6th Kings Regiment

[Guest jayneyd2003]

On my great grandfather Jack DAWSON a rifleman from Liverpool who served with the 6th Kings Regiment from June 1915 until February 1918 when he was discharged following a war injury. I have his army number and discharge papers and some old photos of him and others.

Hoping now to be able to trace which battles he would have been involved with.

Also posted on another forum looking for info on my grt uncle who was POW part of 55th West Lancs

Hope to find others researching similar

Jayne

[jim_davies]

Jayne,

Have you checked the page on the King's (Liverpool) Regiment on the main page. If not it might be worth a look.

The 6th battalion was originally part of the Liverpool Brigade, West Lancs Division. But transferred to the 6th Brigade, 2nd Division in early 1915. The battalion's eventual home was the 165th Brigade, 55th Division.

The pages for these divisions list the major actions they fought in. It might be somewhere to start with.

Jim

[Promenade]

Private J Dawson 3535/241435 served with 'D' Coy 1/6 Kings Liverpool Regt

He enlisted on 6/8/15, (probably in Liverpool). Embarked Southampton 12/10/15. Left Base

for Battalion 28/10/15. Attached 165 Brigade HQ 30/3/16 as Grenade Store Keeper. Rejoined

Battalion 12/4/16. Admitted 1/3 West Lancs Field Ambulance 3/6/16 (laryngitis). Rejoined

Battalion 8/6/16. Proceeded to Base 9/7/16 (underage). Joined 24 Inf Base Depot 9/7/16. Left

Base for Battalion 16/10/16. To 24 Inf Base Depot 3/11/16 (underage). His parents claimed

that he was underage. The ruling was that he would be held to serve in France in accordance

with War Office letter : No 9/Gen No/5388D(A.G.2B) para 2( C) dated 6/9/15. He was to be

withdrawn from the firing line 10/11/16. Joined Q Camp 9/11/16. Joined 24 Inf Base Depot

15/3/17. Rejoined Battalion 8/4/17. Wounded in action 31/7/17 (shrapnel wound chest).

Admitted 2/1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station 3/8/17. Admitted 53 General Hospital

3/8/17. Evacuated to England 12/8/17 on the HS St Patrick. He was discharged from the

Army 5/2/18.

Jayne

I hope that this is the right man as there were three possibilities but this filled the profile almost exactly. Grateful for any personal information you may have for him for my records. You ask which actions he fought in - in slower time will copy out the war diary for 1/6 KLR on 31/7/17.

Regards

Joe

[Guest jayneyd2003]

Joe and Jim thank u very much for the info. I have read a little on the site regarding the division the 6th Kings were assigned to and what battles my grt grandfather may have fought and been injured in. Joe thank u very much yes that is indeed the correct Jack DAWSON as the service Records match. We knew he had lied about his age as his date of birth on his service info didn't tally with his birth certificate, however had no idea his family had tried to recall him back to England it all sounds very interesting. I have a little info on him if u are interested. Are u writing a book? or do u have a particular interest in this regiment?

I can give u his place of birth and info on siblings and parents also dates on which he received medals etc... My parents also have some photos of him and others which we presume were in the regiment and I maybe able to forward u scanned copies

Thank you both very much for yr interest and sorry for the delay in my response

Jayne

[Promenade]

Jayne

Jack was injured On the first day of 3rd Ypres (known as the Battle of Passchendaele) ie 31/7/17. The following is extracted verbatim from the War Diary for 1/6 KLR. Suggest you read books on Passchendaele (eg ‘They Called it Passchendaele’ by Lyn MacDonald) for more information.

Joe

29 July 1917 (X Day)

VLAMERTINGHE - YPRES - POTIJZE

Battalion in Reserve until evening. Commencing at about 8 pm the Battalion moved by

companies into X/Y Day positions as follows :

HQ Cart Dug-outs, Oxford Trench. B & C Coys with part of A Coy, CONGREVE WALK, D Coy BOTTLE TRENCH - A Coy holding Front line from LONE ST. (exclusive to about 150 yards. South of PAGODA ST, with 6 posts. Working parties found by B & C Companies 150 strong. Great artillery activity by both sides. Casualties 6 other ranks killed, 9 other ranks wounded (1 gassed).

Strength of Battalion for battle exclusive of the nucleus 20 officers 505 other ranks Lt-Col JB McKAIG Commanding.

30 July 1917 (Y Day)

POTIJZE

Battalion in position as above, until 9 pm when it moved up by companies into assembly positions as follows :

Front line trench from LONE ST (exclusive) to about 150 yards south of PAGODA ST.

A Company on the left under Captain A BALMFORTH.

D Company on the right under 2nd Lieutenant JP GROVE. Forming 1st and 2nd Waves to capture German support line with one platoon each. (Nos 3 & 16) as moppers up for German front line.

B Company on the left, under Second Lieutenant JA McLaren.

C Company on the right, under Captain GD Tyson. Forming the third and 4th waves to capture German reserve line and consolidate on the Brigade final objective (Blue Line). These two companies assembled in the Borrowpit immediately behind the front line parados. HQ CART dugouts in Oxford Trench. Weather wet and conditions muddy. Artillery very active on both sides but the assembly was successfully carried out without casualties. During the night our wire was cut by A and D companies.

31 July 1917 (Z Day)

The Third Battle of Ypres commenced. Zero hour at 3:50am when the attack commenced. The battalion attacked in four waves as above with 1/5 South Lancashire Regt (166th Infantry Brigade) on our left 1/5 Battalion the King's Liverpool Regiment on our right. The 46th Infantry Brigade, 15th Division, was on the right of 165th Brigade. The German front and support trenches were carried with little trouble, some slight opposition being encountered at the reserve line. This however caused no delay and platoons from B and C companies pushed on to the Blue Line and immediately commenced to dig in: strong points being dug, one on the left flank and one in the front of Jasper Farm, between Jasper Farm and the Blue Line. The Blue Line runs approximately from C 23 D 70.35 to C 30 A 10.90. This being the Battalion frontage. At 5:05am the 9th Battalion King's Liverpool Regiment passed through the Blue Line to attack the STUTZPUNKT LINE and POMMERN REDOUBT. This was successfully accomplished and at 10:10 am the 164th Brigade started from the Black Line (STUTZPUNKT LINE) to attack the Green Line (GHELUVELDT- LANGEMARCK LINE) - this was also reached but the attacking troops had to fall back to a position about 200 yards in front of the Black Line. At about 10 am Battalion HQ moved from Oxford Trench and established HQ in the German Reserve Line (Camel Reserve) at a point C 29 B.28.79 and shortly after arrival B & C companies were ordered up to reinforce the 9th Battalion The King's Liverpool Regiment at the Black Line, these two companies digging in and consolidating on the left flank to join up with 1/10th Battalion the King's Liverpool Regiment on their left. A & C Companies were simultaneously moved up to garrison the Blue Line and strong points. These dispositions remained the same until relief - throughout the day the shelling on both sides was intense. The estimate of prisoners captured by the battalion is approximately 100, while 80 enemy dead were counted on the Battalion front. Among the trophies taken by the battalion were two trench mortars and two machine-guns. Weather from midday onwards was very wet.

1 August 1917

Jasper Farm & Stutzpunkt Line

Battalion dispositions as on the afternoon of 31st July 1917. Weather very wet and trenches full of water. Artillery very active on both sides but not so intense as the previous day. The enemy was found to be holding the ridge of Hill 35 (ZONNEBEKE D 19 B.30.75) and overlooked our positions.

2 August 1917

Dispositions as above. The weather was still wet and conditions were very trying - the water the trenches being over knee-deep and the mud very heavy. Attempted enemy counter attack dealt with by the artillery- the men by this time were very exhausted and feeling the effects of continued wet conditions, and in the evening the Brigade was relieved by the second Battalion of 36 Division. After relief, the Battalion moved into Congreve Walk arriving there soon after dawn on 3rd August 1917. During the day, B & C companies had been relieved in the Black Line by reserves under Captain Eastwood and Captain Rome who were sent up from the Transport Lines, and B & C Companies going back to our old original front line. The total casualties for the battle were:

OFFICERS

Killed

Captain A Balmforth

Second Lieutenant HP Robinson

Died of wounds

Lieutenant GB Burton

Missing

Second Lieutenant JP Grove

Second Lieutenant ES Griffin

Wounded

Second Lieutenant CH Merriman

Lieutenant RR Rathbone

Lieutenant W Goffey

Second Lieutenant J Paton

OTHER RANKS

29 killed

145 wounded (including Jack Dawson)

40 missing

[Terry_Reeves]

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I would be interested to know if you have any information on 87002 Pte Fred Newbon, kia 12.6.18., 1/6th Kings Liverpool Regt. I have been through the normal research process at the PRO including the war diary. He appears to have been killed by shell fire although not mentioned specifically.He is buried at Pernes British Cemetery and would have been my great uncle had he survived.

Terry Reeves

[Promenade]

Terry,

I have checked my database and detail my findings below which I hope you find of use.

Regards

Joe Devereux

Fred Newbon was drafted to the Liverpool Regt probably early in 1918 with others from the Manchester/Oldham area. Some did not stay long but transferred and were killed with 1/7 Lancs Fusiliers.

Fred embarked for France on 18/4/18. The only information I have for him is that he was wounded in action (gas) on 9/6/18 (unfortunately I do not know his Coy). He was admitted to No 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station the same day where he died from the effects of the gas three days later. it states that he was killed in action in the War Graves but is listed as died of wounds in Soldiers Died – one case where the War Graves are incorrect! Unfortunately I have no more information, he was not in France for very long.

On the assumption that the previous information is new to you Terry I reproduce the War Diary for relevant dates.

8 June 1918

Battalion relieved by 1/0 Liverpool Regt and moved into support in the GIVENCHY Sector. Dispositions on relieving 1/4 L North Lancs Regt in this sector:

Bn HQ Fanshawe Castle

A Coy Pont Fixe

B Coy Windy Corner

C Coy Canal Bank

D Coy 3 platoons at Point Fixe and 1 platoon at Windy Corner

Casualties 6 other ranks wounded

9 June 1918

GIVENCHY SECTOR

At 3am the enemy shelled Pont Fixe, Fanshawe Castle and the vicinity of Windy Corner with blue and yellow cross shells with a very strong concentration at Windy Corner Terrace. During the day the effects of the gas began to be felt very much and n addition to gas cases which had been evacuated immediately after the shelling, many other men were evacuated. Casualties; killed 1 other rank, wounded 2 other ranks, Wounded (gas) 86 other ranks. At 10.30pm C Coy moved to Le Plantin South Sector , relieving A Coy 5 Liverpool Regt and came under orders of OC 5 Liverpool Regt.

[Terry_Reeves]

Joe

Many thanks. That makes a bit more sense. The other man who died the same day as him is buried in the next grave at Pernes. As you will know, Fred was one of those soldiers who was "18 in 1918".

Best wishes

Terry Reeves

[Guest jayneyd2003]

Thanks Joe for the info u mention. Will look up the book listed and have a read. What really strikes me reading all these posts and looking at war graves site is how young all these men were.

Once again thanks very much

Jayne