Where was he on 25/12/1914?

[stephen p nunn]

Dear all - I am trying to work where Acting Sergeant William Henry Cecil Mead of 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion, Essex Regiment would have been at Christmas 1914. I know he "first served" 22/8/1914 and when he was KIA on 26/2/1915 (shot through the head at 2am) he was "due 10 days home leave" from 5am on the same day. Based on those dates and his known Battalion, was he in the front line 25/12/14 does anyone know?

Many thanks, in advance, for your thoughts.

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

[Chris_Baker]

Ploegsteert Wood area: http://www.1914-1918.net/truce.htm

[stephen p nunn]

Ploegsteert Wood area: http://www.1914-1918.net/truce.htm

Brilliant - thanks Chris. Sorry I hadn't cottoned on to that bit on the Trail.

Regards.

SPN

Maldon

[owen4256]

Fri., Dec 25, 1914 TRENCHES NEAR LE BIZET, FRANCE

Relieving 2/Monmouth in trenches relief finished 8-30 pm.

Quiet day, very little sniping hard frost

10 pm

2nd Lieut Johnson reported sick

Casualties nil

--- signed G.M. Tufnell, Major, C.O. 2nd Bn Essex Regiment

Above extract from the 2Bn War Diary. Mead was earlier reported wounded in the casualty list published on 2nd February 1915. With the time lag in reporting, he was probably wounded mid-late November 1914 (another in the same list was wounded on the 18th November). Depending on the nature of his wounds, he might well have still been recuperating somewhere at Christmas.

Clive

[stephen p nunn]

Fri., Dec 25, 1914 TRENCHES NEAR LE BIZET, FRANCE

Relieving 2/Monmouth in trenches relief finished 8-30 pm.

Quiet day, very little sniping hard frost

10 pm

2nd Lieut Johnson reported sick

Casualties nil

--- signed G.M. Tufnell, Major, C.O. 2nd Bn Essex Regiment

Above extract from the 2Bn War Diary. Mead was earlier reported wounded in the casualty list published on 2nd February 1915. With the time lag in reporting, he was probably wounded mid-late November 1914 (another in the same list was wounded on the 18th November). Depending on the nature of his wounds, he might well have still been recuperating somewhere at Christmas.

Clive

Thanks Clive - wonderful info. mate - really gets me on the right route now.

Best regards.

SPN

Maldon

[stephen p nunn]

Out of my 248 Maldon/Heybridge casualties, this chap took my interest over Christmas and I wrote a piece about him for the Christmas edition of our local paper. This afternoon my wife and myself went for a walk in the snow. As you leave town towards the open countryside of the nearby hamlet of Beeleigh you pass the town cemetery. This was opened in 1855 and the very oldest part is through the first gate and in some woods on the left. In the summer months this is very overgrown and inaccesable but today the snow allowed us to pass through this area. Rather strangely the very first grave (out of hundreds) that I noticed was to the Mead family. The stone is broken and in the undergrowth but on it is recorded the Sgt. W.H. Mead of this thread! It confirms that he was KIA on 26/2/15 aged 27 but goes on to give his place of death as (I think it says) "Le Gheer". Does that mean anything to anyone please?

Strange how things work out isn't it?

Many thanks.

SPN

Maldon

[GrandsonMichael]

amazing...

War Diary 2nd Bn. The Esssex Regiment:

Fri., Feb 26, 1915 TRENCHES NEAR LE BIZET, FRANCE

Not very much sniping. Canadian heavies had little practice. 2Lt Round was wounded simultaneously by 2 bullets one in each arm; nothing serious.

Another Canadian Coy attached for a day.

Casualties

1 KILLED, 3 wounded

--- signed L.O.W. Jones, Capt commanding 2nd Essex Regt.

Looks as though your man was indeed killed in action while the 2nd Bn. was in trenches near Le Bizet. It is possible, but I can't find out, that the trenches occupied by the 2nd Bn. stretched out from near Le Bizet to Le Gheer, this being slightly to the N.E. of Ploegsteert. Perhaps someone has a trench map. I can't confirm this through the war diary or the official history by Burrows.

Cheers,

Michael

[At Home Dad]

slightly off topic, but still amazing...

I was working today on Capt James Murray Round of the 13th Bn,

attached from 2nd Bn! Thank you Michael for this great snippet

regarding his double wounding

One of three brothers, all of whom were KIA. His brother Auriol, also

of 2nd Bn was killed 5th september 1914. Born the same year, were

they twins, I wonder

There is a small memorial plaque to their memory at

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Butlers Close

Layer Breton

ESSEX

ENGLAND

CM1 7BE

best regards

Elliott

amazing...

[stephen p nunn]

amazing...

War Diary 2nd Bn. The Esssex Regiment:

Fri., Feb 26, 1915 TRENCHES NEAR LE BIZET, FRANCE

Not very much sniping. Canadian heavies had little practice. 2Lt Round was wounded simultaneously by 2 bullets one in each arm; nothing serious.

Another Canadian Coy attached for a day.

Casualties

1 KILLED, 3 wounded

--- signed L.O.W. Jones, Capt commanding 2nd Essex Regt.

Looks as though your man was indeed killed in action while the 2nd Bn. was in trenches near Le Bizet. It is possible, but I can't find out, that the trenches occupied by the 2nd Bn. stretched out from near Le Bizet to Le Gheer, this being slightly to the N.E. of Ploegsteert. Perhaps someone has a trench map. I can't confirm this through the war diary or the official history by Burrows.

Cheers,

Michael

Great - thank very much Michael. It would be good to crack the Le Gheer reference. I keep thinking of our walk in the cemetery and that discovery last weekend. Can't quite get over it really. I think I will go back with some tools and cut the grass away and put a poppy or two on it.

Best regards.

SPN

Maldon

slightly off topic, but still amazing...

I was working today on Capt James Murray Round of the 13th Bn,

attached from 2nd Bn! Thank you Michael for this great snippet

regarding his double wounding

One of three brothers, all of whom were KIA. His brother Auriol, also

of 2nd Bn was killed 5th september 1914. Born the same year, were

they twins, I wonder

There is a small memorial plaque to their memory at

Church of St Mary the Virgin

Butlers Close

Layer Breton

ESSEX

ENGLAND

CM1 7BE

best regards

Elliott

Elliot - is he of the Birch Hall branch of the family do you think?

SPN

Maldon

[GrandsonMichael]

Hi Elliott,

I'll PM you as there are a few more mentions of your man in the War Diary of the 2nd. n. The Essex Regiment.

Which is why and where I found the following:

2/LIEUT. I.M. ROUND 9.10.14 Wounded 26.2.15. near LE GHEER.

Rejoined 24.3.15. Wounded near Ypres

2.5.15. To England 6.5.15.

Seems like the trenches were indeed near Le Bizet and Le Gheer...

Cheers,

Michael

[stephen p nunn]

Hi Elliott,

I'll PM you as there are a few more mentions of your man in the War Diary of the 2nd. n. The Essex Regiment.

Which is why and where I found the following:

2/LIEUT. I.M. ROUND 9.10.14 Wounded 26.2.15. near LE GHEER.

Rejoined 24.3.15. Wounded near Ypres

2.5.15. To England 6.5.15.

Seems like the trenches were indeed near Le Bizet and Le Gheer...

Cheers,

Michael

Thanks for the confirmation re. Le Gheer Michael - great stuff. Does anyone have a map of that area pin-pointing the trench please?

Thanks.

SPN

Maldon

[At Home Dad]

well, the memorial plaque originally hung at St Peter's church in Birch...

it was moved in 2003 (UKNIWM Ref: 45592)

He's also on the Witham town memorial

all the best

Elliot - is he of the Birch Hall branch of the family do you think?

[At Home Dad]

Brilliant, thanks Michael!

I look forward to it

I'll PM you as there are a few more mentions of your man in the War Diary of the 2nd. n. The Essex Regiment.

[stephen p nunn]

well, the memorial plaque originally hung at St Peter's church in Birch...

it was moved in 2003 (UKNIWM Ref: 45592)

He's also on the Witham town memorial

all the best

Sounds like he was then. Birch Hall was sadly demolished in 1954 but I have some notes on its history and the Round connection.

Best regards.

SPN

Maldon