rugbyremembers Posted 28 February , 2010 Share Posted 28 February , 2010 Captain Joseph Michael Buckley, of Stamford Hill, although not a rugby player was a friend of Jack Bodenham. He won the MC - can anyone provide citation? Like Bodenham he was a Catholic. He was a Brother in The Catenians. Can anyone tell me if he attended Ampleforth with Bodenham? Is buried at St Jean-les -Ypres, died on 23/12/17. This is after the end of 3rd Ypres/Passchendaele. Can anyone enlighten me on the circumstances of his death - a holder of the war diary, perhaps? Grateful as ever Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 28 February , 2010 Share Posted 28 February , 2010 Think this is your man - the MC is noted on the MIC and the KIA date is correct:- Name: J M Buckley [Joseph Michael Buckley] Regiment or Corps: 28th London Regiment (Private), Rifle Brigade (Captain) Regimental Number: 1961, 1961 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 28 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 28 February , 2010 Many thanks. Is there any note on the MIC as to when/where the MC was won? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 28 February , 2010 Share Posted 28 February , 2010 Unfortunately note (at least not to my untrained eye!). It's the only item ("M.C.") written in black ink on the card so can't match it up with anything. Red ink (details of his service with the 28th):- Theatre of war: (1) France Date of entry therein: 29.12.14 Comm 18.9.15 Blue ink (Rifles):- British and Victory and roll details. A date in 1921 which matches with the application from his father. KIA date. Only other possibility is a note at the top which doesn't seem to relate to anything else: "On R&F.R.TP28/102B". E7/1/7046 appears twice but I think that's the officer completing the card? Have had a look round but unfortunately no service/pension records have slipped through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 28 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 28 February , 2010 Many thanks. Somewhere there must be a course in 'how to read and speak MIC'! rgds Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verrico2009 Posted 28 February , 2010 Share Posted 28 February , 2010 You're welcome, Stephen - hopefully those details will enable one of the "MIC-speak" experts to point you in the right direction, but unfortunately I can't help you take it any further. Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 28 February , 2010 Share Posted 28 February , 2010 A nice easy London Gazette job http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/301...upplements/5986: Temp. Capt. Joseph Michael Buckley, Rif. Bde. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led two companies in the most gallant manner, and was largely responsible for the success of the operations. He gained his objective, capturing sixty prisoners and two machine-guns. No date for the action, but I should think there's enough info for someone to match it up with a war diary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 28 February , 2010 Author Share Posted 28 February , 2010 David, many thanks as always. Over to the Rifle Brigade war diary men. Can anyone place the action for which Buckley won his MC? rgds Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 1 March , 2010 Share Posted 1 March , 2010 I know 9/KRRC (same Brigade) captured more than 200 enemy prisoners on the first day of the Battle of Arras (09 Apr 1917) attacking the "String" of the Harp Redoubt near Tilloy - that would be about right for a London Gazette date in June 1917 - but IIRC, 9/RB were in Support on that day. The KRRC Chronicle mentions another attack on 03 May 1917 in the Cojeul Switch area near Wancourt but it is not clear whether 9/RB were prominent there. I don't have the 9/RB War Diary for 1917 so can't check properly, sorry. Think we'll have to wait for a man who can! Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Buckley won his MC on the 9/4/17:- "About two thirds of the way to the objective there were two German works; of these one, a square of trenches, had been completely obliterated by our artillery and was hardly recognizable, whilst the other, a small triangular redoubt, contained a few of the enemy who gave trouble with machine guns; this redoubt was precisely on the boundary between the Battalion and the 8th Brigade on the left. Captain Bradby, commanding "B" Company, was shot through the heart in attempting to rush the machine guns with men of his company, and Captain Buckley with eight other ranks - runners and signallers - then stalked the guns and eventually got up to them, when, at the same moment, some of the 8th Brigade came up from the north. Sixty Germans with two machine guns surrendered and were promptly sent up the road to Tilloy. This instance of co-operation between neighbouring battalions is the more remarkable in that the partners to it belonged to different brigades, divisions and even corps. Hope that helps with regard to his death, this was at Passchendaele:- "Whilst coming out of the line on the 22nd, on relief by the Seventh Battalion, the Ninth Battalion suffered an irreparable loss in the death of its Commanding Officer, Lieutenant - Colonel F.A.U. Pickering (DSO) and Adjutant, Captain J.M. Buckley, who were killed near the dressing station at Waterloo Farm, north-east of Gravenstafel, 2nd Lieut. J.P. Worton and the MO, Captain T.M. Crawford, RAMC being wounded at the same time. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 3 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Andy Many thanks. Passchendaele confirms my instinct but one source ( the dreaded Wiki..?) had said that the battle was over by November. But the location in your information makes clear where he died. Cheer Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 3 March , 2010 Share Posted 3 March , 2010 Stephen, The 14th Division were holding the area around Passchendaele after the main battle had finished, find attached the map of the area for the 14th Div which will be recognized by most at first glance. Both the 9th and 7th RB state that it was a relatively quite time but bitterly cold with special attention having to be made concerning mens feet. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 4 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Andy, Many thanks. As you are clearly a Rifles man, do you have anything on a 2/Lt George Francis Juckes 6/Rifles att 1st Bn C Coy, killed 6/7/15 in the Cinq Chemins Estaminet- Boezinghe road area. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Andy, Many thanks. As you are clearly a Rifles man, do you have anything on a 2/Lt George Francis Juckes 6/Rifles att 1st Bn C Coy, killed 6/7/15 in the Cinq Chemins Estaminet- Boezinghe road area. Stephen Stephen, Would that be King's Royal Rifles or Rifle Brigade? The Rifles only came into being in 2007 - wrong century - LOL! 6th battalion in both regiments were Special Reserve battalions based in the UK, and 2/Lt Juckes would have then been posted to 1st battalion for his active service. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 4 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Duly corrected! 6/Rifle Brigade, as you have guessed. rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Stephen, 2nd Lieutenant George Francis Juckes was the second son of F.A. Juckes Esq., and was born 19th July 1894. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and was given a Commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th (Reserve) Battalion on 11th August 1914. He was attached to the 1st Battalion and served with it in France. He was killed on 6th July 1915 in an attack on the German lines near Ypres. Will check to see if I have anything else for you, I leave t'other lot to Mark, my interest is the Rifle Brigade. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Actually back then "Rifles" would probably have been interpreted as the KRRC aka 60th Rifles. aka Andy's "t'other lot"!!! Andy's being far too modest too ... he knows nearly as much about the KRRC as he does about the RB! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Ahhhh, the Royal American Regiment as it was, had a lot of name changes did the KRRC Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBrockway Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 True - bit of an identity crisis I agree, whereas the 95th began and remained rifles through and through! Two great & proud sister regiments glad to stand shoulder to shoulder in many a fight ... as well as friendly rivals Are you more back in circulation now Andy? I know you've been out and about on exciting research business. No change with me, though have had some interviews, but I'm finding more time lately for the GWF: have made some interesting progress on the A/2xxxxx and B/2xxxxx prefix ranges, which point to further revisions to the schema being needed. Stephen, Returning to Capt Buckley's MC at Arras, you will find Andy's excellent Topic on Arras extremely useful: Arras, Aerial Views, 1917 There are comprehensive aerial photographs and contemporary trench maps showing the Harp position in great detail. 14th Division's actions at Arras are well described. Cheers, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stiletto_33853 Posted 4 March , 2010 Share Posted 4 March , 2010 Stephen, You must excuse the friendly banter between Mark and myself. The 6th July 1915 was the date of the attack on International trench, so called I believe due to the amount of time it changed hands, and was a bloody affair!!!! Juckes is mentioned as KIA on this day although no mention of where, the site now has a factory built on it, quite a few of the men killed in this attack are now buried in Talana Farm, as George is. Andy Mark, not back in circulation as such, been a very busy boy with some exciting and interesting research with some new material surfacing, was e-mailed by a member asking me to look at a couple of RB threads. Would be very interested in the A/xxxxxx & B/xxxxxxx prefix men as I know a lot of RB men went into the KRR's under that prefix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugbyremembers Posted 8 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2010 Gents, have not thanked you for these additions to the thread - there are times when the email alert of new posts does not seem to function- either that or I accidentally delete them. Andy, thanks for Juckes grave photo. Rugbyremembers project has turned into a book now, and in order to get some control over 70+ possible players, I have decided to base it on just 15. This gives me 3/4 extra volumes to look forward to, ;-) ( let's get one published first -Ed) but also gives me selection problems worse than the U15s on an Easter school holiday Sunday when all the boys are back from skiing, injury, boarding, no school games and all gagging for a game. Juckes probably sitting on bench right now, but being killed by same shell as PCB Blair of Scotland may provide an angle - selection criteria highly subjective! Buckley makes it into the book, by way of comparison with his friend Rifleman John Bodenham of the QWR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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