2nd. Rifle Brigade

[bobpike]

I would be most grateful for any information on the position of 2nd Rifle Brigade 26th to 31st March 1918? Most of the casualties from that period are either on Pozieres Memorial or buried in Pargny British Cemetery. Thank you,

Bob

[Victoria Burbidge]

Bob, if you would like to PM your e-mail address through to me, I'll send you through the relevant pages from the 2/RB War Diary. They're very detailed.

V.

[connaughtranger]

Hi

On 24th the 2nd Battalion were in posts about the Canal Bank at Pargny, when the enemy attacked and succeeded in getting round their flanks and crossing the canal. They withdrew to sunken road 500 yds east of Morchain, then astride the Morchain-Pertain road, north of Potte. Casualties: 10 Officers killed, wounded or missing with about 300 OR's killed, wounded or missing.

On 25th the Germans broke through the British line and advanced rapidly towards Dreslincourt and Pertain. The 2/RB was scattered into 5 groups. Eventually the Battalion was gathered in the Omiecourt-Marchelepot area near the railway.

On 26th March 2/RB was in bivouacs west of the Meharicourt-Lihons road, but ordered to move forward into the Brigade front line. At 5.30pm ordered into bivouacs to west of Rosieres.

On 27th March the Battalion was ordered to counter-attack through the southern outskirts of Rosieres with a strength of 4 Officers and 132 OR's. It reached the front line and found it intact so stayed all day through the confused fighting, losing about 20 OR's

On 28th March started inbivouacs near Rosieres, then 1.5 miles west of Vrély, before occupying trenches south of Caix. Later into billets at Morisel on the other bank of the Avre

0n 29th March, in billets at Morisel until 2pm then took up a position in Cavalry Wood north-east of Moreuil on the right of XIXth Corps.

On 30th March moved to Castel then to the neighbourhood of Rouvrel. Fed and rested then back to Castel. Casualties for the30th, 20 OR's killed and wounded.

31st March the Battalion remained at the bridgehead at Casel

Bob, if you would like to PM your e-mail address through to me, I'll send you through the relevant pages from the 2/RB War Diary. They're very detailed.

V.

Sorry! Only saw your post after I'd sent mine

[bobpike]

Thank you both very much. May I ask you a question, please?

My interest is in a Rifleman killed on March 31st and comemmorated on Pozieres. I would like to know where he 'fell,' but I'm puzzled.

There are approx 8 men also killed on 31st March all buried in Pargny British Cemetery which would suggest they were killed in the vicinity.

But how can they have killed locally and be buried there, dying on 31st when Pargny was well behind enemy lines and the battalion was some 40 kms further west near Rouvrel?

Bob

[Victoria Burbidge]

The details given by the CWGC state that “The majority of the burials in this cemetery are those of officers and men of the 61st (South Midland) and 8th Divisions [which included the 2/RB], whose resistance at the Somme crossings on the 24th March 1918, materially helped to delay the German advance”. I would suggest that the remains of these 2/RB men had been brought in from the area in which they fell and were originally buried, but the CWGC would be able to confirm that. Can I ask the name of the man whom you are researching?

V.

[bobpike]

Victoria,

Thank you very much. I had read this but it doesn't explain why March 31st burials are still at Pargny. On that day they would have been near Rouvrel and there are cemeteries nearby e,g, Moreuil ( where one of the 2nd Bn killed that day IS buried!? If they had died on an earlier date the 'bringing in' explanation holds water.

I will write to CWGC and see what they say.

The man concerned is the relation of a friend, Rfn John Thomas Bennett.

I look forward to receiving the relevant war diary pages with interest,

Gratefully,

Bob

[Victoria Burbidge]

Bob, I agree that it does seem strange, but I’ve been working on exactly this sort of thing for the past year and there doesn’t always have to be an apparent connection between where the men fell and their final resting place (I have an officer killed at Fromelles, France and buried at New Irish Farm, Ieper, Belgium). Having said that, two of the 2/RB men “buried” at Pargny (with a date of death of 31st March) are commemorated by special memorial rather than having a known grave, which may be an indication of a lost grave or of an exhumation and an inability to individually identify the remains. Interestingly, the War Diary entry for 31st March merely states “Battalion remained in position W. of Castel, protecting bridgehead” with no mention of any casualties since the previous day. Perhaps the men had been killed earlier in the week and the wrong date of death had been communicated to the IWGC. I’d be interested to hear what the CWGC has to say on the subject.

The War Diary entries should be with you by now.

V.

[bobpike]

Victoria,

They are, very many thanks. I will let you know what CWGC say. My sincere thanks for your help,

Kind Regards,

Bob

[pilot]

Hello

Perhaphs POW wounded and died in a german ambulance?

Regards

[bobpike]

Pilot,

You mean wounded, perhaps on 24th in the vicinity of Pargny, died a week later and buried locally? Quite feasible, but would they have been kept in the area for a week, surely they'd have been taken back to a German hospital and buried nearby, like the two in Ham British Cemetery?

Food for thought and I'm vert grateful,

Regards,

Bob