An alternative 1st July 1916

[Barney]

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

[Nick]

Barney

Thanks for that excellent insight into the work you are doing on the "Hammers".

It just reinforces the horrendous futility of WW1 with ordinary men doing courageous acts in appaling circumstances. The days spent planning and preparing for this raid combined with the loss of life for an operation which brought about no real tactical advantage over the enemy (other than a blow to their moral and one POW for intelligence purposes) by todays standards is scandalous.

The work you are doing is a real tribute to these brave men and I look forward to the finished book.

[John]

fantastic post. I am really looking to reading a copy of of your (signed! ) book.

Don't be expecting me to put any posts on here for a while though, at least until I've finished reading it.... wub.gif

[Firefly]

Make no apologies for the length of the post Barney, it made an excellent read....

It's always amazing to read of the sacrifices made by normal men in WWI, many of whom probably won't have even understood what the conflict was all about (as if anyone did?). They were just looking out for their mates, putting their own lives on the line in the process.

[Hun Helmet]

Yes a great post. I've read abput trench raids before but this one is by far the best one I've read about, giving a vidid picture of what went on during the raids and how they worked.

Mike

[Tony]

Barney,

That was a very interesting read!

Tony

[owen4256]

Barney

As a belated footnote to your excellent post, also in the Gazette for 27th July was a DCM for Sgt Bartley:

18358 Sjt F D Bartley 13th Bn Essex Regt. ?For conspicuous gallantry. He led his section of a raiding party with great dash, accounting for many of the enemy, and remained out till daylight bringing in the wounded.?

[Daniel Murphy]

Barney,

Great work and a thrilling read. The great amount of research you have done really brings it to life for the reader. Could I get some info on the book, or is it not published yet. I would love to get a copy.

Dan Murphy

Edited August 28, 2006 by Daniel Murphy

[maxstiebritz]

Wow! I realize I am late on this but what a fantastic read. Thank you very much,

Mit Kameradscahft,

Max Stiebritz