2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers June 1918

[galloway1]

I have details of a Private Walter Spencer, SWB, died on the 3rd June 1918 at a Canadian Stationary Hospital as a result of a gas attack. I would like to establish if possible during which action this could have occured.

David

[sotonmate]

DG

You may need to see the Battalion War Diary at Kew under WO95/2304 to find the location of 2 SWB around June 1918. They were with 87 Brigade of 29 Division.

Your subject is buried at Wimereaux,just north of Boulogne on the coast,where base hospitals were located,so it is not easy to trace where,or when, he may have been wounded unless either the Diary or someone here has the info.

It was a frequent occurrence for gas shells to be fired by both sides,so it might have been one of the daily bombardments which caused him to be a casualty,rather than a blanket gas release into our trenchlines.

Sotonmate

[Steven Broomfield]

Regimental history covers it quite briefly: heavy fighting in April had reduced strength to a point where the battalion was organised in two Companies. They were in and out of te Line at Vieux Berquin They were out of the Line 5-13 May, during which time a draft of 143 men and 10 subalterns allowed reorganisation back to four companies.

A raid on 21/22 May was very successful, taking out some German m.g. posts for limited loss. Another raid took place on 25th, a platoon advancing the Line into No Man's Land.

They seem to have left the Line on 29th May.

[galloway1]

DG

You may need to see the Battalion War Diary at Kew under WO95/2304 to find the location of 2 SWB around June 1918. They were with 87 Brigade of 29 Division.

Your subject is buried at Wimereaux,just north of Boulogne on the coast,where base hospitals were located,so it is not easy to trace where,or when, he may have been wounded unless either the Diary or someone here has the info.

It was a frequent occurrence for gas shells to be fired by both sides,so it might have been one of the daily bombardments which caused him to be a casualty,rather than a blanket gas release into our trenchlines.

Sotonmate

many thanks

David

Regimental history covers it quite briefly: heavy fighting in April had reduced strength to a point where the battalion was organised in two Companies. They were in and out of te Line at Vieux Berquin They were out of the Line 5-13 May, during which time a draft of 143 men and 10 subalterns allowed reorganisation back to four companies.

A raid on 21/22 May was very successful, taking out some German m.g. posts for limited loss. Another raid took place on 25th, a platoon advancing the Line into No Man's Land.

They seem to have left the Line on 29th May.

Thanks Steven for your response

David