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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Grenadier Guards


phil cowling

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I have a copy Of the Grenadier Guards in the Great War 1914-1918 by Sir Frederick Ponsonby.

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The history comes in three volumes and covers all four Battalions from 1914 through to the end of the war including most of the major actions.Volume two covers 1916 inluding the capture of Lesboeufs.I could try to scan and mail sections but it would be difficult to cover it all.

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Your Great Uncles name appears in the Nominal roll

post-16-1087133183.jpg

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Phil.

can you let me know what the book says for the 3rd Battalion for 31st July 1917, please?

Thanks,

Dave.

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The 3rd Batt Grenadiers took part in the Attack at Boesinghe on the 31st of July, thier part in the attack involved crossing the Yser Canal in reserve to the 1st Sotts and 2nd Irish Guards.

The attack involved passing through Artillery Wood and beyond to a series of objectives.Once the first and second objectives had been taken it was the task of the 3rd Grenadiers to pass through and take the third,This proved extremely difficut owing to the number of pill-boxes which were holding up both the guards and the 38th Division.These pill-boxes had to be captured one by one untill the third objective could be achieved allowing the 1st Guards brigade to pass through and capture the final objective on the Steenbeek.

3rd Batt Casualties were 2 officers killed, OR 26 killed and 113 wounded

The total casualties for the Guards division in the whole operations was 59 Officers and 1876 OR.

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Cheers Phil.

Dave. :D

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  • 1 month later...

Please could you look for any reference to Company Sergeant Major ROBERT PERCIVAL, 2nd Bn service no 9950. Died 30/09/1916 and is commemorated at Etaples Military Cemetery.

Thanks,

Cathy.

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Hi Phil,

could you check in the roll of honour for a chap called

6328 Pte E R Bates died 01.09.1914

and could you look up what the 2nd Bn was doing on that date.

Thanks

George.

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Hi Phil

I dont know how the volumes read, but is it poss to look up a name please? Am following a 'thread' that may go nowhere, but you never know!!

Kendall, Herbert Charles

Originally 1/5th Bedfords (TF) from 1914.

Service no's known as 4400 or 200570.

I get the impression you are knowledeable on the Guards? Rather than hassle you, could you point me to a detailed site or anything that goes into their recruiting criterias etc? I ask as theres (nothing more than) a family memory of him being to do with the GG's. For all I know, may have been one of his brothers, (also Kendall's) but Im afraid I just dont now yet :unsure:

Apologies for being so vague, am floundering a bit! Thanks for anything you can or cant help with :D

Steve

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Cathy Posted on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 02:32:26 +0000

Please could you look for any reference to Company Sergeant Major ROBERT PERCIVAL, 2nd Bn service no 9950. Died 30/09/1916 and is commemorated at Etaples Military Cemetery.

Cathy

CSM Percival is listed as having received a Guards Division "Certificate for Gallantry" - there is no further detail other than the fact that he died of wounds.

I'm assuming that you already have SDGW details but I can add the following:

- enlisted in October/November 1901

- to France with the 2nd Bn. as CQMS on 13 August 1914.

Hope the above helps

Ed

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Winter Posted on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 06:36:24 +0000

could you check in the roll of honour for a chap called

6328 Pte E R Bates died 01.09.1914

and could you look up what the 2nd Bn was doing on that date.

George

I can find no record of a Pte 6328 E.R. Bates of the Grenadier Guards as having been killed on that date. There is a Pte. 14281 W.J. Bates who died of wounds on 3 September 1914. Perhaps you could clarify the details that you have for Pte. E.R. Bates?

Incidentally, the 2nd Bn. (part of 4th (Guards) Brigade) fought a rear-guard action at Villers-Cotterets on 1st September 1914. Two platoons failed to receive the order to withdraw and were subsequently surrounded and overrun. My great-Uncle, Charles Frederick Matthews (see avatar) was one of those wounded in the action and made prisoner. He died shortly after from his wounds and is buried, along with 97 other members of the 4th Brigade, in the Guards Grave at Villers-Cotterets.

In addition to Ponsonby's history, there is a good account of the action in J.M. Crasters "Fifteen Rounds a Minute", based on the diaries of officers of the 2nd Bn.

Hope the above helps

Rgds

Ed

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George

I've just quickly checked SDGW and I see that your Private E.R. Bates was killed with the 2nd Dragoon Guards and not the Grenadier Guards.

Rgds

Ed

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steve fuller Posted on Fri, 30 Jul 2004 11:23:56 +0000:

Kendall, Herbert Charles

Originally 1/5th Bedfords (TF) from 1914.

Service no's known as 4400 or 200570.

Hi Steve

It is certainly feasible that your relative served with the Grenadiers prior to 1914. Depending upon his age, it maybe worth consulting the Queens South Africa Medal rolls for the Grenadier Guards to see if a H.C. Kendall jumps out at you! There is no Kendall listed on the 1898 Sudan medal roll for the GG but I don't have access to the QSA roll at the moment. Failing that, I would approach the Grenadier Guards Archivist at Wellington Barracks - they may or may not be able to help in the absence of any further service details. They do retain copies of service papers for all former members of the regiment and I would certainly recommend that you drop them a line.

Drop me a PM if you want to discuss further.

Rgds

Ed

PS Thanks for your last PM regarding the Drill Hall in LB - I'll look into it for you!

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Thanks for that Ed. I had a llook at their site last week funnily enough. Hard to know whether to approach them, as its nothing more than a 'vague family memory' as it stands, and so far many of them have proved inaccurate. Probably will though, just to eliminate if nothing else!

And thanks (again) for the Drill Hall; no rush at all mate.

Steve

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Thanks Ed,

you've cleared something up for me. Bates is listed on the CWG and my old school's memorial as serving in the 2DG( Queen's Bays),on the MIC online his name and regimental number give a card for a 2nd Gren. Gdsm.

George

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  • 4 years later...

Hi Phil,

Can you tell me anything about this soldier or what he was up to when he died.

Private 27601 Daniel Pearce James AMSBURY, 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards. Died 1st Dec 1917.

Many thanks

Martyn

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Phil appears to have last posted here four years ago so I will chance stepping on his toes and answer your query. As you probably guessed, Ponsonby mentions very few guardsmen by name and I can find no details of Amsbury. The 2nd Bn attacked Gauche Wood, near Villers-Guislain, just after 6.30 a.m. on the 1st December, 1917. The wood was defended by machine guns and the Grenadiers had to make a dash uphill over 1200 yards to the edge of the wood. Amazingly, they did not sustain too many casualties until nearly in the wood and then hand to hand bayonet fighting took place. The attack was successful but casualties were 153 killed, wounded or missing.

Hope this helps.

Ian

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Ian many thanks for the information it is very enlightening.

As regards the other business I should have looked a bit closer but thank you for taking the time to answer my question

Kind regards

Martyn

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  • 2 months later...
I have a copy Of the Grenadier Guards in the Great War 1914-1918 by Sir Frederick Ponsonby.

Hi Phil,

Could you possibly tell me anything about 2nd Bn and where they were on 3 February 1915. My great uncle, James Elgy Bottrill (# 14928) was killed in action on that day and is buried in Cuinchy Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais.

There is an old family tale that he 'appeared' to my great-grandmother (his sister) with a blood-soaked bandage around his head and told her he was 'ok'. A few days later the family was informed that he'd been killed by a sniper's bullet to the head....

I've always wondered about the circumstances surrounding his death, so I'd be interested to know what battle was being fought, etc if possible.

Regards,

Sheri

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Oops, I just read the post above mine and realised that Phil hasn't posted since 2004!

Sorry for jumping ahead without reading all the way to the end of the thread! I will, however, leave my post on just incase someone else can answer it?

Many thanks,

Sheri

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