7th Borderers

[KIRKY]

Hi just got a medal to a casualty to above killed 26th June 1916, anyone tell me where they were around this time?

Tony

[J Banning]

Hi Tony,

I don’t have the war diary to hand but found the info below which I had gathered in a research trip to the Border Regt Museum at Carlisle. The diary extracts are from two officers of the 7th Battalion.

Lt Carroll Whiteside wrote:

23-25 June - moved up to trenches. During these days, named “U, V, W, X & Y” days, we lived as far as possible in caves in the ground some of them luckily very deep dugouts indeed.

…Our casualties were 2 officers& 51 O.R. Not to conceal it from anyone who in an unguarded moment reads these notes, we are more than a bit sad that the battalion which has rightly been called the best in the Division should have been called upon to degenerate through petty working parties & heavy shelling just at a time when its efficiency would have been a great factor in the Great offensive. But no matter, we accept it without many audible murmurs.

Heavy rain came on about this time & rendered the trenches & country round about so muddy & filthy that “Z” day was put off until the ground dried up. On 28th we were relieved by 20th MANCHESTER REGT & proceeded to billets at MORLANCOURT.

2/Lt Harold Linzell MC wrote:

26 June 1916

“W” Day.

12.30am. Paraded Bombers (Coy) for smoke attack at 5.40am. Wind favourable.

Our artillery carried out an hour’s intense bombardment from 4.50-5.50am. Hun got wind up and shelled us very heavily. Barrage of smoke a complete success.

We had a rotten day altogether and fairly heavy casualties.

Very showery all day.

As you will see from the links, both officers were killed in the Somme fighting. Peter Barton and I used both of these men in the 2006 Somme panorama book.

As for location, without the war diary I can’t be precise but would bet money on them being in trenches on the Fricourt/Mametz front.

Best wishes,

Jeremy

[Peter Shand]

Hi Tony, By '7th Borderers' do you mean the 7th Bn. The Border Regiment?

According to Col. H C Wylly, in his The Border Regiment in the Great War, the 7th Battalion was in billets about Merlancourt on the Somme at the end of June 1916, and he does not mention any specific actions in June.

He indicates that the 7/ Borders, who were in support at the start of the Somme battle, moved from billets to the front of Fricourt Wood on July 2,1916 and the next morning attacked and occupied Bottom Wood, as part of 17th Division, XV Corps.

Regards, Pete.

[KIRKY]

Thanks both for info, seems likely he died in the heavy shelling, will place a poppy on his grave in March.

Jeremy your book is brilliant, did not realise you were involved, I use it all of the time for planning our walks etc,some great

pictures I have not seen before,

tony

[J Banning]

Glad you enjoy it Tony - we have a revised version coming out next spring (for when your 2006 vesion gets too battered!)

cheers

Jeremy