3rd battalian rifle brigade early 1914

[Walwyk]

trying to piece together footsteps of a Great Uncle. I have a photo of him ,written on the back is L'Aisne. No date. But I know he was captured at Houplines (Armentieres) at midnight on the 21. 10. 1914.

He was 3rd Battallian Rifle Brigade. BEF. sailed on the SS Michegan from Southampton to St. Nazaire on the 8th Sept. 1914. (probably)

The L'Aisne is a long way from Houplines? ( I have visited both areas)

Can anyone shed any light on this please?

Susanne

[sotonmate]

Susanne

Seeing that you have the detail of the ship his Battalion sailed on does that mean that you have seen it's War Diary ? This information is usually shown on the first pages ! If you haven't seen it then that would be a good place to follow his footsteps from landing to capture.

The Diary is at the National Archives Kew under WO95/1613 and began in Aug 1914 to the end of 1915.

Sotonmate

[TAZORII]

Susanne,

The Battle of the Aisne (7-10 September 1914) + ( Actions on the Aisne Heights 20 September 1914).

As far as I am concerned based on current information I have the 3rd BN, the Rifle Brigade was part of 17th Brigade and that part of 6th Division .

On the 10th September it landed at St Naz' and then proceeded to the Western Front. The division arrived to reinforce the hard pressed BEF on the Aisne before the whole army was moved north to Flanders:

However, the actions on the Aisne heights did not included 6th Div.

Subsequent to this battle was

> the actions on the Aisne Heights, 20 September 1914

I Corps: (Haig): 1st and 2nd Divisions plus 18th Brigade attached from 6th Division

II Corps: (Smith-Dorrien): 3rd Division

> the action of Chivy, 26 September 1914

I Corps: (Haig): 1st Division

http://www.1914-1918.net/bat4.htm

We persevere

[TAZORII]

If I am not mistaken, the 3rd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade was stationed at the Tipperary Barracks in Ireland at the time it was known as the 3rd. Battalion Militia.

saying that the http://www.1914-1918.net/ website states:

In August 1914 3rd Battalion was at Cork. Part of 17th Brigade in 6th Division. Moved to Cambridge but quickly on to Newmarket.

http://www.alchemywebsite.com/war_diary/kirke_war_diary.html if this is true, then it makes for a very good insight to the area this topic is about.

"On the 8th September 1914, the Battalion left Southampton on the S.S. Lake Michigan, having on Board the Headquarters of the 17th Infantry Brigade, and the 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment, and arrived at St. Nazaire on the 10th, where the boat had to remain outside the harbour until the morning of the 12th while the rest of the 6th Division were disembarking........... "

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/suelight/chpr.html (no longer online?)

History of the 6th DIVISION:

From St Nazaire a long train journey, which the novelty of the experience robbed of its tediousness took the Division a short distance east of Paris, where it concentrated in billets in the area Coulommiers - Mortcerf - Marles - Chaume by the 12th September.

BEF advanced on the 12th, gaining the heights south of the River Aisne, and on the left south of Venizel reached a bridge over the river itself, which was captured that night in heavy fighting. To the left of the BEF, the French had also reached the Aisne between Compeigne and Soissons, while on the right the French had reached the River Vesle between Beaumont and Fismes. By the night of the 12/13th the gap between Von Kluck’s First and Von Bulow’s second Armies had widened to 18 miles, making it difficult for the Germans to man a defensive line along the Aisne. On 13th September the BEF crossed the Aisne, despite heavy opposition from the Germans who had brought up reserves to strengthen their line. On the 14th, hampered by a heavy mist, the BEF made little progress in their advance; fighting was intense and losses heavy, with every battalion but one of the BEF engaged. On the 15th, the final day of the battle, GHQ ordered the BEF to entrench the positions they had reached. Determined German counter-attacks were all repulsed.

The period 13th to 19th September was spent in the march to the Aisne, where the Division arrived at a time when a certain amount of anxiety was felt by the Higher Command. The 5th French Army on the right, the British Army in the Centre and the 6th French Army under General Maunoury on the left, had pushed the Germans back across the Marne, and on the 14th September the British troops had crossed the Aisne on the front Soissons - Bourg ( Bourg-et-Comin? ).

The I Corps at Bourg (Bourg-et-Comin?), the II Corps at Vailly ( Vailly-sur-Aisne ) & Missy ( Missy-sur-Aisne ? ) and the III Corps at Venizel. The French right attack from the direction of Reims and the British attack by I Corps had progressed much faster then the left and had reached the heights on the line Craonne - Troyon, astride the famous Chemin des Dames. These were now the objective of fierce attacks by the Germans and the 6th Division which had been allotted originally to the III Corps was put into General Reserve instead, only the artillery joining the III Corps.

...

Rifleman Frederick Boyd

3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade

Frederick originally enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment before the outbreak of war. Rifleman Boyd was reported missing from 23rd September 1914 and subsequently presumed dead. He has no known grave and is remembered with honour on the La Ferte-sous-Jouarre Memorial at Seine-et-Marne, France.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancest...ww1memorial.htm

....

On the 31st September the 17th Infantry Brigade (Brig-Gen. W.R.B. Doran) relieved the 6th Infantry Brigade and the 4th Guards Brigade on the front Fort de Metz (?)* - La cour de Soupir and held the portion without much incident till 2nd October, when they were withdrawn into Corp Reseve.

...

The III Corps consisted of the 4th & 6th Divisions under Lt.-Gen. Pulteney. The period 6th to 9th October was occupied in the march to the entraining station near Compiègne. The Division detrained at St. Omer on 10th October...

... On the 12th October the Division marched to Hazebrouck, where it covered the detrainment of the 4th Division and came into touch with the enemy. The latter consisting of two Cavalry Divisions with some Jäger Battalions and at least one Division of the XIX Corps, were fighting a rearguard action until such a time as they should be reinforced....

... 13th October the III Corps with the 4th Division on the left and the 6th Division on the Right. An action took place on the line of the Méteren Brook, commencing at 1p.m and continuing till dark, when the 17th & 18th Infantry Brigades had captured Méteren and Bailleul with about 400 casualties. Pushing forward the 17th Infantry Brigade crossed the River Lys at Bac St. Maur, and the 18th Infantry Brigade at Sailly on the night 15/16th October, and apporached on the 17th the ridge west of Lille, where the enemy were reported to be entrenched...

... while the 17th Infantry Brigade reached Prémesques, but was unable to take Pérenchies. (The 4th Division had not been able to cross the Lys north of Armentières) This necessitated the 17th Infantry Brigade throwing back its flank to l'Epinette (hameau of). On the 19th October the Division entrenched on the line it had won. To the right were French cavalry & cyclists, covering the gap between the right of III Corps and the left of the I Corps near Aubers. The advance from Hazebrouck to the ridge had occupied six days and cost the division some 750 casualties.

On the morning of the 20th October the Germans attacked very heavily on the whole front, fighting on a very extended front (five miles) and very little in

hand, the Division was soon in difficulties, particularly on the exposed left flank, where the 2nd Battalion, The Leinsters Regiment had their three left companies quickly driven in, and the situation at midday was critical. One company with the machine-guns was able to hold until the afternoon at Mont de Prémesques, and to withdraw under cover of darkness, having inflicted heavy loss on the enemy. Meanwhile units of other brigades were putting up a gallant fight against great odds, each unit generally with one or both flanks unsupported.

Marden, T.O. - A Short History of the 6th Division (Hugh Rees Ltd 1920)

* I can find no trace of the FORT DE METZ in the Aisne. On the Chemin des Dames it was the Fort de Malmaison.

21st October 1914:

...The 6th Division was left undisturbed on this day exept for shelling, until 6 P.M, when, in the dusk, a somewhat heavy attack was made on its centre, but was repulsed with loss. During the day the machine guns of the 3rd Rifle Brigade (17th Brigade) got a good target on Germans detraining on the line which runs past La Vallée into Armentières...

The 3rd Rifle Brigade was in the Porte Egal farm area on this day!

The 3rds RB's War Diary for 21/10/14 reads as follows:-

1 a.m. Moved back to new position R. of Porte Egal Fme. Trenches already dug for us.

Fairly quiet day.

Casualties, 3 Riflemen killed, 13 N.C.O.'s and Riflemen wounded.

22/10/14

1.30 a.m. Strong attack by Germans. Their left overlapped our pivot and they got behind us.

4 a.m. Sent out party to clear out Germans, but most had gone.

More attacks during day.

Dug new trenches left flank.

Casualties, 2 Riflemen killed, 9 N.C.O.'s and men wounded, 1 N.C.O. missing.

Finally as I try to put together this little story I believe Andy Pay helped us a few years ago but I got the wrong battalion, needless to say a Thank you is in order!

[Walwyk]

Susanne

Seeing that you have the detail of the ship his Battalion sailed on does that mean that you have seen it's War Diary ? This information is usually shown on the first pages ! If you haven't seen it then that would be a good place to follow his footsteps from landing to capture.

The Diary is at the National Archives Kew under WO95/1613 and began in Aug 1914 to the end of 1915.

Sotonmate

Thank you. No I haven't seen the War diaries but forum members have and let me in on bits of info. this time though I found a ref to a book by Ray Westlake 'British Battalions in France and Belgium in 1914' and the member verified the ship and dates.. I am in France so a bit far from Kew but will store that ref number. Susanne