Green Howards

[aglastonbury]

Hi all, I've been told from another post there are a few Green Howard people on the forum, I'm just after any information anyone may have.

My relative was with the 8th Bn Yorkshire Rgt. After working back working back the through the lineage of the current regiment after the 2006 amalgamation got the the Green Howards.

From the record CWGC have on him, his name is on the memorial at The Giavera Memorial is situated within Giavera British Cemetery, Italy.

Can anyone tell me what the unit was doing out there?

If anyone can provide any information about my relative that would would be a great bonus, his details are:

33310 CPL Reginald Archibald AGER MM

Only problem I've found is his birth cert names him as Archibald Reginald but all his Army docs list him as R A & he is listed on his home town Roll of Honour as A R

CWGC page:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2106948

Many thanks,

Alex

[ander11]

Hello Alex Here are some links to get you started on the green howards,

http://www.1914-1918.net/23div.htm

http://www.1914-1918.net/yorks.htm

best reguards Ian

[kenf48]

Reginald Archibald Ager Cpl 33310 8th Bn Alexandra, Princess of Wales (Yorkshire Regiment) was born in Ipswich Suffolk and enlisted in the same town. His original Sercice Number was 2425 Suffolk Regiment. (Soldiers Died in Great War).

The regimental number suggests early enlistment in the Territorial Force, but I’m not an expert on Suffolk numbering.

According to the LLT the 1/4th Bn was raised in Ipswich, see

http://www.1914-1918.net/suffolks.htm

but it is speculative this was his original Battalion. The medal Index Card has an asterix that suggests he is on the Suffolk Rolls (held at the National Archives and not online) which if correct will give his original unit.

He was entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal campaign medals. His medal index card indicates he did not go overseas until after January 1916. It is possible he was drafted into the Yorkshire Regiment when he arrived in France, soldiers arriving at the Base Depot were often posted to units that needed replacements.

The 8th Bn was part of the 23rd Division as indicated above. The Division was engaged in the Third Battle of Ypres, or Passchendaele and it is likely that it was during this campaign L/Cpl Ager won the Military Medal which was published in the Supplement to the London Gazette 17 December 1917, as said elsewhere the citations have not survived but his home town of Ipswich was given in the LG and it will be recorded in the local newspaper, together with the action that led to the award.

He went to Italy with the Division (above link) which became part of the Tenth Army he was (probably) killed at the Battle of Vittorio Veneto at the Crossing of the River Piave when the Division broke out of the bridgehead captured a few days earlier and crossed to the east bank.

On 27th October 1918 the 8th Bn had about a dozen casualties, apart from those on the memorial alongside Cpl Ager, others are in the Giavera Cemetery where the memorial is located and others in Tezze Cemetery, on the opposite bank (See CWGC-click on red link).

A brief account of the battle is on wiki and here

http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/vittorioveneto.htm

A map of the battle is here

http://www.emersonkent.com/map_archive/bat...orio_veneto.htm

The war diary may be available and will give more detail.

The Long Long Trail link at top of page will help you put the above in context, some of which is subject to interpretation.

Ken

[aglastonbury]

Thanks guys. Great help,

Alex