1st Devons October 1914

[docchippy]

Hi all

Any pals have information about 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, October 1914? More specifically 22 October 14, when a 7093 Pte Arthur Davies died?

I can't seem to find any info on 1st Devons at this time in previous post...

Regards

Doc

[CT-Guards]

Possibly Battle of Messines? Weren't the 1st Devons around for the Christmas 1914 truce a little later?

Not my area of expertise by a long way

[sotonmate]

Doc

The 3rd Division (of which 1 Devons were part of 8 Brigade) were split up a bit for this period,from the LLT writings it seems that it was La Bassee as the 1 Devons are not shown as elsewhere helping out other Divisions at such as Messines.

The Battalion War Diary will say where they were. It is at Kew under WO95/1565 which runs from their arrival on the scene in Aug 1914 through to Dec 1915. As far as I can see it is not digital as yet,so you won't be able to download it cheaply. Maybe someone here has a copy they can help you with,or has a book which covers 3 Div, or more specifically the Devons.

Sotonmate

[Steven Broomfield]

According to James' British Infantry regiments, the 1st Devons left the 3rd Division on 30th September, and went to 14th brigade, 5th Division, replacing 1st east Surreys. (Orders of Battle confirms this).

All I can then say is that the 5th Division was at the Battle of La Bassee (from 10th October).

[Nick Thornicroft]

Doc

From Atkinson's 'The Devonshire Regiment 1914-18':

'From October 19th to the evening of the 22nd the Devons had maintained their position at Canteleux. Against them, as elsewhere, the Germans developed a much heavier bombardment and their infantry now came forward to the attack.... On the night of 21st-22nd a vigorous attack was successfully repulsed. Between October 18th and 22nd casualties were not exceptionally heavy, considering the shelling, amounting to some 60.... On the 22nd Captain Green was wounded, and D Company lost a mainstay in CSM Ridgers who had been doing splendid work, especially in helping to repulse a German attack on the previous night. When on the evening of the 22nd, in conformity with the rearward move of the Corps, the Devons fell back from Canteleux....and the new position which they took up was at Givenchy'.

Nick

[docchippy]

Many thanks folks - much appreciated.

doc

[Guest chieftain876]

Any pals have information about 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, October 1914? especially about the action on the 10th October 1914 and 18th October 1914 when my great uncle Army number 7503 Private Frederick Tuvey died of wounds received . i believe he died in a hospital at Bethune and is buried in Bethune cemetery.

Trevor

[lostinspace]

Trevor,

1st Devons were originally sent over to France as a Line of Communications battalion - companies were assigned to different locations and not re-united until 10 September at Coulommiers. On the 14th (as noted above) the battalion joined 8 Brigade (3 Division) and fought along the Aisne where they were again transferred (30th September) to 14 Brigade, 5 Division. They moved with that formation in early October for northern France, on the 10th of October they were still on the move at Dieval (about 18 miles northwest of Arras) so as far as I can tell wouldn't have been in action. Marched to Locon on the 11th and then to Gorre as Divisional Reserve (12th), the battalion was then attached to 15 Brigade (5 Division) and relieved 1st Dorsets in the trenches southeast of Givenchy on the 16th. Two companies (B and D) made an attack the next day (17th) but had to fall back, the battalion then supported a French attack (18th) at Canteleux. Casualties for the two days (17th/18th) were 5 killed and 23 wounded (all ranks).

All this information is from Ray Westlake's "British Battalions in France and Belgium, 1914".

Regards,

Dave

[Guest lucylocket]

Any pals have information about 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, October 1914? especially about the action on the 10th October 1914 and 18th October 1914 when my great uncle Army number 7503 Private Frederick Tuvey died of wounds received . i believe he died in a hospital at Bethune and is buried in Bethune cemetery.

Trevor

Frederick Tuvey was my Great grandfather and we visited his grave 2 years ago in the old part of the cemetery in Bethune, my mother didn't know how he had died and was very moved by all we found out, we signed visitors book as the first family to visit, I served in the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. Sad to think that 4 years later was still fighting on the road to La Bassee (poem)

I have some photographs if you are interested Trevor.

[Guest chieftain876]

Hi Lucylocket,

I am going to Bethune next weekend on Friday the 24th April 2015 to visit the grave of Frederick Tuvey , any info you have or indeed photos would be welcome , please contact me on tahorn@talktalk.net

also thanks Dave for the info on the Devons at this time as they are very hard to get any info on at this period of the war, it appears he was one of the 23 wounded and died of his wounds later that day on the 18th Oct 1914

[Guest]

To anyone who had someone serving in the 1st Devons from the outbreak of WW1, my grandfather (like many) kept a diary and recorded some interesting items. For example he relates that on Thursday August 26th 1915 they took over the advanced trenches from the 2nd Borderers (I assume these were the 2nd Battalion South Welsh Borderers) as we heard cheering to our left. At 0315am we were called to arms, Griffith wounded at 0615 am, put on a dressing and took him out, nothing else doing. Germans have sign 70 yards to the front. "Poor Englishmen, do you know that the Russian Fort in Riga", can't read last line. Stood to Arms 3 to 4, had a look around an old ditch with Artillery officer. end quote  

[Guest]

On one of the pages in his diary he points to August 8th 1914 and states the following men were promoted to the rank of  Sgt,

Mudd, Hyde, Coaker, Littlewood and Maddick. I hope someone may find this useful. incidentally I don't mind searching for information on other names, although he is rather short on information of a personal nature, other than receiving letters from his wife "Bert" short for Alberta. Further to this he was wounded at Guinchy Pont Fix 14-10-14 and sent to recuperate first at the 15 FA unit and then Clacton-on-sea. He was wounded again on 20-7-16. He was returned to the Front both times after wounds healed.

[Nick1914]

Just looking into my dbase of 1st Devonshire's casualties wounded in the one of the actions above(20th October 1914) and came across a 2nd Lt Alexander Tillett who subsequently became a Lt-colonel(CO) in the 2nd Battalion Devonshires and kia in 3rd Dec 1917(on CWGC website).

 

Remarkably fast promotions.  However, very little on-line about this individual not even birth date. All I have is he was a regular commissioned in 1912.  Was he ex-Sandhurst?  Educational background?

 

Many thanks, Nick

[Slatgrill]

On 25/07/2017 at 20:16, Guest said:

On one of the pages in his diary he points to August 8th 1914 and states the following men were promoted to the rank of  Sgt,

 

Mudd, Hyde, Coaker, Littlewood and Maddick. I hope someone may find this useful. incidentally I don't mind searching for information on other names, although he is rather short on information of a personal nature, other than receiving letters from his wife "Bert" short for Alberta. Further to this he was wounded at Guinchy Pont Fix 14-10-14 and sent to recuperate first at the 15 FA unit and then Clacton-on-sea. He was wounded again on 20-7-16. He was returned to the Front both times after wounds healed.

Really interested to know if you have anything on my great uncle Sgt James Hogg killed in action with the devons on 14 Jan 1915?