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.