18th Battalion, Welsh Regiment

[GraemeClarke]

Hi,

Can anyone help with the War Diary for the 18th Battalion, Welsh Regiment for June 1916, please.

I am reseaching Private 27501 George SHEPHERD who died of wounds on 17 June 1916.

My understanding is that the battalion arrived in France on Saturday 3 June 1916 and were despatched to the Loos area for training in trench warfare.

Units probably went up the front line for experience but can this be verified at all ?

Many thanks,

Graeme

[larney]

Hi Graeme,

Here are some extracts from the History of the Welsh Regiment;

THE 17TH AND 18TH BATTALIONS

These Battalions arrived in France on 3rd June, and were attached to the 1st Division in the Loos area for instruction in trench warfare. When the 1st Division moved down to the Somme early in July, the 17th and 18th Battalions (119th Brigade, 40th Division) remained in the trenches in the Loos area, and their activities are recorded later on.

During the Somme battles the Battalions had been in trenches in the Loos area, and had not had a peaceful time. The 17th Welsh had lost their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. Wilkie and Captain C. V. Lyne, acting second in command, killed by a shell in October. In addition 2nd-Lieutenant K. Lloyd Williams and 28 other ranks had been killed, and Captain Sheppard, Lieutenants Walton and Wallace, and 104 other ranks had been wounded.

The 18th Welsh had suffered 279 casualties, 2nd-lieutenant O. Salisbury and 49 other ranks being killed, while lieutenant H. C. Stacey and 2nd-Lieutenants E. A. K. Robinson, W. N. Rees, and E. Wynne-Jones had been wounded. It is noteworthy that all these officers were wounded on patrol or when raiding.

Both Battalions worked hard to obtain control of No Man’s Land, and in the 17th Welsh lieutenant L. A. Walton and 2nd-Lieutenant F. Badham distinguished themselves, while L.-Corporal E. J. Stiff, Corp. Levi Davies (26138), and Private F. Green (25633) won the M.M. for various acts of gallantry—the latter for twice picking up a live T.M. bomb, which he managed to throw outside the emplacement, just as it exploded.

The 18th Welsh carried out two major and three minor raids; Sergeant E. C. Deacon and L.-Sergeant C. D. Williams gaining the D.C.M., and Sergeant W. Owens and Private J. McAdam the M.M.

It does show that the two Bantam Battalions were involved in trench warfare initiation, and then the raids in the following months.

Hope this helps,

SteveJ.

[GraemeClarke]

Steve,

Many thanks for the prompt reply, it does add enormously.

It goes some way to finding out what happened to George.

The time difference (ie arriving on 3 June 1916 and succumbing on 17 June 1916) is so small I am still hoping to

narrow it down by WD entries.

Once again, many thanks

Graeme