aforementioned one before reporting to the 4^th), and one for leaving a fatigue without permission whilst with the 1/5^th at Suez. He was subsequently pensioned at 27/6 for one month, followed by 5/6 for a further 48 weeks, for a 20% disabling gun shot wound to the neck. He was then discharged under paragraph 392 xvi (a) of King’s Regulations on 10 February 1919.  His post-discharge address was 54 Anna Street, Burnley, Lancashire. In August 1920 he was awarded a final gratuity of £48 15s. He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal in October 1921.

 

28747 Pte Newstead, Essex R, Somme Oct 1916 casualty

28747 Pte Newstead Essex R WIA Somme October 1916 Victory Medal

Henry Newstead was born circa 1885 and lived in Dover. He attested his willingness to serve under the Derby Scheme in early December 1915 before presumably spending some months on the Army reserve. Possibly, like 28739 Ernest Birrell (who attested his willingness to serve on 12 February 1916) he was mobilised circa 31 May 1916, passing through the 3^rd (Reserve) Battalion, the Essex Regiment, and then potentially not going overseas until September-October 1916.

 

He served overseas with the 11^th Battalion (raised September 1914 and from October 1915 serving overseas in France with the 18^th Brigade of the 6^th Division). Inte first half of September the battalion was out of the line training, practising assaults, undergoing inspections etc, principally at Vignacourt and then Sailly le Sec.  Depending upon when he joined the battalion, he could have taken part in action during the Battles of  Flers-Courcelette and Morval in September 1916, in the latter of which the battalion took the sunken road in front of Les Boeufs, taking practically no casualties and capturing 200 prisoners 12 trench mortars. Subsequently the battalion worked under constant shell-fire to consolidate the position digging a firing trench 40years in front of the sunken road with four communications trenches running back to it. Upon relief, the battalion spent 30 September and the first six days in October out of the line at Ville-sur-Ancre, occupying itself with Church Parade, inspection, training and a field day, prior to proceeding via Meaulte and a bivouac to the front line where it remained from the evening of 8 October to the 10^th when it was relieved and proceeded to Trones Wood, having incurred 47 casualties in the 2 ½ days due to consistent shelling day and night. After two days in Trones Wood, furnishing carrying parties each night, the battalion returned to its previous trenches and assembly trenches were dug behind the front line whilst the shelling continued. At 5.35am on 15 October the battalion made an attack towards Mild and Cloudy Trenches and it is almost certainly in the course of that attack that he was wounded, passing through the Field Ambulance and ending the following day in the hands of the Casualty Clearing Station.

 

The battalion war diary narrates the attack as follows: “At 5.35 AM A & D Coys attacked, C Coy was to form a defensive flank. B Coy was held in reserve. The first objective of the attack was a trench running from N.21 central to MILD Trench about N 21 d 4 6. The second objective was from Point in CLOUDY Trench N 21 d 7 7 to N 21 b 6 1 & back 100 yds to left to N 21 b 4 0. The 2/D.L.I. were attacking on our right. Our objectives were reached, but owing to the failure of the attack on the right, the German bombed down the trench which was our final objective & our men in their second objective were surrounded & were not seen again. Our casualties were 3 officers killed, 2 missing, & 4 wounded. O.R. killed 13 wounded 76 wounded & missing 13 missing 62. The battn consolidated the position then held & were relieved that night by 14/D.L.I. On relief proceeded to bivouacs in TRONES WOOD.”

 

Most probably representing one of the 76 wounded other ranks referenced in the war diary, Pte Newstead was admitted to No.34 Casualty Clearing Station, Grovetown, Meaulte, on 16 October, under Index Number of Admission 26399 with Gun Shot Wounds, Right Arm and Back. The accompanying record gave his age as 31, Months with Field Force as 1 month, and Years Service 1 year and 6 months, which would accord with the assumptions given above about his date of entry to theatre. Presumably after some basic care to stabilise his condition he was transferred to Sick Convoy (No. 5 Ambulance Train) the same day

The record confirmed his unit as C Company, 11th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment,  6th Division, and also confirmed his religion as Church of England.

 

Accordingly, he was listed as Wounded under War Office Daily Casualty List Report Date 22 November 1916 and was thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916 (the terms of this award being met by their naming in this list.)

 

Henry was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service under paragraph 392 xvi of King’s Regulations, owing to wounds, on 28 March 1917, and pensioned at 18/9 weekly from 29 March. With his surname incorrectly recorded as “Lewstead” or “Mewstead” he was issued with silver War Badge number 37923.

 

97745 Spr Ernest Jones, Royal Engineers, German Spring Offensive 1918 casualty Ernest Jones, born circa 1885, was from Portsmouth. He married Bessie Rose (nee Burns) on 22 March 1913 and the couple had two children, Mabel Agnes and Lily Maud. By 1915 the family were living at 185 Westfield Road, Portsmouth and Ernest was working as a woodwork machinist. Attesting his willingness to serve at Portsmouth on 1 May 1915, aged 29 years 10 months, he served in the Royal Engineers under the Regimental Number 97745, seemingly joining the same day and then being accepted by the Officer Commanding Depot Companies, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 14 May. His Descriptive Report on Enlistment noted his height as 5 feet 8 1/22 and his chest measurement (girth when fully expanded) at 36”. He was recorded upon attestation as a Sawyer and graded ‘Superior’. Subsequent assessments considered his skill with machinery for sawing up timber, planning and moulding machines, morticing and tenoning machines, and band saws. After passing through the Billeting Battalion, 155th Field Company (a Field Company of the 16th (Irish) Division), and No.2 Depot Company , he was transferred to the British Expeditionary Force on 3 July 1916 to serve on the Western Front. A fit man (medical category ‘A’ on enlistment), given this and his skill-set it seems most likely that he was posted to one of the RE Field Companies, possibly in one of the divisions of the Third or Fifth Armies. Spr Jones was wounded on 24 March 1918, suffering a gun shot wound to the back and head for which he was later pensioned. This date coincides with the opening dates of the Battle of Bapaume and the Battles of the Somme Crossings, both phases of the German Spring Offensive 1918, and it is quite likely that he was wounded in the course of one of these battles. He was listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5555, Report Date 2 May 1918 and thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Highbridge (his wife is recorded as having moved to 2 Prospect Place, Highbridge). He was evacuated to the UK thereafter, passing through 2 Western General Hospital. He was subsequently posted to the 2nd Reserve Battalion, RE. Passing through No.1 Dispersal Unit at Fovant on 8 February, he was transferred to the Army ‘Z’ Reserve upon demobilisation and then pensioned for one year after discharge for a 20% disabling wound at 5/6 a week, commencing 8 March 1919. His postwar address was Oakwood House, London Road, Portsmouth. He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, probably some time after May 1920. He sadly died due to an accident on 18 November 1920. His widow, Bessie Rose, later made a pension claim, which was refused owing to cause of death. She was residing at 56 Burlington Road, Portsmouth at this time.

97745 Spr Ernest Jones, Royal Engineers, German Spring Offensive 1918 casualty

Ernest Jones, born circa 1885, was from Portsmouth. He married Bessie Rose (nee Burns) on 22 March 1913 and the couple had two children, Mabel Agnes and Lily Maud. By 1915 the family were living at 185 Westfield Road, Portsmouth and Ernest was working as a woodwork machinist. Attesting his willingness to serve at Portsmouth on 1 May 1915, aged 29 years 10 months, he served in the Royal Engineers under the Regimental Number 97745, seemingly joining the same day and then being accepted by the Officer Commanding Depot Companies, Royal Engineers at Chatham on 14 May. His Descriptive Report on Enlistment noted his height as 5 feet 8 1/22 and his chest measurement (girth when fully expanded) at 36”. He was recorded upon attestation as a Sawyer and graded ‘Superior’. Subsequent assessments considered his skill with machinery for sawing up timber, planning and moulding machines, morticing and tenoning machines, and band saws. After passing through the Billeting Battalion, 155th Field Company (a Field Company of the 16th (Irish) Division), and No.2 Depot Company , he was transferred to the British Expeditionary Force on 3 July 1916 to serve on the Western Front. A fit man (medical category ‘A’ on enlistment), given this and his skill-set it seems most likely that he was posted to one of the RE Field Companies, possibly in one of the divisions of the Third or Fifth Armies.

Spr Jones was wounded on 24 March 1918, suffering a gun shot wound to the back and head for which he was later pensioned. This date coincides with the opening dates of the Battle of Bapaume and the Battles of the Somme Crossings, both phases of the German Spring Offensive 1918, and it is quite likely that he was wounded in the course of one of these battles. He was listed as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5555, Report Date 2 May 1918 and thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Highbridge (his wife is recorded as having moved to 2 Prospect Place, Highbridge). He was evacuated to the UK thereafter, passing through 2 Western General Hospital. He was subsequently posted to the 2nd Reserve Battalion, RE.

Passing through No.1 Dispersal Unit at Fovant on 8 February, he was transferred to the Army ‘Z’ Reserve upon demobilisation and then pensioned for one year after discharge for a 20% disabling wound at 5/6 a week, commencing 8 March 1919. His postwar address was Oakwood House, London Road, Portsmouth.

He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, probably some time after May 1920.

He sadly died due to an accident on 18 November 1920. His widow, Bessie Rose, later made a pension claim, which was refused owing to cause of death. She was residing at 56 Burlington Road, Portsmouth at this time.

S/27536 Pte A J Kelly 12th Btn Rifle Brigade, Prisoner of War 30 March 1918

WW1 Victory Medal to S/27536 Pte Archer James Kelly,10th and 12th Rifle Brigade, Prisoner of War 30 March 1918

Archer James Kelly lived in St Pancras, London.

He appears to have enlisted (or been conscripted) circa October or November 1916. Under the regimental number S/27536 (the ‘S’ indicating an enlistment in a service battalion) he served with the 10th and then 12th battalions, The Rifle Brigade, from circa December 1916 to January 1917 onwards (Kelly was part of a later reinforcement draft to the 10th battalion, which had gone overseas to France on 21 July 1915).

In early May 1917, following training at Bertincourt, including a demonstration by 7 Platoon, ‘B’ Company of the taking of a strongpoint with the use of live rifle grenades and Lewis gun fire, the battalion went into trenches at Havrincourt Wood in relief of the 6th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. The war diary notes that “Much work was done, especially establishing a new support line about 100 yards in rear of the front line and completing front line. The enemy were at least 600 yards distant and much Patrol work of an enterprising character was carried out.”

With the 10th Battalion Pte Kelly was wounded circa 4 May 1917, being listed as J A Kelly in the records of No.34 Casualty Clearing Station upon admission with a Gunshot wound, knee (right) to the CCS on 4 May. This record gave his age as 38, suggesting that he was born circa 1879. Under Index Number of Admission 40494, as 27536 Rifleman J A Kelly he was Transferred to Sick Convoy on 7 May 1917, via No. 24 ambulance train. This record gave his months with Field Force as 4 Months, with 7 Months service in total, and confirmed his religion as Church of England. He was serving with D Company, 10th (Service) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, 59th Brigade at the time.

At some point, possibly after convalescing from this wound but certainly by mid-February 1918, when the 10th Battalion disbanded, Rfn Kelly was posted to the 12th Battalion.

After taking 30 other rank casualties from shell-fire at Fluquieres on 21 March, the battalion was obliged to retire on the 22nd owing to the retirement of battalions to the left and right, retiring to Aubigny and making a stand which inflicted casualties on the enemy at Mill Hill. Before having to further fall back to Ham and then defend the canal bank to the right of Voyennes. The battalion held the latter position under heavy shelling during the day of the 23rd and into the 24th. The 25th saw the battalion withdrawing to Rethonvillers and there establishing a line before being ordered to further withdraw to Roye and then early on 26 March to Le Quesnil. That afternoon the battalion was ordered to join the brigade at Arvillers, holding various positions around it into the 27th. On the morning of the 28th two German attacks were repulsed by machine gun and rifle fire but other units retiring on the flank led to ‘B’ Company being required to take over a ridge to the vacated by stragglers of the 36th Division and reorganise them; however the right eventually gave way, eventually causing the battalion to retire upon Fresnoy and then to Rifle Wood. The 29th saw the battalion at Villers aux Erables and Mesieres, counter-attacking along with the 12th King’s Royal Rifle Corps and re-taking the latter at considerable costs to the Germans. On the 30th the battalion was forced to fall back on Domart, and then counter-attacked and retook the former day’s position on the Moreuil-Demoin Road, taking numerous prisoners. Rfn Kelly was taken Prisoner of War circa 30 March 1918, being wounded when captured. At this time he was serving with 'B' Company of 12th Rifle Brigade. Kelly was further listed as Wounded in May 1918 (War Office Daily List No.5564, Report Date 13 May 1918); this was later amended to Wounded and Missing in War Office Daily List No. 5597 of 20 June 1918, and later Wounded and a prisoner of war (‘Reported in list received from the German Government’) in War Office Daily List No.5677, 23 September 1918. He was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of the 6th July 1916. These lists confirmed his Next of Kin Address as St Pancras, N.W.

His postwar address was 60 Charrington Street, St Pancras, London NW. Pte Kelly was pensioned at a rate of 11 Shillings weekly after demobilisation (with effect from 30 March 1919). He appears to have died on or about 10 August 1926.

376096 [and 3220?] Pte Robert Heywood 1/10 Manch R Victory Medal, wounded in action 25 August 1918

376096 [and 3220?] Pte Robert Heywood 1/10 Manch R Victory Medal, wounded in action 25 August 1918

376096 Pte Robert Heywood, seemingly from Hollinwood, enlisted on 25 January 1915, most probably in the Manchester Regiment, serving with the 1/10th (Oldham) battalion, a unit of the Territorial Force. Indeed, he can probably be identified with 3220 Pte R Heywood (both share the same battalion and disembodiment/discharge date – 18 February 1919). 3220 Heywood entered the Balkan theatre at Gallipoli (theatre code 2B) on 23 October 1915 – as such apparently a later draft from the 2/10th to the 1/10th, which had been there since early May. (There is no Medal Index Card or Medal Roll entry setting out eligibility for the British War Medal and Victory Medal for a man with that number, indicating that he must have been issued with these medals under another regimental number.)

After serving for a further two months on Gallipoli (unless previously evacuated for reasons of accidental injury or sickness) Pte Heywood would have been evacuated to Egypt via Mudros in December 1915, remaining in the Egypt on various duties, including manning the Suez Canal defences, until the 1/10th battalion, along with the rest of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division was transferred to the Western Front in March 1917. It is about this time he would have been issued with his new six-digit TF number of 376096.

Subsequently he would have been in line, after some months of familiarisation with Western Front conditions, to support (via the movement of supplies and ammunition) the divisions taking part in the Third Battle of Ypres, before being sent to Nieuport on the Belgian coast where the 42nd Division remained for some time. In March 1918 he would have been in a position to take part in the efforts to stem the German Spring Offensive before the Allied forces eventually went back on the offensive in August 1918. By 21 August the battalion was on the Somme, having spent the earlier part of the month patrolling out of Colincamps to test the extent to which the enemy was holding the opposing trenches, furnishing working parties, etc. Following a cancelled attack towards Miraumont on 21 August, on 22 August elements of the battalion were involved in repulsing an enemy attack under heavy shelling, and on the 23rd the battalion attacked and took an enemy trench at map reference K33, taking 4 prisoners and driving the rest of the garrison of the position into the Lancashire Fusiliers (to the left of the battalion) for the cost of 1 officer and 7 other ranks killed and 28 other ranks wounded. On 24 August the battalion was part of a movement on Miraumont itself: “2 platoons of c Coy pushed forward to NW edge of MIRAUMONT but held up by machine guns. The 5th East Lancs Rgt on the left of the Battalion sent 2 Coys to IRLES at 1-30 pm. At 1-30 pm B Coy was sent to R3 with orders to work up the North Bank of the ANCRE to MIRAUMONT. At 3-30 pm A & C Coys advanced from the NE of MIRAOUMONT into the village. All 3 Coys met in the village and then advanced over the ANCRE to the high ground in R12a. 40 prisoners and 18 machine guns taken n MIRAUMONT also other war material (wireless set etc). At 7 pm orders received that 5th East Lancs Rgt and 8th Manchesters would advance on LOUPART Rd and that the Battalion would be in Reserve.” It is almost certainly in the course of this action that Pte Heywood was wounded and then admitted to the care of 1/2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance.

Under Index Number of Admission 50125 3825, 376096 Pte Heywood was admitted to No.3 Casualty Clearing Station from 1/2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance on 25 August 1918 with a Gunshot wound of the back or spine . He was transferred the same day to No.37 Ambulance Train. The record noted his religion as Church of England and confirmed that at the time he was serving with the 1/10th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, 42nd Division . Accordingly, he was listed on War Office Daily List No.5677, Report Date 23 September 1918 as wounded, being thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916, the terms of this award being met by being named in this list. The list gave his Next of Kin Address as Hollinwood, south-west of Oldham.

He was discharged from the Manchester Regiment Depot under paragraph 392 King's Regulations (xvia) (Surplus to military requirements (having suffered impairment since entry into the service)) on 18 February 1919. He was subsequently pensioned at 5/6 weekly for one year from 31 October 1919 and would have received his Silver War Badge (number 463664) some time after February 1920.

5-5629 Pte H J Howard, 1/5th Northumberland Fusiliers, German Spring Offensive/Battle of the Lys 1918 casualty

5-5629 Pte H J Howard, 1/5th Northumberland Fusiliers, German Spring Offensive/Battle of the Lys 1918 casualty 

Herbert James Howard was from Great Yarmouth. Enlisting on 18 March 1915, he served as a Private in the Northumberland Fusiliers under the regimental numbers 5-5629 (the prefix indicating that he passed through the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, N.F., a Territorial battalion) and 241338. 

His medal entitlement (British War Medal and Victory Medal) indicates that he entered a theatre of war after 31 December 1915, whilst the fact that he has his 4-digit Territorial Force regimental number impressed upon his medals would suggest that he entered theatre before the renumbering of the Territorial Force Infantry took effect on 1 March 1917. His Medal Roll entry indicates that he served with the 1/5th Battalion. No other battalions are indicated on the Roll, and the fact that his new six-digit number of 241338 is also from the number bloc allocated to the 1/5th Battalion indicates that he was on the strength of the 5th Battalion at least up until March 1917 and most probably throughout the war. 

His service could therefore have taken in the following battles:

1916: Battle of Flers-Courcelette, Battle of Morval, and Battle of the Transloy Ridges (all phases of the Battle of the Somme, 1916)

1917: First Battle of the Scarpe, Capture of Wancourt Ridge, Second Battle of the Scarpe (all phases of the Battle of Arras), and Second Battle of Passchendaele (a phase of the Third Battle of Ypres)

1918: Battle of St Quentin, Actions at the Somme Crossings, Battle of Rosieres (phases of the early part of the German Spring Offensive, 1918), Battle of Estaires and Battle of Hazebrouck (both phases of the Battle of the Lys, where the battalion was engaged in holding the line at Estaires on 9-10 April, until finally forced back to Neuf Berquin and then La Couronne with losses due to partial encirclement), and the Battle of the Aisne.

As 241338 Pte, Howard, H J, Northumberland Fusiliers he was listed as ‘Wounded’ in War Office Daily List No.5580, Report Date 31 May 1918, indicating that he was probably wounded in mid to late April 1918, possibly a Battle of Estaires/Hazebrouck casualty. As such, he was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6 July 1916. The List gave his Next of Kin Address as Yarmouth.

He was discharged from the Northumberland Fusiliers depot under paragraph 392.xvi a of King’s Regulations (no longer physically fit for war service) con 23 January 1919, and was subsequently pensioned for six months at a rate of 8s/6d weekly. He was also issued with the Silver War Badge, number B263035.

He appears to have died circa 28 May 1927.

129703 Pnr C Jenner, ‘M’ Special Company, Special (Gas) Brigade, Royal Engineers

129703 Pnr C Jenner, ‘M’ Special Company, Special (Gas) Brigade, Royal Engineers

Charles Jenner was born in Mossside, Manchester. He enlisted in the Royal West Kent Regiment on 8 August 1914, at Tunbridge Wells (or 24 November 1915, according to another source). He served with Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment under the regimental number 1796, followed by the 71^st Provisional Battalion. He had two episodes of treatment at Fort Pitt, Chatham connected with his appendix and a following operation he had, one in July and August 1915 and one in October that year. It seems quite likely that this is what held him back from going overseas as an infantryman. He remained with one of these units (probably the 71^st Provisional Battalion) until 11 March 1916, when he was discharged upon transfer to the Royal Engineers, to join the Special Brigade, Royal Engineers (concerned with gas warfare) under the regimental number 129703. In total, by his own account, he served 1 year and 8 months in England and 3 years 2 months in France and Flanders.

Following his transfer to the RE, his medical history was taken on 4 July 1916. This noted his age as 23 years 3 months and his occupation as electrician. He stood 5’11” tall, and weighted approximately 156 lbs with a 35” chest measurement. His physical development was described as ‘good’.

Following posting overseas to the 3^rd Battalion, Special Brigade, on 16 March 1916 Pnr Jenner was posted on to ‘M’ Special Company. On the night of 3 June 1917 he suffered a crushed thumb whilst unloading gas projectors and base plates from a lorry at Rue Dormaire West Camp, Erquinghem and stacking the projectors onto a dump/pile (147116 Cpl T Beaumont and 12063 Cpl WL Rees being witnesses). He was exonerated from blame for the accident.  He was placed under the care of 2/2^nd Wessex Field Ambulance and then 3 Canadian General Hospital. Passing through 10 Convalescent Depot, RE Base Depot, Boulogne, and Special Brigade depot, he rejoined ‘M’ Company on 7 August 1917, probably seeing out the war with them.

Returning to the UK on 12 May 1919, he was transferred to the Army Class ‘Z’ Reserve on 10 June 1919. His postwar address was 35 Clifford Street, Brooks Bar, Manchester. Upon medical examination at Helfaut prior to discharge in May 1919 he was found to have 20% disabling Appendicitis. His pension application, however, was rejected.

He would have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, being his full entitlement, some time in the early 1920s.

1914-20 WAR & VICTORY MEDALS To 61956 PTE. E. ELLIOTT. DURH. L. I.

1914-20 WAR & VICTORY MEDALS To 61956 PTE. E. ELLIOTT. DURH. L. I.

Served ; 2nd Infantry Labour Company Durham Light Infantry & Lab. Corps & 13th Btn. Inniskilling Fusiliers

Ernest Middleton Elliot was from Bradwell, Derbyshire. Possibly, like 61959 Joseph C Richardson, he enlisted or attested his willingness to serve in late 1915 (in Pte Richardson’s case, on 23 November 1915), and may have spent some time in the Army Reserve before being called up/mobilised some time in early 1917.

 

Initially serving with the Durham Light Infantry under the regimental number 61956, he was transferred to the Labour Corps and served under the regimental number 19368. This number fell within the number range 19201 to 19800, allocated to men converting from the 2^nd Infantry Labour Company, Durham Light Infantry.

 

The Durham Light Infantry hosted 8 Infantry Labour Companies for work on the lines of communication overseas, mostly comprised of men medically rated as unfit for combat duty. Pte Elliott would most probably have gone out to France with the company circa 16 February 1917. As part of the hasty creation of ILCs in the early part of February 1917, in response to the escalating demand for military labour, it was apparently not uncommon for them to be formed within two to three weeks and then hastily despatched overseas, with 23 companies going overseas in the second half of February and a further 96 companies going out to France in March 1917.

 

He would have remained with his ILC until the Labour Corps was formed, at which point new regimental numbers were issued to the men and the Company was retitled the 33rd Labour Company, as part of the wider transfer-in of Infantry Labour Companies and Labour Battalions into the newly-forming Labour Corps which took place in May of 1917. Possibly as a result of some internal transferring to balance the size of the companies, he is recorded on his medal roll entry as having served with the 31^st Company, one of two companies formed out of the 17th (Labour) Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment.

 

The 450-man Labour Companies of the Labour Corps were employed all along the forward areas running behind the front line on a range of labouring and other tasks ranging from road mending and ammunition loading to drainage, ditching and sanitation.

 

The fact that Pte Elliott was with this unit suggests that he was medically rated as unfit for combat duty. In post-June 1916 terms this would be Class Bii - Class B indicating that he was fit for service abroad, other than general service, whilst the (ii) indicated that he was fit for service in Labour units, or on garrison or regimental outdoor employment. In practical terms it indicates he was able to walk to and from work a distance not exceeding five miles and see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes.

 

Subsequent to his service with the 31^st Company, it is likely that he was medically upgraded and subsequently served with the 11^th Garrison Guard Battalion, which later became the 13th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The 11^th Garrison Guard Battalion was one of six battalions raised from medical category Bi men of the Labour Corps who had previously served as infantry, in response to the urgent need for men and units to replace casualties and decimated formations in the aftermath of the German Spring Offensive. The 13^th Inniskillings was formed in June 1918, initially as the 13^th (Garrison) Battalion, and attached to the 40^th Division, which (having been reduced to a training cadre following the battles of March and April 1918) was in the process of being reconstituted with men below A1 medical category, for the purpose of serving as a ‘B’ Division, principally for holding the line. Pte Elliott would have transferred to the Inniskillings at around this point, receiving the new regiment number 48025.

 

Whilst serving with 40^th Division, in the 119^th Brigade, the 13^th was renamed a service battalion on 13 July 1918 and (notwithstanding the ‘B’ Division status) saw action in the Final Advance n Flanders and Battle of Ypres. The battalion’s first action took place at Vieux Berquin on 27 August 1918 and is described in the Regimental History as follows: “This Battalion won its spurs near Landeck. Advancing on August 27th at 10 a.m. the 13th Inniskillings were held up by heavy machine gun fire, but by resolute and clever outflanking movements evicted the enemy”. The battalion took casualties of three officers and 27 other ranks killed and nine officers and 147 other ranks wounded, together with three other ranks missing, in the action.

 

The 1918 Absent Voters List for Derbyshire Western Division shows Pte Elliott as serving with the 31^st Company, Labour Corps with his ‘qualifying premises’ being in Small Dale, Bradwell, in the polling district of Bonsall.

 

Pte Elliott we have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, some time after September 1920.

 

 

 

 1914-20 WAR & VICTORY MEDALS To 61956 PTE. E. ELLIOTT. DURH. L. I.

Served ; 2nd Infantry Labour Company Durham Light Infantry & Lab. Corps & 13th Btn. Inniskilling Fusiliers

Ernest Middleton Elliot was from Bradwell, Derbyshire. Possibly, like 61959 Joseph C Richardson, he enlisted or attested his willingness to serve in late 1915 (in Pte Richardson’s case, on 23 November 1915), and may have spent some time in the Army Reserve before being called up/mobilised some time in early 1917.

Initially serving with the Durham Light Infantry under the regimental number 61956, he was transferred to the Labour Corps and served under the regimental number 19368. This number fell within the number range 19201 to 19800, allocated to men converting from the 2nd Infantry Labour Company, Durham Light Infantry.

The Durham Light Infantry hosted 8 Infantry Labour Companies for work on the lines of communication overseas, mostly comprised of men medically rated as unfit for combat duty. Pte Elliott would most probably have gone out to France with the company circa 16 February 1917. As part of the hasty creation of ILCs in the early part of February 1917, in response to the escalating demand for military labour, it was apparently not uncommon for them to be formed within two to three weeks and then hastily despatched overseas, with 23 companies going overseas in the second half of February and a further 96 companies going out to France in March 1917.

He would have remained with his ILC until the Labour Corps was formed, at which point new regimental numbers were issued to the men and the Company was retitled the 33rd Labour Company, as part of the wider transfer-in of Infantry Labour Companies and Labour Battalions into the newly-forming Labour Corps which took place in May of 1917. Possibly as a result of some internal transferring to balance the size of the companies, he is recorded on his medal roll entry as having served with the 31st Company, one of two companies formed out of the 17th (Labour) Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment.

The 450-man Labour Companies of the Labour Corps were employed all along the forward areas running behind the front line on a range of labouring and other tasks ranging from road mending and ammunition loading to drainage, ditching and sanitation.

The fact that Pte Elliott was with this unit suggests that he was medically rated as unfit for combat duty. In post-June 1916 terms this would be Class Bii - Class B indicating that he was fit for service abroad, other than general service, whilst the (ii) indicated that he was fit for service in Labour units, or on garrison or regimental outdoor employment. In practical terms it indicates he was able to walk to and from work a distance not exceeding five miles and see and hear sufficiently for ordinary purposes.

Subsequent to his service with the 31st Company, it is likely that he was medically upgraded and subsequently served with the 11th Garrison Guard Battalion, which later became the 13th (Service) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The 11th Garrison Guard Battalion was one of six battalions raised from medical category Bi men of the Labour Corps who had previously served as infantry, in response to the urgent need for men and units to replace casualties and decimated formations in the aftermath of the German Spring Offensive. The 13th Inniskillings was formed in June 1918, initially as the 13th (Garrison) Battalion, and attached to the 40th Division, which (having been reduced to a training cadre following the battles of March and April 1918) was in the process of being reconstituted with men below A1 medical category, for the purpose of serving as a ‘B’ Division, principally for holding the line. Pte Elliott would have transferred to the Inniskillings at around this point, receiving the new regiment number 48025.

Whilst serving with 40th Division, in the 119th Brigade, the 13th was renamed a service battalion on 13 July 1918 and (notwithstanding the ‘B’ Division status) saw action in the Final Advance n Flanders and Battle of Ypres. The battalion’s first action took place at Vieux Berquin on 27 August 1918 and is described in the Regimental History as follows: “This Battalion won its spurs near Landeck. Advancing on August 27th at 10 a.m. the 13th Inniskillings were held up by heavy machine gun fire, but by resolute and clever outflanking movements evicted the enemy”. The battalion took casualties of three officers and 27 other ranks killed and nine officers and 147 other ranks wounded, together with three other ranks missing, in the action.

The 1918 Absent Voters List for Derbyshire Western Division shows Pte Elliott as serving with the 31st Company, Labour Corps with his ‘qualifying premises’ being in Small Dale, Bradwell, in the polling district of Bonsall.

Pte Elliott we have received his British War Medal and Victory Medal, his full entitlement, some time after September 1920.

WW1 pair to 209620 Pnr CGT Jago, RE No.2 Special (Gas) Company, wounded in action 13 July 1917

WW1 pair to 209620 Pnr CGT Jago, RE No.2 Special (Gas) Company, wounded in action 13 July 1917

Clifford George Treverton Jago was born in Bodmin in 1892, the eldest son of Clifford Jago, tailor, and his wife Charlotte. After spending eight years as an assistant at Northey’s Chemist in Bodmin, in September 1915 or thereabouts he joined the Pharmaceutical College at Westminster[1]. As of August-December 1916, when presumably mobilised at Wansdworth or Kingston, his next of kin address was given as 23a St Albans Avenue, Bedford Park, Surrey. He was working as a student[2].  A Derby or ‘Groups’ Scheme man, he had attested his willingness to serve on 6 December 1915 at Clapham. His records noted that he was aged 23 Years 1 Months, Height 5ft 3in., Weight in pounds 130, Chest expansion inches 3, Chest size inches 35. The records suggest that he was recruited into the Royal Engineers, under the regimental number 12093. Judging by information set down in one of his medical records, he may have entered a theatre of war around January 1917. This would have potentially have put him in line to take part with GHQ Special Brigade in the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the 3^rd Army in the Battle of the Scarpe and with IX Corps of Second Army in the Battle of Messines.

By 1918, Pnr Jago was on the strength of No.2 Special Company, 5^th Battalion, Special Brigade, a mortar company including sections, E, F, G and H, utilising a specially designed 4” variant of the Stokes Mortar. It is possible that he spent all of his service with this Company. In early August 1917 he was reported in War Office Daily List No.5332 of 8 August 1917 as Wounded, suggesting that his wound occurred about a month earlier, at the beginning of July 1917. At this time No.2 Company was in Belgian Flanders, in the vicinity of Eikhoek, north-west of Poperinghe. In the first two days of the month ‘H’ Section was in the process of installing mortars and bomb stores in the 51^st (Highland) Division sector, whilst ‘E’, ‘F’, and part of ‘G’[3] Sections were doing the same in the Guards’ Division (IX Corps) sector.

A newspaper article in the Cornish Guardian of 27 July 1917[4], describing Clifford as ‘Pioneer Chemist CGT Jago’ gives the date of his wounding as 13 July; it observes that he was “wounded in France on July 13^th and is now in the Canadian hospital at Etaples. He has previously been gassed [possibly accidentally, as there appears to be no Casualty List entry for this], but fortunately recovered. We understand the wound is not a serious one.”. This would agree with him being the single other rank casualty mentioned in the 2^nd Company War Diary for that date, which states “13 [July] Operations arranged, all sections took up battle positions, but unfavourable winds necessitated a postponement of the operation. 1 O/R wounded”. This appears to have been in connection with the operations finally carried out at 2a.m. on 14/15 July. Two operations took place, one to gas the enemy in strong points at Canal Drive, Canal Avenue, Cable Support and Baboon Support ‘and reduce his resisting power’, of which it was reported ‘Despite torrents of rain and pitch darkness, and despite the occurrence of a large number of misfires due to the exceptional conditions prevailing the operation was successfully carried out, a large number of bombs was discharged in two bursts of 5 minutes each, the first at zero and the second at zero plus 60 minutes, which work reflects very creditably upon the personnel concerned’. The second operation was to ‘gas the enemy in the strong points PORT CALEDONIA, CANADIAN TRENCH, CANADIAN SUPPORT, CANADIAN AVENUE and to reduce his resisting power’. Taking place at the same time, this was also eventful, the war diary commenting that “Owing to the complete inundation of one emplacement only 11 guns [mortars] were able to fire” and “A total of 560 bombs was successfully discharged in two bursts of 5 minutes each, the first at zero and the second at zero plus 60 minutes. Torrents of rain fell, and extremely heavy enemy fire was experienced. The mud, which it was impossible to remove entirely from the bombs, caused numerous misfires”. The bombs used appear to have been primarily filled with Chloropicrin (‘PS’), intermixed with tear gas (Ethyl Idoacetate or ‘SK’[5]) bombs.  Pnr Jago was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of the 6th July 1916 in consequence of his wounding. The casualty list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as Bodmin.

If Pnr Jago was serving with No.2 Company in early to mid-1918 this might have put him in line to have taken part in the Battle of Ballieul and (with the Canadian Corps, Fourth Army) in the Battle of Amiens.

Certainly, Pnr Jago was confirmed at serving with No.2 Company as of September 1918. During this month, as Pioneer Jago, C, Service Number 209620, 2nd Special Company, Royal Engineers, Age 25, under Index Number of Admission 32210[6] on 11 September 1918 he was admitted from No. 22 Casualty Clearing Station (where he had been admitted on 01/09/1918) with Inflammation of stomach, severe, to Ward R, 18^th General Hospital. He was subsequently transferred from sick convoy No. 6 Ambulance Train. The admission and discharge register recorded him as having served 1 year 8 months with the Field Force (i.e. on active service with the BEF, which would accord with an entry to theatre date of circa January 1917) and confirmed his religion as Church of England.

Potentially taking part in the Battles of the St Quentin Canal and Pursuit to Mons, Pnr Jago remained with the 2^nd Company until 1919, where he had the sad duty of giving evidence at an inquiry related to the accidental death (ran down by a train) of a friend of the same unit, 220200 Cpl Duncan Turnbull, Royal Engineers.

Pnr Jago was subsequently discharged (on 14 December 1919) with 20% disabling Gastritis, possibly attributable to the severe inflammation of the stomach which he suffered in September 1918. This was adjudged attributable to service, for which he was given a weekly allowance of 5/6 until 13 December 1921.  His pension ledger entry gives an address in Bodmin.

By 1955 (as evidenced in ‘The Chemist and Druggist’, February 5 1955), Clifford GT Jago and Reginald C Jago were operating three chemist and druggists’ stores at 35 and 49 Molesworth Street Wadebridge and 12 Fore Street, Bodmin.

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[1] Cornish Guardian, 10 September 1915

[2] Surrey Recruitment Registers 1908-1933, Page number 174, Reference 2496 / 10. Notes. Groups and C2 is written on the cover and Groups 6 written on the spine. Dates and recruitment centres covered are: Wandsworth, 16^th August 1916 to 8th December 1916, Kingston, 30th August 1916 to 8th December 1916.

[3] The other part of ‘G’ proceeded to the Special Brigade base at Helfaut to provide demonstrations of the 4” Stokes Mortar before the King and Queen

[4] Also the Newquay Express and Cornwall County Chronicle, same date

[5] So named, supposedly, after the South Kensington location of Imperial College London, where Professor Jocelyn Thorpe discovered the lachrymatory gas.

[6] Archive Reference MH106/116

1914-15 Star and Victory Medal to 22125 PTE. E. PELLING 2nd GLOSTERS, killed in action, possibly by sniper, on 22 October 1915

1914-15 Star and Victory Medal to 22125 PTE. E. PELLING 2^nd GLOSTERS, killed in action, possibly by sniper, on 22 October 1915

Ernest Pelling was born in 1894, in Worthing, Sussex. He was living in Worthing upon enlistment. Judging from the enlistment dates of 22113 Pte William Webb, and 22135 Pte Walter Frederick Walters, this was probably in early September 1914.

 

As 22125 PTE. E. Pelling of the Gloucestershire Regiment, he was posted overseas in August 1915 to join the 2nd Battalion, entering the France and Flanders theatre of war on 4 August 1915. At this time the battalion was out of the line at L’Hallobeau near Erquinghem-sur-Lys, training, enjoying recreations and from 9 August working on the Bois Grenier line. It is possible (although it would have been a very fast transit if so) that Pte Pelling was one of a draft of 20 men joining the battalion on 5 August, although it seems more likely that he was part of the 12^th August draft. His first experience in the line is therefore likely to have been on 18 August at Bois Grenier, ‘B’ Company relieving the 2^nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment. The war diary that night commented “Relief completed by 10PM. Trenches fair, have been badly kept up. Lot of work required. Very little stores. Continual sniping [from trees behind the enemy line] all night otherwise quiet” (the war diary for the 20^th commented “Traversed trees behind German lines with MG. This had the effect of quietening enemy’s snipers”; the battalion had three casualties, one fatal, on this day). The diary for the week comments on aircraft activity, artillery, trench howitzers, sniping, suspected mining activity, and work night and day on communications trenches and improving the support line and continual casualties. The routine was broken on the 26^th of the month by the announcement of Russian decorations awarded to men of the battalion. The battalion was finally relieved on 1 September, going into billets at La Rolanderie Farm, near Erquinhem.

 

For the first fortnight of September the battalion remained at La Rolanderie, the battalion giving instruction to two newer battalions (the 11^th West Yorkshires and 10^th West Ridings) and the battalion MG Officer testing out ammunition: “Experiments carried out by M.G. Officer to test efficiency of “B” type SAA in rapid fire. Results with M.G. satisfactory. With rifle causes jams[1]”. The third week was occupied in moving down to the Somme via Hazebrouck, Abbeville, Amiens and Warfusee-Abancourt. On 2 October the officers and non-commissioned officers of battalion reconnoitred the trenches at Fontaine les Cappy with a view to aking them over from the 2^nd Royal Irish Fusiliers, the war diary commenting “Trenches on the whole bad, several mines, in places lines are very close”. When the battalion finally took over trenches F1, F2, G1 and G2 on 4 October the trenches were noted as full of mines started by the French and counter-mined by the Germans and the ground between the mines “dotted with craters of exploded mines, in some cases we hold one side of crater & enemy the other”. There was much mine warfare during this first period in the line with both sides mining the other and quite a lot of artillery fire. After a two-day relief the battalion was back in the trenches on 12 October. This period was marked by exchanges of hand- and rifle-grenades at the Filippi crater, plus some sniping and shelling. The battalion was relieved again on the 16^th, returning to the Fontaine les Cappy trenches again on the 20^th.

 

Pte Pelling saw less than three months of active service before being killed in action aged 21 on 22 October 1915, probably by a sniper. At this time the battalion was in the trenches with its HQ at Fontaine Les Cappy, Pte Pelling serving in ‘B’ Company, and the war diary noted that enemy snipers were very busy:

 

"20 October. In trenches. HQ FONTAINE Les CAPPY. Relieved 1st A&S in trenches F1 F2 G1 G2. Relief completed by 11.30 am. Very quiet day. Hardly a shot fired. Suspect a move for 81 IB. At 9.15pm enemy throws over some bombs at PAYAN crater [right of G1 trench]. We replied to this and enemy ceased at 10pm. Fairly quiet night.

 

21 October. Thick fog & very quiet morning. Have reason to believe French are relieving 27 Div in this sector Oct 23rd. Enemy very quiet at night. Left taken over by the French from 22 Div.

 

22 October. Enemy snipers very busy in the early morning opposite FILLIPI. German biplane passed over from our right rear to left front and was engaged by British biplane with M.G. which ended in enemy plane being brought down in enemy's lines direction of FRISE about noon. Enemy shelled the SOCERIE with 4.2 howitzers about 30 shells from 1.15pm to 2pm. A quiet night.[in the margin] Casualties No 22125 Pte Pelling B Coy KILLED buried FONTAINE Les CAPPY."

 

Presumably being disinterred after the war, he now lies buried in plot I. K. 13., Hangard Communal Cemetery Extension, south of Villers-Bretonneux, Somme, France. He was survived by his mother, Mrs. G. A. Coleman, of Capel St. Mary's, Ipswich.

 

Pte Pelling’s War Gratuity was £4. This, and his financial effects of £4 3s, was given to his mother (Gertrude Annie Newson, later Coleman) in 1916 and 1920 respectively.

 

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[1] 2^nd Gloucestershire Regiment war diary, September 7^th 1915

1914-15 Star and Victory Medal to 20870 PTE. G. COX SOUTH LANCS, twice wounded in action

1914-15 Star and Victory Medal to 20870 PTE. G. COX SOUTH LANCS, twice wounded in action

George Cox served as a Private in the South Lancashire Regiment under the regimental number 20870, probably enlisting, like 20877 Pte Thomas Mather (a 21-year-old engine winder from Windle), at St Helens on or around 4 September 1914. From Larkhill Camp, travelling via Southampton and Le Havre, he entered the France and Flanders theatre on 6 November 1915 with the 11^th (Service) Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment (St Helens Pioneers). The battalion served as a pioneer battalion for 30^th Division. At some point he was attached to the Royal Engineers. The battalion’s service in this period included the Battle of the Somme 1916, the pursuit to the Hindenburg Line in early 1917, and the Battle of Arras.

 

In July 1917 the battalion was engaged in pioneer work to support the opening attack of the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July 1917), continuing in this role until 6 August when it was sent to Lindenhoek to work on the Messines Ridge defences. The battalion then took part in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge.

 

With the South Lancashire, Pte Cox was reported as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5458, Report Date. 5 January 1918, and was thereby entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. This would suggest that he was wounded some time in late November or early December 1917.

 

From the second half of November the battalion was based in the Ypres, Voormezle and then Zillebeke areas, and undertaking a variety of work related to erection of Nissen huts, construction of communications trenches and supporting points, track laying, road mending, etc. The battalion suffered 9 other ranks wounded in November and 20 wounded in December, and Pte Cox was presumably one of these.

 

Pte Cox was then again reported as Wounded in War Office Daily List No. 5554, Report Date 1 May 1918, for which he was entitled to wear a second "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. The list confirmed his Next of Kin Address as St Helens. This most probably indicates that he was wounded in late March 1918, to coincide with the period of the German Spring Offensive 1918. In this action the battalion experienced the German offensive at Savy-Roupy opposite St. Quentin. If so, he would have been one of 149 other ranks wounded during the period (along with 14 killed, 34 wounded and missing,  and 176 missing, 14 died of wounds and 20 wounded and subsequently rejoined).

 

The battalion had been in the St Quentin area since the previous month doing a variety of work on the trench lines, redoubts and keeps in the Forward, Battle and Rear zones. The transcription of the battalion war diary by (c) David Risley and Charles Fair 2012 gives the situation on 21st March, the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, as follows:

 

"On the morning of the 21st. My Battalion was situated as follows :- One Company at Savvy Wood Dugouts. One Company in Roupy. One Company split up between L'Epine de Dallon - Roupy and the back area.

In accordance with Divisional Defence Scheme, as soon as enemy artillery fire made it seem probable that an attack was imminent, all Companies proceeded to Fluquieres. The Company in Savy Wood lost a certain number of men owing to the fact that the enemy put down a heavy barrage of Gas and H.E. Shells. A few men who were working with the R.E.s. in L'Epine de Dallon did not get clear.

15:00 At 3 o'clock p.m. we were ordered to withdraw from Fluquieres to the quarry behind Aviation Wood.

This was done and picquets were posted on the East side of Aviation Wood.

19:30 About 7.30 p.m. G.S.O. 3 30th Division informed me that I was to be responsible for my own defence. I accordingly took up a line between Hill Wood and Aviation Wood running from F.25.B.3.2. - F.25.D.6.8. - to L.1.b.5.0. - L.1.D.3.2. This line was dug and partially wired.

 

22/03/1918 I informed G.O.C. 21st Brigade my position and received orders that I was to hold on to the position and if the infantry in front were compelled to withdraw, they would withdraw through me and reform behind. The Battalion remained here, with picquets out in front Aviation Wood and one each flank until 6 p.m. on the 22nd.

About that time two Companies of the 17^th. Kings withdrew on to our line and were being placed into position to strengthen our line when orders were received that all troops were to withdraw in an orderly fashion on HAM. At the time with withdrew the enemy was just coming into view on the [crest?] S.E. of Aviation Wood.

On arrival at Ham I received orders to bivouac at EPPEVILLE"

 

The following two days saw the battalion in retreat via defensive positions at Eppeville, Verlaines (where further casualties were taken), a rearguard action by the Lewis Gunners and two companies plus the reserve company back to Moyencourt, and further rearguard activity against the enemy only 1000 yards away at Esmery Hallon, after which the battalion was sent overnight to Roieglise [sic], arriving on the morning of the 25^th, there forming a temporary composite battalion. On 26 March the composite battalion marched to Rouvroy, handing back its men to their parent units on the way, and there took up defensive positions until ordered to withdraw on the 27^th owing to withdrawals on their flanks. This was later determined to have been a mistaken order and the battalion took part in a counter-attack with four other battalions towards Folies and the Folies-Arvillers road until held up, when it consolidated, the 11^th South Lancashire digging a support line. The morning of 28 March saw the battalion initially moving men from the support line up to the left flank due to heavy shelling, and then being deployed to the right flank along with some of the 19^th King’s Liverpool Regiment owing to the withdrawal of the Royal Irish Rifles, successfully preventing the enemy from coming out from Arvillers. All this took place amid some general confusion as to flanking units and defensive positions, continuing until the 30th Division finally handed over its line to the French on the afternoon of 28 March and the battalion withdrew to Rouvrel.

 

Subsequently, presumably after recovering from his wound, Pte Cox was transferred to the Lancashire Fusiliers, with whom he served in the 19th Battalion (3^rd Salford Pals), also a pioneer battalion (for 49^th Division), under the Regimental number 49415. It seems possible that he may have been one of the 20 other ranks who rejoined 11^th South Lancashires after wounding and was then one of 301 other ranks transferred to the 19^th Lancashire Fusiliers on 12 May 1918, along with the 11^th’s Commanding Officer, Lt-Col Fenn. This would have put Pte Cox in line to serve with the 19^th Battalion at Naves in October (where, serving once again as infantry, it made a frontal attack on a German position at a cost of 60 casualties amongst the 320 men attacking), and at Valenciennes on 1 November, where the battalion undertook various work to support the 49^th Division’s advance, including placing bridges over the Rhonelle over which the 147^th Brigade then attacked.

 

Pte Cox was discharged to the Class 'Z' Army Reserve on 27 January 1919. He would have received his 1914-15 Star and his British War and Victory Medal some time after December 1920 and November 1920, respectivel