Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Herbert White- Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) 8th Battal


sue_d18

Recommended Posts

Name:Herbert White

Birth Place:Manchester

Residence:Broughton Death

Date:30 Jul 1915

Enlistment Location:Lower Broughton, Lancs

Rank:Rifleman Regiment:Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) Battalion:8th Battalion.

Number:B/2379

Type of Casualty:Killed in action

Theater of War:Aldershot

Hi I am just wondering if any on here can give me any information about this solider or what his regiment were doing around the a date he died or any information at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Suzanne

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name:Herbert White

Rank:Rifleman Regiment:Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) Battalion:8th Battalion.

Number:B/2379

Hi I am just wondering if any on here can give me any information about this solider or what his regiment were doing around the a date he died or any information at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Suzanne

Suzanne,

A Rifle Brigade Service Number in the range B/1 to B/3500 (approx) would normally be allocated to a returning Army Reservist whose original number had been re-allocated.

In other words Herbert had probably been a soldier pre-War and most likely with the same regiment.

Have you looked for Service Records on Ancestry but leaving out the Service Number?

Cheers,

Mark

PS Thanks due to Andy :ph34r: for the KRRC/RB Service Number info

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name:Herbert White

Date:30 Jul 1915

Rank:Rifleman Regiment:Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) Battalion:8th Battalion.

Number:B/2379

Type of Casualty:Killed in action

Hi I am just wondering if any on here can give me any information about this solider or what his regiment were doing around the a date he died or any information at all would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Suzanne

Suzanne,

30th July 1915 was a very significant day not only for 8th Rifle Brigade, but the Allied armies as a whole.

This was the first time the Germans used liquid fire or flammenwerfer - what we now know as flamethrowers. 8/KRRC were the unlucky recipients.

This took place at the crater at Hooge, a hamlet on the Menin Road just east of Ypres.

If you do a Search on Hooge, liquid fire and flammenwerfer, you will find a great deal of excellent material on this event here on the Forum.

We also have a resident expert here on the 8th Rifle Brigade, but he has been very busy this last fortnight with the raised interest around Remembrance Day, so you should get the general picture first and then ask any specific Qs.

Cheers,

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suzanne,

What do you need to know about Herbert, his service record survived. He was initially listed as missing in the German flamethrower attack at Hooge.

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Herbert was in "A" Company were the losses were quite horrific. "A" Company had the Crater right in the middle of their piece of trench. A bombing section was put by either side of the crater but in the initial attack by the Germans a lot of them came through the crater.

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thankyou so far for your replies.

I started my family tree earlier in the year and my mum always used to tell me when I was little she had a great uncle who died in the first world war, I had found his details on CWGC but didn't know where to start and then on during remembrance week by gran mentioned him and asked if i could find anything out, as her mum didn't like to talk about it. I knew it would be busy with alot of queries then so have left until now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Suzanne,

Herbert White, Father - Frank, Mother - Sarah, 15 Coburg Street, Lower Broughton. Machine Minder given on his attestation form. Joined up on the 31/8/14 and posted to the 8th Rifle Brigade on the 4/9/14. Few minor things on his regimental record sheet, a dirty rifle and absent for a little while for which he was fined 3 days pay.

The 8th RB were made up mostly with men from Manchester, Birmingham and the East End of London. It would seem that it was quite common from the service records that the men from up north quite often decided to disappear and go home for a couple of days, Army life new for them I suppose.

The 8th RB had just taken over from the 7th RB in the trenches for a few hours when the flamethrower attack occured, with the 7th KRRC on their right and the 9th RB on their left. The 7th RB and the 8th KRRC on relief had marched back to Ypres and both of these units were turned around to march back and support the 8th RB and arrived in Zouave Wood to take part in a counter attack in the afternoon, some 9 hours after the Germans had taken the trenches and consolidated them.

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Suzanne,

His service record has been e-mailed to you.

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...