1914-15 Star and Victory Medal to
20870 PTE. G. COX SOUTH LANCS, twice wounded in action
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 17th. 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 25th, 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 27th 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
11th 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 19th 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 (3rd
Salford Pals), also a pioneer battalion (for 49th Division), under
the Regimental number 49415. It seems possible that he may have been one of the
20 other ranks who rejoined 11th South Lancashires after wounding
and was then one of 301 other ranks transferred to the 19th
Lancashire Fusiliers on 12 May 1918, along with the 11th’s Commanding
Officer, Lt-Col Fenn. This would have put Pte Cox in line to serve with the 19th
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 49th Division’s advance,
including placing bridges over the Rhonelle over which the 147th
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
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