British War and Victory Medals Private J. E. Robinson, 1/8th Durham Light Infantry (6216 Pte. J. E. Robinson. Durh. L.I.), killed in action 5 November 1916

Private J. E. Robinson, Durham Light Infantry British War and Victory Medals (6216 Pte. J. E. Robinson. Durh. L.I.) 

6216 Private James Edward Robinson, from Finsbury was born circa 1880, to Henry James Robinson (a packing case maker) and his wife Henrietta. James Edward was a goldsmith and jeweller in civilian life. He had three brothers and three sisters. He attested his willingness to serve at Woolwich on 7 December 1915, aged 35 years 4 months, and was posted to the Army Section B Reserve the following day. Whilst on Reserve he married Rose Eleanor Robinson (née Smith) in the  Parish church of St-John-at-Hackney, London on 20 February 1916. By March he was a 'badged' worker, doing essential war work at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Woolwich, and living at 18, Ironmonger's Street, EC. For this reason his first call-up notice appears to have been withdrawn at the request of the Royal Ordnance Factories. However, on 9 June he was called up again. Reporting to the Central London Recruiting Depot Whitehall, he was medically examined and enlisted into the King's Royal Rifle Corps under the number R/26442, subsequently being posted to the KRRC depot at Winchester, and to the 24th (Reserve) battalion. Pursuant to the establishment of the Training Reserve, this battalion was aborbed into the 21st Reserve Brigade with effect from 1 September 1916. Accordingly, on 31 August, Pte Robinson was posted to 'A' Company, 88th Training Reserve Battalion (formerly the 19th (Reserve) Bn, the West Yorkshire Regiment), also part of the 21st Reserve Brigade, under the new regimental number TR/5/7[2]795. Save for one instance of overstating his pass, his conduct sheet was clean.

Pte Robinson's records show that he was posted overseas on 6 October 1916, to 35 Infantry Base Depot, presumably intended as a reinforcement for the 20th Durham Light Infantry. In the event, however, he was reposted to the 1/8th Durham Light Infantry, 151st Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division on 20 October, possibly whilst still in base depot and potentially therefore without having spent any time with the 20th. The same day he was allotted the regimental number number 6216 (posthumously 301833). 

This would have put him in line to have taken part in the 151st Brigade's attack on the Butte de Warlencourt (Warlencourt-Eaucourt Knoll), part of the Battle of the Ancre. The Butte, a white chalk mound close to the side of the Albert to Bapaume Road, offered very good views for the Germans and had been heavily mined, wired and fortified to form a formidable defensive position. As Roland Boys Bradford VC of the 9th DLI noted "The Butte itself would have been of little use to us for the purposes of observation. But the Butte de Warlencourt had become an obsession. Everybody wanted it. It loomed large in the minds of the soldiers in the forward area and they attributed many of their misfortunes to it. So it had to be taken." (Quoted in 'The Somme 1916 : The Strip of Murdered Nature')

The following account describes the attack in more detail:

"5 November

The 50th Division relieved the 9th Division from 24–25 October, in rain which had begun on 23 October and stopped around 3:00 p.m.the next day. The division took over the line east and south-east of Le Sars in the angle of the Martinpuich–Warlencourt, Eaucourt l'Abbaye and Martinpuich–Le Barque roads. The front line in Snag Trench was irregular and isolated posts on the left flank were joined, to make a continuous line. The German front line was still in Gird Trench and Gird Support Trench behind the butte. A British attack on 26 October, was postponed for two days and then postponed until 30 October, as preparations continued and trenches were repaired. Swampy conditions in no man's land were so bad, that no attack could take place until the ground dried. On 28 October, the ground had recovered slightly and the attack was scheduled for 1 November but then another downpour began in the night, followed by warmer weather, rain and gales from 30–31 October and the attack was again delayed, eventually being set for 9:10 a.m. on 5 November. The 149th Brigade and the 150th Brigade holding the line had become so exhausted that the 151st Brigade was moved up from reserve for the attack.

The 151st Brigade was to attack Gird Trench and Gird Support Trench, with the 1/8th, 1/6th and 1/9th battalions Durham Light Infantry (DLI); the 1/4th and 1/6th battalions Northumberland Fusiliers were attached from the 149th Brigade in support. The DLI battalions were to assemble in Snag and Snag Support trenches, Maxwell Trench and Tail Trench. As the 1/6th and 1/8th DLI took the Gird trenches, the 1/9th DLI was to capture the butte and the adjacent quarry and the Northumberland battalions were to support the attack from the flanks and the 1/5th Border Regiment was to stay in reserve in Prue and Starfish trenches; parts of the divisional machine-gun and trench mortar companies were to accompany the attack and a creeping barrage was to begin 200 yd (180 m) in front of the jumping-off line. Rain and high winds began again on night of 4/5 November and the attacking infantry floundered in mud, which was thigh-deep in places, as they advanced to the jumping-off points and several men drowned. The rain abated towards dawn, with the prospect of a fine cold day but the effect of the storm and a German counter-bombardment could be seen.

At zero hour the creeping bombardment began and infantry crawled out of their trenches, the first men pulling the following troops over the parapet. The British began to follow the creeping barrage, a moderate German counter-barrage fell short of Snag Trench and massed machine-gun fire began from the flanks, causing many casualties as the British troops struggled through the mud at walking-pace. The remaining men of the 1/8th DLI got close to Butte Trench, where they were also hit by British artillery and Stokes mortar fire and then retired to Snag Trench, leaving wounded and stragglers in shell-holes. On the right flank, a supporting Australian attack failed when the Australian artillery barrage fell behind the front line and a machine-gun barrage was so inaccurate that bullets hit the DLI trenches. In the centre the 1/6th DLI was held up on the right and on the left managed to overrun Gird Trench and form a strong point. The attack of the 1/9th DLI on the left flank, took the quarry, overran the butte and established a machine-gun position, advanced to Gird Trench and dug in on the Albert–Bapaume road. By noon, the 1/6th DLI were held up in Maxwell Trench and the 1/9th DLI had consolidated at the quarry, Gird Trench, Gird Support Trench and Butte Alley.

At 3:00 p.m., German counter-attacks began on the Gird Trenches and fighting in the butte continued for a strong point on the north side. By 3:00 p.m. the British had been forced back from Gird Trench and by 7:15 p.m. the Germans had advanced to Butte Alley and reinforcements were requested to recapture Gird Trench. At 12:20 a.m. (6 November) the 1/9th and 1/6th DLI were driven back to Maxwell Trench by converging attacks from the flanks and a frontal attack, which also overran the butte, where the German garrison emerged and joined in the counter-attack. German troops managed to get behind the quarry and by 1:00 p.m. on 6 November the British were back to their start line in Snag, Maxwell and Tail trenches. Another attack was ordered but cancelled later. The attacking battalions lost 967 men and other casualties made a total of c. 1,000 losses. RFC aircraft flew in support of the Fourth Army attacks, despite high winds and a contact-patrol crew flew for ​3 3⁄4 hours to observe the attack on the butte, reporting its capture and then loss to German counter-attacks.

On 5 November, the 1st Guard Reserve Division had been relieving the 24th Division and Infantry Regiment 179 recorded that the British "swarmed" over the butte and reached the Warlencourt trenches. During the battle, German artillery also managed to fire on both sides and parts of I Battalion, Infantry Regiment 179, I Battalion, Infantry Regiment 139 and I Battalion, Guard Reserve Regiment 1 conducted the converging attack at 10:50 p.m. On the British right flank, Guard Grenadier Regiment 5 and Guard Reserve Regiment 93 of the 4th Guard Division engaged the British. Early on 6 November, 73 soldiers stranded in no man's land surrendered to Infantry Regiment 179." (Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_the_Butte_de_Warlencourt)

Although the Butte and part of Gird Trench (Gallwitz Riegel) by the Butte (1/6th DLI's objective), was partially secured, a failure to consolidate the position meant that 1/6th and 1/8th DLI had to withdraw, leaving 1/9th DLI on the other side of the Butte to face a series of German counterattacks which forced a withdrawal after dark. The Brigade suffered almost a thousand casualties in the attack. Having been first listed as 'Missing' on the War Office Casualty List of 25/12/1916, with effect from December 1917 Pte Robinson's death was presumed on or after 5 November 1916, having occurred at some point during the 151st Brigade's unsuccessful attack on the Butte de Warlencourt. He was possibly one of the stragglers or wounded left in no-man's land after the abortive attack on Butte Trench. His effects went to his widow, Rose, as did a weekly pension of 13/9 from 16 July 1917. Subsequently Rose appears to have emigrated to Australia, from where she wrote in July 1921 asking for information about her deceased husband, whose letters and identify disc had been sent to her in clean condition just prior to her leaving England. She took this as an indication  that his body had been found; unfortunately the response to her query, although preserved, sheds no light.

For his service Pte Robinson was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal. Having no known grave,  he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

Illustration: D/DLI 7/920/10(5) Drawing by Captain Robert Mauchlen of soldiers attacking the Butte de Warlencourt

73184 Pte James Tait, 10th and 1/8th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry WiA

73184 Pte James Tait, 10th and 1/8th Battalions, Durham Light Infantry

James Tait, born in Moor Row, Cumberland, attested his willingness to serve for the duration of the war on 13 December 1915, having been medically examined on 9 December.  He was 27 and a half at the time, married and employed as a labourer although,  perhaps surprisingly, his physical development was described as "poor". He was posted into the Army Reserve the following day.

He was not finally mobilised until 14 August 1917, when he was posted for duty at Newcastle-upon-Tyne to 'D' Company of the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry. By this time he was employed as a miner. He was medically graded Class A. As part of his preparation for active service, he was vaccinated on 17 and 28 August 1917,  and seen by the Oculist on 31 October, who recorded that no glasses were ordered and that he was fit for class 'A'. Pte Tait embarked for France on 22 December 1917, disembarking and being sent to 'E' Infantry Base Depot at Etaples the following day. Upon arrival he was posted, according to his Casualty Form, to the 5th Battalion, DLI (presumably from the context the 1st/5th, at that time serving with 50th Division). However, within three days, and presumably whilst still at Base Depot, he was re-posted, under Army Order 204/16, to the 10th battalion, which  he joined in the field on 27 December 1917. At this time the battalion, having spent the autumn and winter at Passchendaele, was at Zudausques in the Pas-de-Calais, where they had spent much of the month resting and training, and in keeping the Christmas holiday on 31 December, when the whole division was out of the line. The battalion had suffered 110 other rank and 5 officer casualties during its stay in the Passchendaele sector, on top of heavy losses at Inverness Copse in August, and Private Tait was no doubt re-posted to help make up these losses.  

Having proceeded to ‘Edgehill’ near Beur-Somme on 2 January, the battalion occupied itself with further training and inspections amid the snow and freezing weather. Responding to a brigade order of 21 December, the battalion also took the opportunity, on 10 January, to reorganise its companies on a basis of four companies of four platoons each, just in time to receive a further order to reorganise on a three platoon per company basis on 15 January. Military activity was broken up by a range of competitions including cross-country runs, a brigade wiring competition (won by ‘C’ Company’s wiring team) and Army Rifle Association competitions at battalion, brigade and divisional level on 12, 16 and 18 January respectively, No.5 Platoon, ‘B’ Company winning the first two and coming second in the latter. 

On 22 January the battalion moved out, arriving in Mesnil-le-Petit and Mesnil-St-Nicaise on 23 January. This was probably Pte Tait's first experience of the full devastation wreaked by war, the battalion war diary noting that they were moving through evacuated country with most of the villages “burnt out by the Boche”. On 26 January the battalion took over the line at Montescourt from the French 414th Regiment; this appears to have been a disappointment, the trenches being recorded as very muddy and needing fire-steps making. For Pte Tait this was probably a relatively gentle introduction to trench warfare, with only desultory enemy shelling and some aerial activity recorded in the battalion's war diary until the battalion was relieved on 1 February.

In February 1918 there was a general reorganisation of the infantry component of the British Army to make better use of the dwindling stocks of manpower. This manpower crisis had affected many battalions in one way or another - the 10th battalion itself, for example, had received few reinforcements since September the previous year, after the fighting at Inverness Copse. The chosen solution was to move from a twelve battalion per division structure to nine, achieved by the breaking up of the more junior battalions, and the 10th battalion was one of those chosen. On 2 February, whilst in camp at Haute Tombelle, the order was received and on 4 February 1918, after nearly three years’ service on the Western Front, the 10th Battalion was disbanded. The men paraded at 6am on the 4th February and were split into a number of parties, ‘A’ Company going to 1/5th DLI , ‘B’ Company to the 2/7th (probably a mistake in the war diary for 1/7th) and 1/8th DLI, ‘C’ Company to the 15th and 1/8th DLI, and ‘D’ Company to the 1/6th and 1/8th DLI. 2nd DLI got the runners, best NCOs and the band. 

Private Tait was one of the party sent to join the 1/8th battalion, 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division, in his case 'B' Company under Captain Holdsworth. At this time the battalion was in the Passchendaele sector.

He spent relatively little time with his new battalion, suffering two bouts of inflammation of the connective tissue (ICT) in his arms in February and March which took him away on 23 February, whilst the battalion was in GHQ Reserve at St Martin-au-Laert. After a stay at 10 Convalescent Depot, Escault and E Infantry Base Depot, Etaples, he returned to his unit on 20 April 1918, shortly after its participation in the Battle of the Lys. Within not much more than a month of his return he was wounded at Soissons, suffering a Gun Shot Wound (bullet) to the right thigh on 27 May 1918, during Operation Blücher-Yorck (or the Battle of the Aisne 1918 to the British), an action in which the battalion was effectively destroyed. The Battle commenced with an exceptionally heavy and carefully targeted gas and High Explosive bombardment of 3,700 guns at 1am, with the assault itself, supported by tanks, following at 4am. The 8th battalion, along with the 6th, was in the front line, emplaced on lower ground East of the Californie Plateau on the Chemin des Dames,  and was swiftly overwhelmed. Pte Tait was one of 70 wounded recorded in the War diary for that day, 7 other ranks being killed and a further 371 missing - mostly captured. After passing through the hands of the 1/3rd Northumbrian Field Ambulance, he passed through the casualty evacuation chain via the 1st Australian General Hospital, Rouen and Hospital Ship St David across to England. He was at the Military Hospital, West Bridgford,  Nottinghamshire between 31 May 1918 and 8 August, then at 'C' Division, King's Lancashire Military Convalescent Hospital, Blackpool until 17 September. His wound was reported as healed and improved with massage and physical training. Having been on the books of the Regimental Depot since his return to England he was transferred to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion on 26 September and seen by the Battalion Medical Officer on 29 September 1918. Here, at St John's Hospital, South Shields he was medically graded Bii. Then, following a medical board at Ripon his discharge was approved on 17 October 1918 and he was transferred to Army Reserve Class 'P' on the same day. This indicated that he was regarded as one ‘whose services are deemed to be temporarily of more value to the country in civil life rather than in the Army’ and entitled to a pension owing to length of service or, in this case, disability upon discharge. He was graded as 20% disabled and granted a pension of 5 Shillings and Sixpence a week for 52 weeks from 18 October 1918. He was also entitled to the Silver War Badge, Number B293164. He was finally discharged under Para 392 xvia of King's Regulations on 26 April 1919 whilst on strength of 3rd (Reserve) Battalion,  Durham Light Infantry. Upon appearance before a further medical board on 10 September he received a supplementary war gratuity of £5.