Barney

An incredible story but such tales often turn out to be true. British India was a vast Country and lets face it - we only went where the money was! Much like the 'Oil Wars' of today. The little known but enjoyable film 'The Man who would be King' was, allegedly, based on a true story about one of these mountain Kingdoms. I'd like to believe there still are tiny patches of sanity left in the world ......... Barney

I read with interest the post entitled ?Shot at Dawn? and the comments that followed. I have to say that I am undecided on the validity of a blanket pardon after all there are many instances of proven and downright premeditated cowardice and/or murder. Would it be fair to those young men unjustly treated to allow these men to share in a Country?s apology? It is my view, for what its worth that if we are going to pardon these guys, and in most cases we should, each case should be looked at individually. I know it would take years but what price justice? It should be done soon before the impetus to do so ?fades away?. I could not think of a better method of marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of War than to achieve this. Mark of a civilised society eh? But guess what? The 13th (Service) Battalion (West Ham) Essex Regiment provides an example of Military Justice so see what you think. Recorded in the Battalion War Diary around the early months of 1916 were three separate instances of ?self inflicted? wounds. Whilst this phrase could mean many things and generally occurred for a variety of reasons, it is not for me to make comment or judge in any way the men who, for different reasons, felt the need to remove themselves from the Line in this way. The act itself was as enormous in its risks as it was painful in its reality. Whilst the stories of the three West Ham men were similar we will, for the purposes of this post take a closer look at one of them, 17717 Pte Samuel Ward of ?B? Coy. A devoted family man his records held at the Public Record Office at Kew chart a fairly typical member of the Battalion. Samuel Ward was 38 yrs old when he enlisted at Stratford Recruiting Office on the 30th January 1915 in the jingoistic mayhem of the time.. A chair maker by profession he lived in James Street off Globe Road in Mile End with his wife Louisa. Louisa lived two streets away from Samuel in Hadleigh Street before their marriage in 1896 at St Philips Church in Bethnal Green. They had four children, two girls and two boys the youngest of whom, Fred, was barely fourteen months old. Samuel Ward had no previous experience of Military life and it appears that he was one of the thousands swept along by the patriotic fervour endemic at that time. That euphoria resulted in, among other things, the birth of a fifth son, Ernest in October 1915 whilst the Battalion was in the final weeks of training at Perham Down. The medical examination of Samuel Ward revealed him to be of good physical stature. Though only 5?2? tall he had a chest measurement of 36? and was by all accounts a powerful man. He could also be somewhat brusque and undisciplined, a fact borne out an entry in Company Conduct Sheet on 7th July whilst the Battalion was undergoing initial training at Brentwood. The offence recorded was ?making an improper reply to an Officer? and the Officer in question was Lieut. Carson. The incident was witnessed by CSM White of ?B? Coy. Exactly what he said not recorded but it was considered to be of sufficient gravity for Samuel to be given 5 days confined to Barracks by the Officer of the Day, Captain (Major) Winthrop. I personally reckon his cards were marked from this day. But nevertheless the apparently rehabilitated Samuel Ward sailed for France with the Battalion in November, serving without incident in their initiation to Trench life. He had not yet seen his new son and was unaware that he was gravely ill It was at Christmas 1915 that Samuel learned, by letter, that his son had influenza was not expected to live. Whilst always a difficult time for soldiers on Active Service one can imagine it must have been far worse for Samuel Ward. No papers survive in the Public domain indicating any reaction or requests from him for leave, though it would be likely that such were made and duly turned down for very good reasons. Finally, on 16th January 1916 Samuel Ward succumbed to desperation and took his only option as he saw it. He literally shot himself in the foot. Luckily for him, or perhaps on advice, he did the deed whilst in billets, not within presence of the enemy. Now in his book ?Mud Blood and Poppycock? Colonel Gordon Corrigan explodes a great many myths and misapprehensions about the Great War. It is an absolutely tremendous book that is a must for serious students of Military History as much for his comments that invite healthy debate as for his excellent narrative. Colonel Corrigan deals very definitely with Army Disipline: ?Military Discipline is much different from the code of conduct found elsewhere. It has to be. A labourer or factory worker who decides to absent himself for however long may get his pay stopped for however long or possibly get the sack. A nightwatchman who falls asleep would certainly be sacked. Both these examples would, in 1916, under certain circumstances carry the death penalty in a Military Court. The business of an Army is to engage in Warfare and to fight battles. To do this it has to have a clearly defined set of rules by which the soldier is expected to conduct himself. Military law is clearly defined and unambiguous, its whole purpose is to maintain the discipline of the Army. Acts which in civil law are mere ?breaches of contract? such as desertion or disobedience to orders must, by the very nature of what an Army is for, be made offences that attract penalties, and in time of War these penalties must be more severe." The only difference between an Army and an armed rabble is, was, and always will be ? discipline. "Military Law, as it applied in the Great War was embodied in the Army Act 1881. Regular amendments kept it up to date bought into effect yearly by the Army Annual Act. ? Colonel Corrigan also has a lot to say about Field Marshal the Earl Haig too, but judging from the very strongly held views amongst us postee?s I would recommend reading it. Military Law also made a definite distinction between Offences committed in the face or presence of the enemy and those not. Rendering yourself unable to fight through whatever circumstances (as did Samuel Ward) was considered a very serious Offence indeed. Done in the presence of the enemy it would likely have carried the death penalty. However Samuel Ward was at the time in billets at Windy Corner and far enough away from ?the enemy? to avoid that charge. Nevertheless he took an extraordinary risk in his desperate action. Private Ward was immediately examined by the Battalion Medical Officer, Lieut A W Holthusen of the RAMC. The wound was found not to be so serious as to be likely to render the injured man unfit for further service. The Battalion commander, Lieut Colonel Papillon immediately instituted a full enquiry as Private Ward was taken away to an Advanced Dressing Station at 100 Field Ambulance for treatment. Eventually ending up at the 1st Army Special Hospital where on 13th February 1916 Private 17717 Samuel Ward was subjected to a Field Court Martial. Here for what they are worth are the four Statement of Evidence of witnesses at that Court Martial: Sir On the morning of the 19th inst. At Windy Corner I had just come in the dugout. As I was passing S Ward a shot was fired and on looking round I noticed S Ward with a bullet wound in his foot. On examination his rifle still contained the empty cartridge case, the magazine being empty. This took place about 11 am. (sgd) W.A.Weeden No. 17606 B Company 31.1.16 13th Essex Regt. Sir At Windy Corner, in billets on the morning of the 19th inst I was in a dugout sitting next to Private S Ward. He appeared to be cleaning his rifle when suddenly I heard a shot fired. On looking round I saw S Ward sitting in the same position with a shot through his left foot which had been fired from his own rifle by himself. (sgd) L/Cpl W.J.Marsh 31.1.16 B Co. 13th Essex Regt Sir At Windy Corner, in reserve billets on the morning of the 19th inst I was in a dugout seated about 6 yds from Pte S Ward. On hearing a report of a rifle I looked round and saw Pte S Ward sitting wounded through the left foot which on examination proved to be caused by a shot fired from his own rifle and fired by himself. This took place about 11am and Pte Ward made no statement in my hearing. (sgd) 17530 J.N. Bedford L/Cpl 31.1.16 B.Coy 13th Essex Regt. Sir At Windy Corner at 11 am on the 19th inst. I was working in the dugout of a reserve billet. Pte S Ward was sitting about 10 yds away from me in the same dugout. Suddenly without any warning I heard a shot fired, on looking round I saw Pte S Ward sitting with a shot through his left foot which on examination he had fired from his own rifle which contained only one cartridge. (sgd) 17601 J. Pettey Sergt 31.1.16 ?B?Coy In the face of this evidence Samuel Ward was found guilty of causing a self inflicted wound and was sentenced to 84 days in a Military Prison at Rouen. It could have been worse. The popular perception of military justice in the Great War is one of a oppressive and cruel system that hauled young men up before hastily set up courts that sentenced them to death without thought or sympathy with regards to the reasons for their behaviour. Colonel Corrigan goes on to say ?Much of that criticism is founded in complete ignorance of how an Army works and what the military imperatives of the time were. Of the 286,185 cases heard under British Military law between 4th August 1914 and 11th November 1918, 89% resulted in guilty verdicts.? Incidentally as regards the Death Penalty, Courts Martial passed 3,080 such sentences on British, Colonial and Dominion Soldiers between the outbreak of War and 31 March 1920, the date Active Service actually ceased. Only 346 were actually carried out. ANZAC soldiers and I believe Canadians were protected by the direct intervention of their respective Governments from the Death penalty. When he was released Samuel Ward was returned to the 33rd Division Base Depot and thence transferred to the Labour Corps as Pte 386306 and there he remained until demob in 1919. Perhaps he was lucky for at least he survived. Whatever we may think today with the luxury of hindsight, the fact remains Samuel Ward never saw his son. He died at Christmas 1915. Posted with respect and as food for thought! Barney

I was recently given a group of medals and badges formerly the property of a Private in the Cambridgeshire Regiment circa 1914 - 1918. They comprise a trio (1915 Star), a silver Wound badge (numbered), a white metal Services Rendered Lapel badge, an enamelled Cambridgeshire Regiment Old Comrades Association Lapel/Tie pin and an 'original' cap badge. I can research the soldier at the PRO but the Regiment is more of a mystery. I believe they were a TF unit but thats all I know. Can anyone help? One last question directed at badge collectors (I am interested but definately no authority): What makes a badge 'original'? If it comes from the ORIGINAL die is it any less so that one made from the same die 80 years later? A typical pub discussion that has no answer I suspect but I hope we have an authority in our midst! Barney

The guy in the middle looks like he is wearing the Kings Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) cap badge. I think it is a lion with 'the Kings Own' on a scroll The one on the right is I reckon a Royal Engineer (can I see a white metal and brass mix?). The guy on the left does not wear his cap like a Guard but it looks like a white metal bass star so possbly 4th Dragoon Guards?

Mr Chairman......... my new topic of Unit Nicknames should have been a reply to this topic. There now, you are all thinking that every thing they say about the Redcaps is true! Sorry! Exemplo Ducemus!

Having seen service with the RMP I think I'll stay out of this one!

During my research I came upon the name of Francis Grenfell of whom I remember reading in a Boys Own Annual long ago in my formative years. It is a sadly fascinating account of one family's sacrifice........................... Francis Octavius Grenfell 1880-1915 Francis Octavius Grenfell, and his twin brother Riversdale (Rivy) Nonus Grenfell, were born at Hatchlands, near Guildford, on 5th September 1880. Sons of Pascoe du Pre Grenfell and his wife Sophia they both followed family tradition by going to Eton School at the age of fourteen. Young Francis was a keen sportsman, in 1899 he scored 80 runs at Lords in a cricket match against Harrow School. In 1898 Francis became ?Master of the Beagles? with the local hunt. He also joined the Army Special Reserve and in 1899 Francis was called up and joined the British Army. After serving with the 3rd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders in Egypt he was commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps. With whom in 1901 he went to South Africa and fought in the Boer War. At the end of the war Francis stayed in the Army and joined the crack cavalry regiment, the 9th (Royal) Lancers in India, soon being promoted to the rank of Captain. On the outbreak of the First World War Captain Grenfell and the 9th Lancers were sent to France with the BEF. Francis made this now famous record in his diary. ?15th August. We entrained today at 1pm and hope to reach France tonight. We leave very quietly as if marching to manoeuvres, but a more magnificent Regiment never moved out of Barracks for War. Everyone is full of enthusiasm??.. So far I have been the luckiest man alive. I have had the happiest possible life and have always been working for War, and have just got into the biggest in the prime of life for a soldier???.? His twin brother, Rivy who had joined the Buckinghamshire Hussars had by now managed to join him with the 9th as an attached Officer On 16th August, Francis Grenfell and the men under his command were sent out to carry out reconnaissance in the Harmignies area of Belgium returning in time to take part in the Battle of Mons. During that battle a Squadron of the 9th Lancers including Captain Riversdale Grenfell were ordered to charge the German gun positions. Hit by a hail of machine-gun fire, shelling and rifle fire, casualties were heavy. When they reassembled on the outskirts of Elouges they discovered that than had suffered over 80 casualties. Later that day Captain Francis Grenfell and a small group of his men volunteered to try and rescue the men of the 119 Field Battery who were in danger of being captured by the Germans. The operation was successful but Grenfell was badly wounded and was taken by his friend, the Duke of Westminster, in his Rolls Royce to the nearby town of Bavai where he was treated by French nuns in a convent hospital. Grenfell recovered from his wounds and was awarded the Victoria Cross for the role he played in saving the 119 Field Battery. But while Francis was in hospital he heard that his twin brother, Rivy Grenfell, had been Killed in Action on the 16th. He was buried in Vendresse Churchyard the following day. In October 1914, Francis Grenfell returned to France as Squadron Commander of the 9th Lancers. He was seriously wounded again few weeks later and was shipped back to England for treatment. By the spring of 1915 he had recovered and on 7th April he had a farewell dinner with his close friends, Winston Churchill and John Buchan. Francis Grenfell was sent to the Ypres Salient and on 23rd May 1915 endured the first German chlorine gas attack on the Western Front. The following day he received gunshot wounds in the chest on the Menin road. He died where he fell, the last words of this courageous and gallant Officer were ?I die happy. Tell the men I love my squadron?. Francis Grenfell was one of the 208 casualties out of the 350 men in the 9th Lancers who had taken part in the action that day. An American journalist, Frederic Coleman, was with the 9th Lancers on 24th May 1915 and he attended Francis Grenfell?s Battlefield burial.He was very moved and wrote: ?As the sun went down that evening their comrades of the 9th Lancers buried the bodies of Francis Grenfell and Algy Court in Vlamertinge Military Cemetery. Court's face wore a smile, as though he was quietly sleeping. Grenfell, shot through the heart at the height of the battle, bore, too, a look of deep peace, as if at last he had cheerfully gone to a better country, to join his beloved Rivy, from the shock of whose death, on the Aisne, Francis had never recovered?. Francis and Rivy had a famous younger sister, Joyce Grenfell the famed comedienne and ?St. Trinians? actress. They had two cousins also serving with the BEF. Captain Julian Henry Francis Grenfell DSO and his brother Second Lieutenant the Hon. Gerald William Grenfell sons of Lord and Lady Desborough of Taplow Court in Buckinghamshire. Julian Grenfell was one of the War Poets and author of ?Into Battle?. He won the DSO serving with 1st Royal Dragoons in 1914. He died of wounds on 26th May 1915 aged 27yrs and was buried in a Military Cemetery in Boulogne. Gerald Grenfell served with the 8th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade and was Killed in Action in the ?Liquid Fire? attacks at Hooge just outside Ypres on 30 July 1915. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres. All in all a great sacrifice by one Family

We all know what happened on the 1st July 1916 on the Somme Front but the Front Line stretched from Niewpoort to the Swiss border. This is the story of an event long forgotten that happened on the same day not 50 miles away. It is the story of a trench raid carrried out by the 13th (Service) Battalion (West Ham) of the Essex Regiment. It is sourced by PRO Documents such as Battalion/Brigade/Divisional War diaries, private letters and diaries and visits to the National Newspaper Library in Colindale.....................hope you lot dont fall asleep! During the intensely hot days towards the middle of June 1916 saw the 13th Battalion about to return to the Line but into the now relatively quiet sector of the front near Berthonval with Berthonval Wood immediately to the South. Officially their position was at the Southern Sub Sector of Vimy Ridge. They were taking over from the 2nd Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry on the regular interchange of units that was Trench life. Lieut. Colonel Papillon, along with his Company Officers, carried out the usual Inspection of the Lines prior to taking over responsibility. For some reason, now lost to History, this change over in particular is reported in detail in the War Diary. Though not the ?hottest? area of the front line in terms of enemy activity, it had been subjected to the recent destructive attentions of the German Artillery. The industrious Scottish Battalion were however, hard at work repairing and improving the battered Trenches. They were reluctant to leave this ?safe? sector with the huge underground caverns that were equipped with bunk beds for those out of the line. Their destination, Mont St Eloi was less luxuriously equipped. On taking over on the 18th June, the 13th Battalion were pleased to find a great improvement, there they spent a quiet couple of days settling in. The War Diary records the fact that ?desultory German shelling wounded one man?. Lt Colonel Papillon was impressed, so much so he was moved to outline the fact in a report to the 6th Brigade HQ: "I should like to bring to the notice of the GOC the excellent work done to the right sub Section by the Battalion who handed over to us [HLI]. My Company Officers and I reconnoitered the Line on the 15th instant and the improvement in all the conditions was very marked when we took over on the 18th. A great deal of hard work must have been done in the meantime under none too favourable conditions. I should like to add that the information given me as to the Line has also been most helpful. " (Snd) P.R.Papillon, Lt Col Commanding 13th Essex Regt However it would appear that it was not only the HLI who had been industrious. The Saxon Battalion opposite had also been busy. Patrols carried out under cover of darkness by Intelligence Officers had revealed a number of mysterious anomalies had recently appeared on the German Front Line. The 13th Essex immediately mounted exploratory night patrols into no-mans land with a view to collecting information, for alarm bells were beginning to ring at Divisional levels! On the 20th June Captain A.G. Hayward, together with Lt?s Walter W Busby and Francis R Keeble along with 62 other ranks marched off to the Divisional Headquarters at the Chateau de la Haie, close to village of Servins. They knew only that they had been selected for specialist training. As the men occupied their newly built wooden billets in the fields alongside the railway line at Villers Station, they became aware of the huge, new, French cemetery on the other side of the tracks. To the men wandering amongst the crosses and Memorials it gave mute evidence to the fierce battles fought by the French the year before as they struggled to halt the German onslaught. The three Officers, together with Lt Colonel Papillon, went to the Chateau and there they were told that the Battalion had been selected to mount a major Trench Raid. This was a definite vote of confidence in the West Ham men who were after all one of Kitchener?s New Army Battalion and therefore considered ?untried?. Trench Raids were essentially Intelligence gathering Operations with the objective of collecting any available Intelligence, and of course, prisoners. Sometimes trench mortar positions or machine gun posts were targeted if they had become too ?annoying?. In most cases the success or not of a raid had a direct effect on the morale of the units involved. This raid was to be no different in its purpose and effect. Two days later a further 25 other ranks arrived from the Battalion led by the Acting RSM, George Cattemole. They immediately began detailed training in the area around the Chateau. Dummy trenches resembling those of the intended area of Operations were dug and the training continued through the hot summer days. Four days into the training the GOC 2nd Division visited the Battalion after lunch, with an excited group of French and Spanish journalists. They watched approvingly as the Battalion carried out their first full scale rehearsal. The heavens opened that night as torrential rain turned the ground into a quagmire. It lasted for two days but training continued. Communications were then, as now, considered to be of vital importance. The use of coloured lights and bugle notes had their advantages in some circumstances but in the middle of No mans Land during an Artillery bombardment both were of limited use. Lt Colonel Papillon and Captain Hayward between them devised a system of communication, as brilliantly effective as it was simple. Dubbed the ?four in hand? it consisted of the attacking or raiding party being divided into four ?sticks? or columns of men, the leader of which was connected through the darkness to the Officer or NCO in charge by a ball of twine. When each of the columns were required to move up the OIC simply tugged on the appropriate line. This had obvious advantages when silence was of the essence. In a war that was becoming increasingly profligate with lives, it was well received by the men who were about to entrust their lives in the darkness of No Mans Land to this unusual innovation. By the 30th June the training for the Trench Raid party was coming to a close but a tragic accident on the final day of training marred the building excitement. During bombing practice, an Army euphemism for grenade throwing, one of the grenades exploded prematurely in the bombing pits, killing 18832 Pte Albert Giles of Melbourne Road in Walthamstow and wounding four others. 18844 Pte R P Pogson 17661 Pte A B Ellis 17420 Pte E Baker 18351 Cpl J J Karkell Private Arthur Ellis, an Islington man, died of his wounds on 1st July and lies in the Barlin Communal Cemetery. Albert Giles is buried in the Caberet Rouge Military Cemetery. The Battalion, meanwhile had been under light, but constant shelling for some days though only one man was recorded as being wounded, 18341 Pte H J Chace. The shelling increased on the return of Captain Hayward?s band killing 21662 Pte G W Jacks and wounding two others: 14136 Pte A W Stanton 18015 L/Cpl C E Pears (at duty) George William Jacks was 26 yrs old from Plaistow where he lived with his parents at 134 Corporation Street. He received a Battlefield burial in a marked grave. A Graves Registration Team later found his body and removed it to the Canadian Cemetery No2 at Neuville St Vaast. His older brother Robert Jacks also served in the Battalion and was to be wounded on the following day during the raid. Some 50 miles to the south of Vimy, an ominous and massive bombardment had started several days before, continued apace with an ever increasing intensity. As the Raiding Party marched back to the rest of the Battalion the speculation was rife among the ?raiders? as to exactly when the much rumoured ?Big Push? would start and from where. On their arrival back at the Battalion lines preparations began immediately for the Raid which was to be carried out the following night. Those on the Raiding Party were billeted in Zouave Valley, a shallow fold in the terrain so named after the gaudily dressed French soldiers in their blue jackets and scarlet pantaloons who fought and died in their thousands in the defence of their homeland in 1915. There they quietly adjusted, assembled and adapted their personal equipment, discarding any item that rattled or contained anything of a personal nature. Some chattered nervously as the tension began to take hold. Many wrote those last letters home, all filled out their last will and Testament on any scrap of paper to hand. In the meantime, momentous and tragic events were unfolding to the South. As 1st July dawned, it brought with it the opening attacks of the protracted struggle known to History, incorrectly, as the Battle of the Somme. As dawn broke on the Vimy Sector, a conference was held at the advanced Brigade Headquarters. Among the senior Officers in attendance were Major General J Walker, VC, GOC 2nd Division, Brigadier Generals Daly and Bullen-Smith of the 6th and 5th Brigades respectively, Brigadier General Saunders the Officer Commanding the 2nd Division?s Artillery was also present as were representatives from the vital support arms. Captain Parsons of the 6th Trench Mortar Battery and Major Lee-Warner of the 9th Battery RFA. Both of whom subsequently provided superb support to the Essex men. Lt. Colonel Morgan of the supporting Battalion, the 2nd South Staffs was also present. Zero hour was fixed at 0039hrs that night and several signals and Code words approved. These were used primarily in case of unforeseen problems causing the cancellation of the enterprise. There was to be a whirlwind bombardment by six specially assigned Stokes Mortars at Zero hour for one minute. The Divisional Artillery was to place a box barrage around the target area from Zero hour and maintain it until the Raiding Party had regained the British Front Line. The Stokes mortars were intended to reduce the danger from the defenders themselves and the Artillery barrage prevented both reinforcement and escape for those defenders. The advanced Bombing Posts in Sap trenches that edged out into No Mans Land were to be withdrawn prior to Zero hour. The 2nd South Staffs Battalion with the remainder of the 13th Essex themselves were to be placed on ?stand to? positions in case of a hostile counter attack. Finally the system of signalling with coloured lights, were to be placed by Signallers facing the British Front Line denoting the area of attack and more importantly as a guide to the returning troops, breathless and frightened as they stumbled back through the shell pocked ground in the inky blackness before dawn. The conference lasted for about an hour, Lt Colonel Papillon and Captain Hayward returning directly to their men. A final briefing of all involved took place before the Raiding Party was treated to a specially prepared meal served, alfresco, in the warm summer sunshine in Zouave Valley. An atmosphere of nervous excitement began to build as the men tucked in and enjoyed an extra rum ration. A few reflected on the task ahead but most tried to live for the moment, with their mates in the warmth of a beautiful French summers day. As evening approached the hot sun began to cool and the conversation began to turn to the news filtering through of the massive attacks along the Somme Front. Though not yet was it realised that it was to be the blackest day in the history of the British Army with 60,000 casualties , of whom more than 18,000 were dead. There would come a time, soon, when the 13th Essex would march to the Somme Front. There they were to acquit themselves well, though the cost would be heavy. But for now their minds were focused on the enemy Strongpoint to their front on the German Front Line. Ariel Observations had picked out what appeared to be Minenwerfer ( a German version of a Trench Mortar) positions together with previously unknown gun emplacements. The purpose of this Raid was to confirm or otherwise the existence of these and to pick up any available Intelligence as to other German dispositions. Prisoners were also needed for interrogation. As evening turned into night the conversation tailed off completely as all last minute preparations were completed. Straps were tightened and weapons checked again and again. Faces and hands were blackened with charcoal, fighting knives and sharpened spades were fingered nervously and adjusted into easily accessible positions around the body. Essential items for the close quarter fighting that was expected. Finally as Zero hour approached the men were assembled by Captain Hayward and Lt Colonel Papillon. With a few private words of encouragement the Colonel shook the hand of each member of the Raiding Party as they filed solemnly into their positions in the Front Line. The men manning the fire-steps stood back to allow them past. No one spoke, the tension was palpable. With a final brief, whispered meeting between the Officers where they shook hands and wished each other luck, Captain Hayward took his place with the centre party with Lt's Busby and Keeble leading the right and left parties respectively. George Cattemole led the Centre party. These were the men who would be responsible for holding the section of trench captured for the duration of the Raid, also these men were detailed for various specific jobs, such as dug-out bombers, blocking parties, identification parties and 6 men specifically detailed to search for and retrieve the suspected machine guns. A further Forty men from the Raiding Party were detailed as stretcher bearers, signallers and runners to form a Covering Party. They would remain in No-Mans land under the command of an NCO, Sgt F D Bartley. Ten minutes before Zero hour on the 2nd July 1916 the Raiding Party slipped silently over the lip of the Front line trench out into No Mans land. Lt Colonel Papillon anxiously remained at the fire-step for the entire Operation. They crawled on their stomachs to within 60 or 70 yards from the German wire. There they lay in the darkness, and waited. Just before Zero hour, their arrival in No Mans Land was reported back to Artillery Observers and at 00.39hrs an intense Artillery and Trench Mortar bombardment commenced as planned. The men lay hugging the ground as they watched the brilliant orange and blue flashes illuminating the battlefield between them and their objective. Knuckles whitening, the grip on rifles tightened as they listened to the screams of their enemy caught in the open by this vicious and unexpected barrage. The enemy Communication trenches to the rear from whence the defenders would normally expect reinforcements were thus effectively blocked. This protective barrage was to continue throughout the Raid, adding to the sheer terror of those trapped within. At the very last minute the Stokes guns opened up, as planned, for exactly one minute. These were particularly nasty, but effective little weapons comprising 2" Trench Mortars that were designed as anti personnel weapons. As the last Stokes gun fired Captain Hayward stood up and tugged on the twine as the Raiding party was unleashed with the cry of ?Up the Irons?, to dash the final few yards to the German Line. Remarkably this was achieved with only one casualty. The wire had been very effectively cut by the high explosives of the Artillery bombardment. On the left Lt Keeble was the first man to leap into the German Front line, landing amongst a mass of confused and terrified men. He immediately engaged three enemy soldiers with his pistol, before he himself was wounded in the arm. In a second his men leapt in beside him and a fierce bayonet fight developed in the darkness, in which the Essex men quickly gained the upper hand. The Stokes guns had evidently done their work well, for as Captain Hayward later recalled, on reaching the edge of the trench he was aware of around 10 to 12 enemy dead before the bayonet fight began. He too, was wounded in the arm by shrapnel, but both Officers continued to direct the men who evidently "seen red" and were thoroughly enjoying themselves, as the later report by Brigadier General Daly eventually blandly stated ?killing Germans?. Lt. Keeble had been detailed to deal with the Sap trenches leading off the main German trench, known to the British as Vincent Street. This he did, destroying them with accurate and intense bombing. The suspected machine gun position was found to be empty and the Minnenwerfer position was in fact a mineshaft. A party of Germans approached but were 'seen off' by the A/RSM's centre party. Lt. Keeble reported at least five of the enemy killed. The Centre party themselves had encountered stiff resistance, engaging in hand to hand fighting during a vicious melee in and around the dugout entrances. It is reported that six Germans were killed and many more wounded. The right Section of the George Cattemole?s party carried the element of suprise as they literally dropped in on a huddling group of young Saxon recruits. The War Diary records, somewhat laconically, that it was ?bayonet work?, as the Essex men tore into the hapless Germans still screaming their ?Up the Irons? war cry. It appears that a Ration Party was feeding the unfortunate Saxons who had been engaged on reconstructing parts of the front line Trench at the time the Stokes Mortar bombardment struck. The terrified survivors tried desperately to defend themselves against the flashing bayonets of the Essex men. Eleven Germans were killed and one taken prisoner. After killing one German himself before another surrendered to him he then remembered the purpose of the Raid so George Cattemole, placed a guard on his extremely nervous young prisoner. He produced his fighting knife and cut the shoulder strap from the man he had just killed and stuffed it in his tunic pocket. This bore Regimental Insignia of the Saxon 162nd Regiment. The dead man was in possession of two books ?of military value?, all vital intelligence. The survivors fled along the Communications trench to the rear, fearing a full scale attack, only to be chopped to pieces by the Box barrage of 9 Battery RFA. They were then heavily ?bombed? by the Raiding party as they hesitated in between. Some twenty or so reported as being killed and large numbers wounded. After twenty minutes of furious activity in the Enemy front line, Captain Hayward gave the order to retire back to the Battalion lines. The wounded were gathered up as the Raiders slowly made their way back across No Mans land, eventually meeting up with the covering party. Now was the danger time, the German Artillery had recovered from the initial shock of the assault. The German Battery Commander correctly assessed exactly what was happening and had began an extremely accurate and intense reply. Not on their front line, or on No Mans Land, but directly in front of the British Line. They knew the Raiding Party would naturally make their way back by the shortest possible route. The red hot slashing shrapnel caused many, indeed most, of the casualties sustained by the Raiding Party as they strove to reach the relative safety of their own lines. The A/RSM together with Lt? s Keeble and Busby behaved with great gallantry as they remained out in No Mans Land guiding the men back through the wire before sliding breathlessly over the parapet into the waiting arms of their comrades and the relieved Lt Colonel Papillon. The young prisoner was also wounded in this barrage, though not seriously. As dawn broke over the battlefield The three men finally came in themselves having bought in every man they could, alive or dead. There were, in total, 39 men wounded, including Captain Hayward and Lt. Keeble. Though hailed as a great success, the raid had made a casualty of half those involved. Once back in Zouave Valley the excited chatter had returned though it was dampened as the roll call was made and the full extent of their casualties were realised. The dead were initially counted as : 17524 Pte E.W. Clark 17608 Pte A. Newton 18595 Pte W. May 18057 Pte G.H. Moss 17591 Pte H.J. Edwards 17358 Pte E.H. Turner These men, all of whom had been amongst the first to enlist, were buried together in the Zouave Valley Military Cemetery to the south of the town of Souchez. The wounded were immediately treated then evacuated to Casualty clearing Stations nearby. Alas five of those died within hours of reaching safety: 17349 Pte F.Argent 18157 Cpl F.A. William 17579 Sgt A. Acres 17626 Pte T. Minahane. Fredrick Argent was aged 24 yrs when he died at the CCS outside Mont St.Eloi. From Abbey Road in Barking he had enlisted at East Ham. He lies buried in Ecoivres Military Cemetery. Irishman Tom Minahane was a docker living with his brother in Poplar when he enlisted in 1914 and he was 21 yrs old when he died.. He is buried with his fellow Irishman Fredrick William in the Barlin Communal Cemetery. Arthur Acres was buried on the battlefield by his comrades but as was so common in the Great War the grave was lost in subsequent shelling or other enemy activity, He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing. Three men were posted as missing : 18816 L/Cpl A.E. Bolton 17700 Pte J. Berney 18034 Pte A. Hockley Pte Hockley reappeared from No mans land later in the day having got lost in the shellfire during the return journey. On his return he was greeted as a hero by his company. Albert Bolton was only 20 yrs old and was considered to be one of the promising soldiers of 'D' Company. From Fern St. in Bow he had lied about his age to enlist. Not much is known about John Berney save that he hailed originally from St. Georges in the East, and was living in Walthamstow when he enlisted there in early 1915. Niether Bolton or Berney's bodies were ever found, lost in the interminable shelling of No Mans Land. Their names appear on the Arras Memorial to the Missing. At 5am Lt Col Papillon finally sat down to write his report to Brigade Headquarters. That report formed the basis of this description of what was a classic Trench Raid. However the Colonel was, as ever, eager to ensure that those to whom the laurels were due got the recognition they deserved. His report was concluded thus: ? ???I cannot speak too highly of the way in which Capt Hayward organised and trained the raiding party and the coolness and courage with which he carried out every detail as planned. Lieut. Busby and 2nd Lieut Keeble led their men with great dash and Gallantry. The former stayed out till it was light bringing in the dead and wounded and the latter was the first man into the enemy trench, and shot three Germans before he was himself wounded. Company Serjt Major Cattemole also behaved with great gallantry. He killed at least one German during the Raid and took another prisoner, and after the withdrawal he exposed himself freely searching for and bringing in wounded. The prisoner taken was unfortunately wounded by shrapnel, though not severely, on the way back. All ranks behaved with great dash and courage and I hope to have the honour of bringing some more names to your notice when I have time to make further investigation??.? Later that morning Brigadier General Daly GOC 6th Brigade made his report to Divisional Headquarters. It is reproduced here in its entirety: ?I forward herewith the report of the O/C 13th Essex Regt on the raid carried out by that Batt. last night. I think it may be fairly claimed that the raid was a success. I regret that no more prisoners were bought in. I gave instructions that, if possible, 2 were to be secured in order that any statements they made might be compared, but the raiding party apparently ?saw red? and contented themselves with killing Germans, only Coy Serjt Major Cattemole remembered to secure a prisoner! The effect of the one minutes bombardment by the Stokes guns ( 6 were used for this purpose ) was exactly what I had anticipated. The enemy were so bewildered and disorganized by the terrifying explosions that they were thinking only of their own safety and the raiding party was in on top of them before they had time to pull themselves together. There was consequently no difficulty about getting in ( thanks to the very thorough manner in which the 9th Battery under Major Lee Warner DSO had dealt with the wire) but the difficulties arose in getting back. I understand that 2/3rds of the casualties occurred during the return journey, the bulk of these as the men were getting back over our own parapet where they were caught by the shrapnel fire directed against our front line trench. I am thinking of a method to reduce this danger during a future raid. I thoroughly endorse all that Lt Colonel Papillon says of Captain Hayward. Captain Hayward was wounded by shrapnel in the arm early in the operations but continued at duty till the raid was over. Great credit is also due to Lt Colonel Papillon himself who took an infinite amount of trouble to ensure the success of the raid. He was in the front line himself all the time. Other Officers who did excellent work whilst exposed to great personal danger are Captain Milburn commanding 6th Brigade Machine Gun Company and Captain Parsons commanding 6th Brigade Trench Mortar Group. I should like to express my appreciation and thanks to the RA 2nd Division for the great assistance they afforded as their excellent shooting I think it is reasonable to assume that the fire of our Artillery added considerably to the enemies casualties. The shoulder strap cut off the jacket of a dead German and the two books found are being sent with this report. I very much regret that during enemies retaliation a most valuable and experienced Subaltern Officer, Lieutenant Benson of the 2nd South Staffordshires ( which Battalion was holding the Northern Sub Section) was killed. Subject to approval I propose to organize another raid against the same objective with a view to killing more Germans and also dealing with the mine shaft reported. This raid would would take place either tomorrow or the next night. A C Daly Bgd. General 2/7/16 Comd 6th Inf Bgd Ps The ?four in hand? method of starting the raiding party was most successful and did away with the necessity of ?sound signals?. 2 Officers and 2 NCOs in front each carried a ball of twine and Captain Hayward held the other end. On a pull from Captain Hayward the whole party sprang silently forward. I omitted in my report to attach the ?menu? of the supper given to the raiding party in the Zouave Valley prior to their enterprise. I forward two copies will you kindly attach one to my report. The following day, the 3rd July, after nearly 24hrs of shelling by the irate German Artillery the Battalion was relieved by the 1st Kings and were marched jubilantly to billets at Camblain d'Abbe for a well earned 'rest'. Another raid did take place, on the 3rd July. This time 1st Kings provided the raiding party, and it followed the exact same format. This time however, the Germans were ready. Casualties amongst the 1st Kings were heavy, mostly caused by machine gun fire. But they would have been heavier if the Divisional Staff had not learnt something from the Essex? raid. The raiding party lay down in No Mans Land until the fury of the German Artillery on the British front line had abated. They then walked in. Two days later the 13th Essex were marched further away to take over billets from the 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers at Estree Cauchie. On their arrival, the War diary records that they were read a 'Wire' from the G.O.C. 1st Army : "The G.O.C. 1st Army wishes to congratulate all who took part in the Raid carried out on the night of 1/2 July at about S15 C4 1/2 2" General G.C. Munro This was taken, as was the norm, as a general 'pat on the back' for the entire Battalion, for only in Battalions with such sky high morale, could be found men with the 'right stuff' for such a foray. It was praise indeed for the West Ham men. But it did not end there. On the 10th July the 4 Corps Commander arrived at Estree Cauchie to decorate the following NCOs and men with the Military Medal, recently instigated, for "Gallantry on the night of 1/2nd July " 18352 L/Sgt C.W.D. Brownring 18202 Pte A. Therin 14951 Pte E.W. Wilding 17994 Pte G.L. Brown 18059 Pte J.M. Miller 18018 Pte E.H. Simmons Auth. IV Corps No. 1 436 of 8 July 16 Pte 18202 Alfred Therin was eventually offered a Commission and on the 3rd July 1917 he was gazetted into the Cheshire Regiment and finished the War with the rank of Captain. His brother Cpl 18203 George Therin was badly wounded early in 1917 and was medically discharged on 19th October 1917. Both men were originals, enlisting at Stratford and arriving in France in November 1915. Pte 17994 George Leopold Brown was to be wounded in action a month later in the Waterlot Farm area of the Somme. Upon recovery he was transferred to the 9th Battalion of the Essex Regiment, but was killed at Monchy le Proeux the following year. 14951 Pte E M Wilding had enlisted in the 13th Battalion on 8th February 1915 and lived at 170 Monega Road, Forest Gate. He was a sailor by profession being a Quartermaster in the Merchant Service. At the outset of the war he resolved, like many others to return home and enlist. He found himself in India in August 1914 but signed on as QM on the ?Ballarat? and as such helped convey the first Indian troops to Marseilles. (On 29th August 1916 the Stratford Express carried a brief account of the action naming Wilder as one of the first of the West Ham men to receive a Gallantry award). Great celebrations were had on that day and the following morning the entire Raiding Party was marched back to Camblain d' Abbe to be inspected by General G.C. Munro who read aloud the following letter from 1st Army HQ. " The numerous successful Raids carried out along our front during the last few days have undoubtedly been of considerable assistance to our main Operations besides having added appreciably to the enemy casualties. The Commander in Chief desires that his appreciation of a good days work done may be conveyed to all who planned and carried out the Raids." Sgnd L.E. Kiggell, Lt. General, Chief of the General Staff General Kiggell then announced that the following were to be awarded the Military Cross, available to Officers and Warrant Officers only, again for " Gallantry on the night of the 1/2 July " Captain A.G. Hayward Lt. W.W. Busby Lt. F.R. Keeble CSM (A/RSM) 3/3049 G.E. Cattermole All four were Gazetted for the Military Cross on 27th July 1916 by which time the Battalion was heavily engaged on the Somme. It is interesting to note the length of time it took to receive the awards. Captain Arthur Gracie Hayward received his award in the field on the 12th May in the following year at the same time as Lieutenant Francis Roland Keeble. Lt Keeble incidentally went on to win a bar to his medal (a second award) early in 1918. A/RSM George Cattemole later transferred to the Royal Fusiliers on promotion but was never actually awarded the medal personally. Exactly why this was the case is unclear, it may have been his choice, but it seems a shame that such an act of bravery should be forgotten by the Military Authorities. The medal was sent by post to the RSM's home in April 1921. Last but certainly not least, Lieutenant, Walter Busby tragically did not live to receive his medal. He was killed in action, as a Captain, on the 13th November 1916 as the Somme Battles drew to a close. His grieving parents Charles and Minnie received the award by post at their home in Sherrards Road, Forest Gate, in September 1917. Such raids were held up as shining examples of Military successes. They were heavily reported in the Newspapers back home in an attempt to curb the effects on public, and military, morale of the horrendous losses being suffered on the Somme Front. The Somme was having its effect along the entire front as it swallowed men and materiel. Events were even then being set in motion that would, eventually change the Battalion for ever. Overnight on the 16th/17th the Battalion was relieved by the 22nd Battalion of the Loyal Regiment and were marched to billets at Gouy-Servins. On the 18th , at 10.30am the Battalion moved to Bengin, in the Dieval area where the Second Division was massing as each of its component units arrived from the Line. Speculation was rife until towards evening, the news came through that the Division was to be transferred to the XIII Corps. The Division, and with it the 13th Essex, were joining the bloodbath on the Somme. End of Post Barney

I am normally a Great War buff but I also write articles of ?Military Interest? for various publications. A story came my way from an extremely close source a few months ago. I personally was fascinated and thought it a worthy ?first contribution? to the GMIC. I hope you guys do too. Please ignore the Mills and Boon style opening it was designed to attract the attention of otherwise disinterested readers. What was seen and the more detailed points are historically correct. I can vouch for my Dad! Rye Hill 1940 It was a hot summers morning as an excited young lad slapped the reins across the rump of the old horse that pulled the cart up Rye Hill. He had just finished his deliveries and was in a hurry to get back to the yard near Thornwood But today was different and young Joseph Knight was about to witness a tragic but spectacular episode of history. The time was 10.50 am and the date was Tuesday 3rd September 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain. As the struggling horse breasted the top of the hill Joe could hear the scream of aeroplane engines, and the staccato rattle of machine gun fire. He knew the Airfield was under attack again. He reached the edge of Browns Field and stopped. He could see for miles through the shimmering haze across Epping Forest a couple of miles distant. To the east he could see RAF North Weald shrouded in the brown and white smoke of explosion. Above he saw the diving and swirling Hurricanes of 310 Squadron locked in a sudden death Dogfight as they engaged the lumbering Heinkle Bombers and their twin engined fighter escorts. In a dramatic change of tactics the Luftwaffe had begun mounting bombing raids on RAF Fighter Airfields in the south east of England in an attempt to put them out of action and Joe was watching one such attack. It seemed the very sky was alive with the screaming roaring engines when suddenly he became aware of a dark twin propellered machine emblazoned with black crosses screaming towards him flying low over Rye Hill as the pilot threw his aircraft from side to side in a desperate attempt to evade the Hurricane that had got him in its sights, Joe could clearly hear the hiss and crack of the canon rounds as the German aircraft yawed to the left and then right then suddenly upwards upwards in an extreme evasive act that was about to go tragically wrong for the crew. In his attempt to get away from the Hurricane on his tail, the pilot had not seen another German aircraft engaged in a similar battle and the evasive action taken by both resulted in collision in mid air above the Green Man Public House at what is now the McDonalds Restaurant at Junction 7 roundabout on the M11, about half a mile from where Joe sat watching incredulously. Both aircraft were Messerschmitt BF110?s from 1/ZG2. (Staffel 1 ZerstoererGeschwader 2). Roughly translated that means Flight 1 of Destroyer Squadron 2. Zerstoerers were Long Range fighter squadrons, primarily ME 110?s, used for Bomber escorts or Freelance Fighter missions. The aircraft Joe had been watching was a Messerschmitt BF110C-4 number 3M+HL no.2033 flown by 24 year old Stafflefuhrer, Oberleutnant Karl MULLER. His crewman and rear gunner was UnterOffizier Johann KORN. The aircraft sustained severe damage in the collision, the port wing tip was smashed and the port rudder was torn off. To add to the pilot?s troubles the machine caught fire and Joe gasped as the pilot baled out, dangerously low but Joe knew, as all patriotic young lads knew, 110?s carried two crew, but he saw nothing of the second crewman. The stricken craft tipped left and began its death glide crashing into Browns field about hundred yards from Joe?s position. Oberleutnant MULLER reached earth safely and unhurt close to the Epping Road. He had thrown away his pistol and flying equipment when he was ?captured? by some local farm labourers assisted by the shotgun wielding proprietor of the Cross Keys Caf? at Thornwood. He was eventually handed over to the Army and ended his war in a POW camp in Canada. UnterOffizier KORN was not so lucky, he was killed instantly when the aircraft crashed in Brown?s field. The other aircraft met a similar fate. Also a Messerschmitt BF110C-4 from the same Squadron, its identity number was 3M+EK no.2065 and its pilot was Feldwebel (Flight Sergeant ) Karl WAGENBRETH. His crewman and rear gunner was Unter Offizier Adolph SCHUBARTH. Their aircraft immediately spun out of control, losing height quickly, Joe remembers the tail section falling off, and though both men managed to bale out they were too low for their parachutes to open sufficiently and they were killed instantly as they came to earth in the grounds of Hubbards Hall, near Churchgate Street. The aircraft itself crashed in the grounds of Feltimores, a private house at Hobbs Cross belonging to the local squire Burke BURROWS. The family of Mr BURROWS still have a pair of flight boots taken from the wreck before it blew up. It shows the haste that the German airmen exhibited in leaving the aircraft, not that it did them much good. The three German aviators killed in this incident were buried with full military honours at All Saints Church, in Epping Upland. They have since been removed to the large German Cemetery at Cannock Chase. Luftwaffe records show that a total of 19 German aircraft did not make it back to base that day. The site of the crash at Rye Hill was excavated in the 1980?s and various items were found such as one of the Diamler Benz DB601 engines, a 20mm MGF cannon and a 7.92mm MG17 machine gun together with smaller items. They are now on display at the Battle of Britain Museum. As a matter of interest a JU 88 and a Heinkle crashed in the same area at various times during that summer, it being the highest point around the Airfield. A Typhoon also came suddenly to earth in the area suffering from engine failure on take off. Happily the pilot survived to fight another day. As for young Joseph Knight he had witnessed an incredible episode of history and as he watched Karl Muller being marched away to captivity he captured his own piece of history. He drove slowly past the scene of the pilot?s capture wondering if they would believe his incredible story back at the yard, he saw a flash in the long grass at the edge of the field. Climbing down from the cart he found a Green bakelite compass, with a huge thigh strap discarded by Muller in his last moments of freedom. Joe picked up the compass and well satisfied with the evidence drove the cart home. Long since retired to Norfolk, Joe who is my other half?s father, recently told me one rainy afternoon, this fascinating story of a battle long ago. I took the information to my Dad, also long retired, who for ?fun? researches all things RAF/Luftwaffe. It was he who came up with the crew names and flight numbers of the Luftwaffe Aircraft. Imagine my feelings when I received a parcel through the post some weeks later. No letter just an old compass?????????. Barney

Hi Guys Help! As you can see from the advertisement below I am writing a book on a Battalion of the Essex Regiment. It is a long story as to how it came about but suffice it to say finishing it has become an obsession! I would be grateful if any members have any information about this unit. I have done the usual - Museums, other books, the PRO, National Newspaper Library, Council records etc............ There are sadly none of the boys left now so if any of you guys out there know of any relatives.......? Lastly a bit about me. I have a passionate interest in the Great War and write articles for magazines / local journals, though this is my first salley into the field of writing a book. From time to time I also run Battlefield Tours of France and Belgium, concentrating primarily on the Great War but straying, now and again, on to my other interests - the 100 years War and the Napoleonic Wars. Next year I hope to do this full time. Here is an adapted copy of the flyer I have sent to various people that may be able to help such as West Ham United The 13th (Service) Battalion (West Ham) The Essex Regiment ?The Hammers? Raised in the Borough of West Ham in December 1914 by the Mayor, Councillor CROW, it formed part of Kitcheners Volunteer Army. Initially recruits came from West/East Ham, Forest Gate, Custom House, Barking and Stratford together with ?ex-pats? from all corners of the Empire. Some even from Switzerland. In November 1915 the West Ham Battalion, 1200 strong, landed in France seeing action on most of the major Battlefields. Their battle cry of ?Up the Irons? was heard on Vimy Ridge, the Somme and Cambrai before they were disbanded in February 1918. Sadly by this time there were not many ?originals? left. They were not professional soldiers, but ordinary working men, many former employees from the Thames Ironworks, hence the nickname ?The Hammers?. A true ?PALS? Battalion, and one of which the Borough remained justly proud. Their story is a facinating one and deserves to be told but not in just another book on the Great War, but rather about the West Ham Boys themselves. The characters, their lives and their experiences of War and Comradeship. To do that I need your help. Did your relative or anyone you know serve with this Battalion? Do you have any letters, anecdotes, personal memories, photographs, newspaper cuttings, medals, postcards or any other item of memorabilia that can help formulate a picture of the men from West Ham who volunteered to fight for their Country in the ?War to End all Wars? If you can help, or you know someone who can, it would be great to hear from you. Barney