21st Battalion KRRC - the original Yeomen

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Lieutenant Kenneth Lindsay Godson, Royal Irish Rifles (later Brevet Major)

Seated on the left of the front row, Lieutenant Godson is wearing the Royal Irish Rifles insignia on his collar- not sure about the cap badge. His attachment to the Yeoman Rifles, however, does not seem to be recorded in the London Gazette and is not on his MIC.

I wonder if he could have been attached only for the period the battalion was training at Aldershot? As I've looked up his career in a fruitless attempt to find official confirmation of this, I'll give the outline of it here in case it's of use to anyone: he had an active military career with only an eight-year break, right up to 1947. And he may have been longer with the 21/KRRC than is apparent at the moment.

He was born in July 1895 in Kent, youngest of 9 children (8 surviving in 1911) of a London physician, Dr Clement Godson, and his wife Alice.

He was admitted as a cadet at Sandhurst in 1913. I have not found the date of his commission in the London Gazette. He was in the 2nd Battalion, which went to France on 14 August 1914, and his MIC shows that he was with the BEF in 1914. There's a note 'Roll shows 11-9-14' next to 'Disembarkation Date'.

LG 29160 11 May 1915 Supp 12 May 1915

The Royal Irish Rifles. -

The undermentioned Second Lieutenants (temporary Lieutenants) to be Lieutenants: —

K. L. Godson. Dated 13th March, 1915.

1916 is the space where the Yeoman Rifles fit, but I do not know for how long.

LG 29984 13 Mar 1917 Supp 15 Mar 1915

R. Ir. Rif.—Lt. K. L. Godson to be Capt.

1st Jan. 1917.

After the war his MIC shows that he served in Iraq and Persia.

LG 33784 of 29 Dec 1931 p 8407

R.U. Rif.—Capt. K. L. Godson retires on ret.

pay. 27th Dec. 1931.

The regiment's name had by this time been changed to The Royal Ulster Rifles.

He returned to serve in WW2:

LG 34784 2 Feb 1940 p.706

REGULAR ARMY RESERVE OF OFFICERS.

REGIMENTAL LIST

R.U. Rif.

Capt. K. L. Godson (5610) to be Bt. Maj.

11th Dec. 1939

and was a POW in Germany:

UK PRISONERS OF WAR 1939-45 (on Ancestry)

Name: KL Godson, Rank: Major, Army Number: 5610, Regiment: Royal Ulster Rifles, POW Number: 549, Camp type: Oflag (=officers' camp), Camp number: IX-A/H, Location: Spangenberg, Hesse.

LG 38107 24 Oct 1947 Supp 28 Oct p. 5052

REGULAR ARMY RESERVE OF OFFICERS

R.U. Rif.

Capt. (Bt. Maj.) K. L. GODSON (5610) having exceeded the age limit of liability to recall, ceases to belong to the Res. of Offrs., 28th Oct. 1947

He married Verity Hankin in 1929 ( Times 12 July 1929) and they had a son in 1933 (Times 10 May 1933). I don't suppose he imagined that when the boy was still very young he would be fighting another war and a prisoner as well.

EDIT Forgot to mention: a record on Ancestry shows K L Godson died in 1964 in Aldershot: I think this must be Major Kenneth Lindsay Godson.

Edited 12 August , 2017 by Liz in Eastbourne
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[David_Underdown]

When looking for the initial commissioning of someone known to have attended Sandhurst, a gazette search on "gentlemen cadets" should pick up each class as it passes out. (You'll get a few going through the Canadian academy too.)

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thank you, David, but I sometimes despair about me and the London Gazette. Even doing that, I can't find him, and even more important for my Yeoman-Rifles-related purposes, whatever I do I can't find any attachment or secondment (difference implied by those two terms not clear to me) from late 1915 to early 1917. I suppose the logical deduction from that would be that he stayed where he was, in the Royal Irish Rifles. In that case he shouldn't be in a photograph of the officers of the 21/KRRC, should he?

Much the same could be said of McCausland, and they are sitting next to each other.

I thought even if they were on a short-term attachment to assist in training the new battalion, it would be recorded.

There are at least two officers apart from Pitt, already discussed, who were certainly in the 21/KRRC at this point but didn't get into the photograph: Captain Edward Marcus (Eddie) Worsley from the Yorkshire Regiment and Lt Philip Brooksbank (who's in the B Coy No 7 Platoon photo Jim has). But they'll have to wait till later.

Liz

[acarrick]

Does anybody have any information please on where 21 KRRC where in mid August 1917, when Alfred A Clegg C12769 was wounded? Thanks in advance.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Hasty reply, Andrew, as am just off for a few days: haven't time to transcribe fully but here are the bare facts.

No major action in August, though the Bn had been in support at Pilckem Ridge 30-31 July. Nevertheless the War Record shows substantial casualties from shelling, unsuccessful raid, repelling counter-attack etc.

Casualties for the whole of August 1917

Killed 3 officers, 26 OR

Wounded, 10 officers, 253 OR

Missing, 9 OR.

Notes from 21 Bn War Records 1917

Aug 1 Pilckem Ridge, supporting further attack by 123 Infantry Brigade

HQ near Klein Zillebeke road. Moved to the Caterpillar.

Aug 3-4 relieved by 32nd Royal Fusiliers, moved to position in old German front line

Aug 6-7 relieved by 11 Queen's RWSR, moved to Scottish Wood, remained in reserve to 123 Infantry Brigade

Aug 9 moved to Wiltshire Farm

Aug 10 moved up to front line, relieved 10th RWKR. 2 Coys in firing line, 2 in close support.

Aug 14 Attempted raid against enemy dugouts – prevented by heavy state of ground and MG fire.

Night of Aug 14-15 relieved by 16th Sherwood Foresters, moved to camp at Wiltshire Farm, During relief enemy made counterattack 'which with the aid of the Sherwood Foresters was successfully repulsed.'

Evening of Aug 15 went by motorbus to Thieshouck where billeted till 25th.

Other records – war diary 1917 is I think online but I haven't got it as I'm concentrating on 1916 here ('my' man Hardcastle's service and the duration of the 'original' Yeoman Rifles) even though there were quite a few original Yeomen still with them, like Clegg and Dennis. Anyway this should be the same as the WD in all main events.

See also GV Dennis A Kitchener Man's Bit (ed. M Hickes, MERH books 1994)

Liz

[acarrick]

Thanks for that.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

I haven't posted for a while not because I've lost interest but because there's too much info to post. I'm adding a few bits and editing my previous officer posts when I get info from service records, e.g. the puzzle of Gregson on the previous page has been solved. But time to move on.

On 1/16/2011 at 21:06, Trooper2406 said:

... for your info: it is of No7 Platoon, B company and was taken by F Soovell, Aldershot 1916. There are Riflemen: Johnson, Speed, S.Barrett, Byford, Russon, Coates, Thomas, Goodall, A.Tindall,Ellis, Dally, E C Nicholson. S Nicholson,Arnott,Jackson, Raper, Birch, Ward, H Tindall,Hart, L Barrett,Poole, Williamson,Berry, Sykes,Rushworth, Aspinall, Dobson, Broadbent,Longbottom,Pulford, Grievson,Greaves, Sayer, Dyson, Stead, J T Taylor,Attenborough,Farrar, Gascoyne and Ingle. L.Corps Potter, Bonsall and Sharman. Corps Jennings, Taylor and Burrows. Sergt Stokes and CQMS Cowling. Lt L Brooksbank.

Jim has very kindly agreed that I can post his photo of 7 Platoon B Company for him. Continuing from the officer biographies I'll put in a bit tomorrow about Lt Brooksbank, the officer in command of this platoon, who wasn't in the officer group photo.

Edited 12 August , 2017 by Liz in Eastbourne
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[Liz in Eastbourne]

What with lovely weather and my technological difficulties (more help from forum members!) I haven't yet organised my info about Lt. Brooksbank, but would like to raise a question about a rifleman in the picture.

We hoped that Johnson on this photograph was Richard Fisher Johnson, about whom Nigel posted on the first page of this thread. He was definitely in B Coy. But I now realise that there was another Johnson in B Company, who also enlisted in York. I am posting his details here in the hope that someone will one day be able to settle the matter. The caption gives initials where there is more than one man with the same surname within the platoon photograph, but not otherwise, apart from Lt Brooksbank (which is wrong, anyway: he was P, not L).

Cyril Hubert Johnson C/12680 was born in Stowmarket, Suffolk, and was described as a clothier assistant there on the 1911 census record. However, on his attestation of 2 Dec 1915 his address was given as 70, Nuneham Road, York. His occupation was Assistant manager (Clothing). At least three of his records state that he was in B Coy, though his origins might have led me to think he was in D - his enlistment location in this case was the key.

He was admitted to hospital with 'Trench fever' on 12 August 1916,1916, posted home on the 27th August and discharged 16 Sept 1916. He was transferred to 9th Bn KRRC on 12 December 1916 and died of wounds on 2 October 1917. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

So is this Richard Fisher Johnson or Cyril Hubert Johnson? When the photo was taken Richard was 22 or 23, Cyril was 21. Richard was a farmer and I think this man looks more outdoors-y than a shop-worker so for the moment I'd still guess that this is him.

Edited 12 August , 2017 by Liz in Eastbourne
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[Chutist33]

What with lovely weather and my technological difficulties (more help from forum members!) I haven't yet organised my info about Lt. Brooksbank, but would like to raise a question about a rifleman in the picture.

We hoped that Johnson on this photograph was Richard Fisher Johnson, about whom Nigel posted on the first page of this thread. He was definitely in B Coy. But I now realise that there was another Johnson in B Company, who also enlisted in York. I am posting his details here in the hope that someone will one day be able to settle the matter. The caption gives initials where there is more than one man with the same surname within the platoon photograph, but not otherwise, apart from Lt Brooksbank (which is wrong, anyway: he was P, not L).

Cyril Hubert Johnson C/12680 was born in Stowmarket, Suffolk, and was described as a clothier assistant there on the 1911 census record. However, on his attestation of 2 Dec 1915 his address was given as 70, Nuneham Road, York. His occupation was Assistant manager (Clothing). At least three of his records state that he was in B Coy, though his origins might have led me to think he was in D - his enlistment location in this case was the key.

He was admitted to hospital with 'Trench fever' on 12 August 1916,1916, posted home on the 27th August and discharged 16 Sept 1916. He was transferred to 9th Bn KRRC on 12 December 1916 and died of wounds on 2 October 1917. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

So is this Richard Fisher Johnson or Cyril Hubert Johnson? When the photo was taken Richard was 22 or 23, Cyril was 21. Richard was a farmer and I think this man looks more outdoors-y than a shop-worker so for the moment I'd still guess that this is him.

Hi Liz, When I have a moment, I will pop into York Minster Library. They have a 'Kings Book of Heros' with photos of York men killed in WW1. Its a long shot but one or either of the Johnsons may have a photo in it. If so, problem solved!! Copy photo costs £18. Yours aye, Jim K

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thank you very much, Jim. That sounds like something I should see, too, next time I get up to Yorkshire. We must discuss the financial arrangements, if you find anything first.

I am at last nearly ready to put something up about Brooksbank, the officer on the 7 Platoon photograph. Just got to tussle with cropping the better-resolution but huge jpg pic I now have… I'm very glad you came up with this as he isn't on the officer group photo and I'm especially interested in him because of Gerald Dennis's mentions of him. You know it well, of course, but for other people who haven't read the book I'll explain.

In the 1928 preface to Dennis's reminiscences, eventually edited and published as A Kitchener Man's Bit by M Hickes, in 1994, he wrote that they were written

'at the request of Captain P Brooksbank of Healaugh Hall, near Tadcaster, for a few pages to add to his large collection of living, true and human stories as told by men of the Yeoman Rifles. He was particularly keen on compiling such a collection because the official account of the 21st KRRC was uninteresting and lacking in life.'

What happened to that collection? Was it in the end just an article, referred to in Mr Hickes's notes: 'GVD says, however, that much of it was taken from a newspaper article by Norman Carmichael'? It would be interesting to find that article too. Norman Carmichael was a friend of Anthony Eden, and receives warm mentions in his book.

Brooksbank went back to Flanders in 1928 with a group of old Yeoman Riflemen including GV Dennis and this was when the matter was discussed. (Ch.18)

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Temporary Second Lieutenant Philip Brooksbank (later MC, Hon. Captain)

 

 

This excellent individual enlargement is by Chris Foster, to whom many thanks.)

GV Dennis mentions that Philip Brooksbank was a junior officer in B Company, and this photo shows he was i/c 7 platoon. Captain 'Patch' Watson was the OC B Coy and Capt. [Robert] Claud Burton 2 i/c. Brooksbank was eighteen months older than Watson – 47 in January 1916, which I think makes him the oldest officer in the battalion. Feversham and Foljambe were born in 1879 and 1878 respectively.

He was born on 5 Jan 1869 to Edward (LLB, 1826-1916) and Lucy Mary (1838 – 1893) Brooksbank of Colton Lodge, Tadcaster, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His father was a barrister and Justice of the Peace in the West Riding and York and his family owned several large houses in the area.

In 1881 they were in Healaugh Old Hall with Lucy aged 9 and William aged 11 – 12-year-old Philip was then at Palmer Flatt boarding school, Aysgarth, with his cousin Richard. (He subsequently went to Charterhouse.) They had 9 indoor servants, including a butler and page, and a groom. There were ten children, of whom by mid-1891 only three were still alive, Philip, Lucy and Edward Clitheroe, the eldest. (William, Adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment, aged 21, died of smallpox in Bangalore in June 1891.)

In that year, 1891, the census shows Edward Clitheroe Brooksbank, his wife and three young children in Healaugh Old Hall, while his parents were in Healaugh Manor, with 22-year-old Philip, a student at Trinity College Cambridge, nine indoor servants and a stable boy.

By 1901 everything had changed. His mother had died in 1893 and the 1901 census record shows that his father, aged 75, was now married to 38-year-old Ethel and had a one-year-old son. Philip is not on the 1901 or 1911 census records as far as I can see and he was in the Canadian Mounted Police, according to GV Dennis. The address on his MIC shows that he was certainly with them after the war. A family website, ClanBarker.com, states that he was fruit-farming in Nelson, British Columbia in 1910.

His MIC shows that he was a private in the 23rd (Service) Bn Royal Fusiliers (the First Sportsman's Battalion) before being commissioned to the KRRC and the 21st Battalion is not specified there, only the 18th, with whom he appears to have ended his wartime career. His date of entry to France (Boulogne) was 16.11.1915, which fits the 23/Royal Fusiliers.

Two of his nephews, Edward's sons, had already died with the Yorkshire Regiment: 2/Lt Hugh Godfrey Brooksbank (died of wounds aged 21, 16th Dec 1914, buried in Healaugh Churchyard) and Captain Stamp Brooksbank (killed in action 26th September 1915 aged 28, commemorated on Loos Memorial).

LG 29433 7 Jan 1916 Supp 10 Jan 1916 p 438

The King's Royal Rifle Corps.

The undermentioned to be temporary

Second Lieutenants: —

.

Philip Brooksbank. Dated 27th December, 1915.

After Captain Watson was wounded at Flers on 15 September 1916, Claud Burton took over command of B Company and Brooksbank was promoted. Then Burton was seriously wounded at Gird Ridge on 7 October, and Brooksbank was given command of B Company.

LG 29809 31 Oct 1916 Supp 1 Nov p. 10603

K. R. Rif. C.

...

Temp. 2nd Lt. P. Brooksbank to be temp.Lt.

16 Sept. 1916.

He and Serjeant-Major Huddlestone ( B Company SM - EDIT ) were each awarded the Military Cross for their action in capturing a gun at Flers.

LG 29870 of 29824 Supp of 14 Nov 1916

Military Cross

Temp. 2nd Lt. Philip Brooksbank, K.R.Rif.C.

For conspicuous gallantry in action. He organised his men with great skill and determination under very trying circumstances.

His coolness and personal courage set a fine example

LG 29870 of 19 Dec 1916 p.12347

K.R. Rif. C.

…

Temp. Lt. P. Brooksbank to be actg. Capt.

whilst comdg. a Co. 7 Nov. 1916.

…

I do not know what he did after May 1917, when he ceased to command B Coy.

LG 30181 of 13 1917 Supp p 7057

K.R. Rif. C.

Temp. Lt. P. Brooksbank, M.C., relinquishes the actg. rank of Capt. on ceasing

to comd. a Co. 17 May 1917.

…

The date of his transfer to the 18th Bn may have been the date of his promotion to Captain, after the 21st Battalion was disbanded.

LG 30907 of 7 Sept 1918 Supp 19 Sept

K. R. Rif. C.

The undermentioned temp. Lts. to be temp. Capts: —

25 Mar. 1918.

…

P. Brooksbank, M.C.

He was then seconded to the 16th London Regiment for his last year of service, 1919.

London Gazette 31172 7 Feb 1919

K.R. Rif. C.

The undermentioned temp. Capts. are

seconded for duty as specified against their

names: —

15 Dec. 1918.

…

P. Brooksbank, M.C., While empld. 16th Lond. Regt., T.F.

LG 31741 of 16 Jan 1920 Supp 19 Jan

K.R. Rif. C.

Temp. Capt. P. Brooksbank, M.C., relinquishes his commission on completion of service, 17 Dec. 1919, and retains the rank of Capt.

…

He was a sugar planter in Queensland, Australia, after fruit-farming in Canada, and died in 1954. He clearly also spent time in Yorkshire (Dennis's evidence, and his attendance at his sister-in-law's funeral in 1939, reported in The Times). Whether he married or not, and where he died, I do not yet know. Local newspapers (Tadcaster, Wetherby, York or Leeds? Yorkshire Post?) would probably have an obituary.

Sources – Ancestry documents, London Gazette, The Times Digital Archive, CWGC, The Yorkshire Regiment website, Lamplugh/Brooksbank family tree on Ancestry and ClanBarker.com website.

Edited 12 August , 2017 by Liz in Eastbourne
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[David_Underdown]

I think it's possible to get at some of the older RCMP personnel records, just search for RCMP archives

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thanks, David. I have been to the RCMP website - interesting - but haven't yet found Brooksbank's records.

On the subject of his age - born Jan 1869 - I now recall that an officer five years younger, Captain Charles Arthur Pitt, born 1874, lied about his age when enlisting. Of course, perhaps when I get Brooksbank's record I may find something of the sort with him too. Was there a difference between the upper age limit for officers and for other ranks?

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

I was alarmed to find this thread had disappeared from Units and Formations during the long weekend! I appreciate that 'Classic' status is a compliment to the thread but hope other people won't think it's finished - despite all the help I've had, I still haven't found Rfn John Thomas Hardcastle's platoon, which would give a clue as to his friends, or a photograph of him. But I have now formed a much clearer picture of the battalion than I had last August, and I do now know all or almost all the officers in the battalion at Aldershot and at Flers, when Hardcastle was wounded, with most of them allocated to their roles.

I found only last week that I could after all see the faded 'B Coy' on his record, which neither Mark nor I could see at first. I know Capt AT 'Patch' Watson was B Company's commanding officer until Flers, with Captain RC (Claud) Burton 2/iC; Lt HC Meysey-Thompson was the senior subaltern and very possibly his platoon commander, since Hardcastle was from near Knaresborough, and Meysey-Thompson was a nephew of Baron Knaresborough; that Lt Brooksbank was i/c No 7 Platoon, and that the other two subalterns in command of B Coy platoons were Leatham and probably Baxter. I also think there were more non-farming men in B Coy than in A or C, because of all the big industrial towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire, so Hardcastle, a farmer from exactly the traditional farming background associated with the Yeoman Rifles, would almost certainly have had clerks, students, miners and textile factory workers from places like Leeds and Huddersfield in his platoon.

I know some other people haven't given up either so hope the thread will go on.

Liz

[Chutist33]

Hi Liz, Not much luck I am afraid. Visited York Minster Library today and checked for your man Johnson. There are 6 Johnsons named and with photos, but none are our men and none from KRRC. The 'Kings Book of Heroes' has 1400+ names and photos of York men - supplied by their families - but if you go, take a magnifying glass, for the photo copy book is much reduced. I presume the original is much larger size. Sorry to end that one avenue. Best wishes, yours aye, Jim K.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

I did thank Jim privately but thanks again publicly, Jim, for your terrific efforts re the Yeoman Rifles. I have still got to post some info about your B Coy 7 platoon men - I have found out quite a bit but lately have been sidetracked even within this topic, especially on what happened to the original Riflemen who lasted until the battalion was disbanded on 16 March 1918. In the course of that research, I've found out something that will interest you as it relates to GV Dennis's book A Kitchener Man's Bit, and I hope might interest other people as there are often questions about Field Punishments.

There is a passage on pp 45-46 about an early incident that he says happened while the battalion was at Outtersteene, before they went to Ploegsteert Wood on 30 May 1916. He was in C Company at the time, but as a signaller missed a lot of tedious fatigues and was more with the other specialists than with the other men of his company.

'It was said that one of the company men had been guilty of a most serious offence and, according to military regulations, had received Field Punishment No 1. For two hours each day he was tied to a limber wheel in the transport lines, usually about mid-day and thus receiving the doubtful benefit of the sun's warmth. At first I did not know what the unfortunate man's crime was. I was not curious and did not go to see him. I had no wish to see a man suffering so much.

Later I heard that he had been found asleep whilst on duty and the orderly officer for the day had reported the matter to the Colonel. This was a very serious crime indeed and, according to the Army, needed drastic punishment. Our sympathy was with the man for it was not as if he were a regular soldier, nor even in the Front Line. We were not even in support or in reserve and thought that a severe warning would have been sufficient but, I suppose, here was a chance for the Army to make an example to a newly-formed battalion – shades of Oliver Cromwell, " Desperate ills need desperate remedies." From our point of view, it was very hard on one of "t'owd lads."'

Dennis doesn't name him but I think I have found out who this was. Coming shortly.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Rfn Peter Fred Beresford C/12960, a 19-year-old farm-worker, son of a farming family in the Yorkshire Dales, fits the description in Dennis's book in everything but precise timing: the incident he was punished for happened a few days after the Battalion had moved from Outtersteene to Ploegsteert Wood.

Despite being a Yorkshire Dales man born and bred, son of a farmer at Cowside, Buckden, near Starbotton, Wharfedale, and enlisting in Keighley, all in the West Riding, he was in C Company, like Dennis. He should have been in B, but was late joining the battalion at Helmsley (January 1916) and this may be why. Dennis himself and several Hull friends in C ought to have been in A Company, according to the original scheme.

Beresford's background was very like 'my' John Hardcastle's, and even more like my great-aunt's family's (she was John Hardcastle's fiancee), who had farmed for a long time in Wharfedale, until they moved nearer Ripon. The Beresfords were probably a bit poorer than the Hardcastles, but his father and uncle were farmers on their own account, not workers on other farms, and so was his widowed mother, so the army recruitment man's description of him as a 'farm labourer' was a bit misleading. He had been a stockman on his uncle's farm next to theirs in Starbotton in 1911. Beresford was a real Yeoman farmer.

The Conduct sheet has only one misdemeanour on it – he was no difficult character, and as Dennis and other sources stress, the original Yeoman Rifles prided themselves on their superior moral fibre and low level of crime or disciplinary offences.

Place: In the Field.

Date of offence – not very legible, but I think 6/6/16. Though it could be 8/6/16.

Offence: Whilst on active service found asleep at his post.

Witnesses: Lt Col the Earl of Feversham.

L/C Currie? illegible GF

Punishment awarded: 28 days' FP No 1

Date of award or of order dispensing with trial: 8/6/16

By whom awarded: Lt Col the Earl of Feversham

Remarks: None.

The name of CA Pitt, Capt, is at the top of the sheet as his company commander, as well as C clearly written next to Sqn, Battery or Company. (This was 'Joe' Pitt, previously described at length and mentioned in several places in this thread.)

The timing means that Dennis is incorrect to say that they were not even in support or reserve. Their brigade, the 124th , 41st Division, had just taken over the Ploegsteert Wood sector, so he is probably right that the CO felt he had to make an example of Peter Beresford. Things were getting serious. Men could be executed in some circumstances for sleeping at their posts.

From his record it seems that Beresford never offended again, never had to be treated for illness or wounds but served continuously until the Battalion was disbanded on 16 March 1918. He was promoted Lance-Corporal (unpaid) on 6/7/17.

Two weeks after being transferred to the 41st Machine Gun Company, along with some other 21st Bn Riflemen, he died of wounds, on 30th March. Another young farmer transferred to the MGC from the 21st, Reginald Percy Barrell, R/28563, from Suffolk, died on 26th March.

I hope Peter Beresford's widowed mother, who was running a farm at Horton-in-Ribblesdale in 1919, never knew what he'd gone through in those early days as a result of his offence.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Just to complete the story as far as I know it: Peter Fred Beresford's grave is in St Hilaire Cemetery Extension, Frevent, and he is commemorated near his home on the Kettlewell War Memorial ' to the men of Kettlewell and Starbotton who died in the Great War.' There is a photo on a memorial website to which I have not managed to provide a link, but Googling brings it up easily.

I see that he is indexed on the Craven's Part in the Great War website, but this part of the website seems inaccessible at the moment for some reason.

Liz

[Chutist33]

Hi Liz, I have a copy of "Cravens Part" and Lance Corporal Peter Fred Beresford is pictured on page 342. Text has him as son of Mrs J Beresford, Old Ings Farm, Horton in Ribblesdale. D o W 30 March 1917. I think you are right in that Gerald turned his diary into a typed manuscript (which he loaned me to read!!) and that he edited some things out - for example "poor goldberg" which didnt reflect too well on the Battalion. Perhaps his "actual" diary is more accurate? As an aside, had a good trip and, upon my return found my notes regarding the Yeoman found and photos given to Gerald. Best wishes, yours aye, Jim K

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Hello Jim, glad to hear your trip went well and look forward to hearing about any Yeoman Rifles matters. Please remind us what you are referring to, about the notes and photos? I find even I am forgetting what we discussed earlier in the thread!

I didn't realise 'Craven's Part' was a book as well as a website.

i agree, Gerald Dennis may well have had more detail in his actual diaries about men like Goldberg or Beresford whose treatment he disapproved of, and left it out, perhaps also because he originally wrote the story up ten years after the war when relatives might still be distressed. But that doesn't account for the date mistake - I think he might have added some additional stories that he didn't include in his diary originally, and then of course it's easy to get the order of events or the precise date wrong. It's important because it means Col Feversham was not being unfairly severe, as Dennis implies, just severe (in the context of the time).

There are other bits that needed sorting out like that, such as the confusion over the two officers called Burton. That's now quite clear because I have much more detailed information on both those officers.

And there's the odd fact that the famous cartoonist, Capt Bruce Bairnsfather, is mentioned as being wounded on Sept 20th 1917 with the Yeoman Rifles (p 178). There are several other references to him just as a cartoonist, but I feel sure this is a slip. I cannot find any evidence of his serving with the KRRC, only with the Warwickshire Regt. Dennis's editor (M. Hickes) includes him in his notes on Yeoman Rifles men and assumes that he served with both, but he is certainly not included in the list of wounded officers for Sept 20th -21st in the battalion war record for 1917.

Liz

[Chris Foster]

Liz I've arrived late to this thread, but here is a list of the lads of the 21st Bn K.R.R.C who we have on the Craven's Part In The Great war website.

Peter Fred Beresford http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=342-04&view=main

Herbert William Burrows http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=00D-68&view=main

Alfred Craddock Kilding http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=00K-75&view=main

Robert Henry Lambert http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=00F-21&view=main

James Robinson Mawer http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=00K-78&view=main

James Henry Milner http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=172-03&view=main

Harry Tindall http://www.cpgw.org.uk/viewDetail.cfm?sID=176-01&view=main

Harry Tindall and Herbert Burrows appear on Jim's group photo, Tindall 3rd row from the back 5th L to R and Burrows front row 8th from the left.

All of the above's Army Service Records survived .

Regards

Chris

[Chutist33]

Hi Liz, Not as forgetful as me I can assure you. The "Cravens Part in the Great War" was published in October 1919 and was compiled by the editor of the Craven Herald. I have had this book since I was a child and maybe it is the reason I am interested in the men who fought. It was originally issued to Gunner Frances Barker, who I presume survived. Who or why the book ended up with my family I do not know. But there we are. When we first got in contact, I told you that when I first met Gerald, he loaned me his typed copy of his memoirs. I noted some of the main items and on my annual motor bike trips, visited the places mentioned. I took photos of the places and looked for Yeomen in the cemetery registers. When I found them I took a photo for Gerald. I have now found my notes of those trips and the cemeteries visited etc. Now, of course, the info is easy to find on the web. there are a number of yeomen in Le Clyte as Gerald mentioned. Very interested in Chris' interesting additions. Best wishes, Jim K

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Liz I've arrived late to this thread, but here is a list of the lads of the 21st Bn K.R.R.C who we have on the Craven's Part In The Great war website.

<snip>.

Chris, it's very good to hear from you, late or not, and thank you very much for adding those links. I have done the basic searches now on all the men who are listed as 21st Bn casualties by CWGC ( with a few errors weeded out) and all who have 'original 21st' service numbers but died with other battalions (thanks, Geoff's Search Engine) but I haven't put these or many others up so your site's summaries of their details are very useful.

Best of all for me are your local newspaper reports with the In Memoriam poems and messages, as well as family details. I had seen the other Tindall on Jim's photo, but didn't know the relationship, and to see the letter from him about how his cousin fell at Flers is moving as well as useful.

Many thanks

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Hi Liz, Not as forgetful as me I can assure you. The "Cravens Part in the Great War" was published in October 1919 and was compiled by the editor of the Craven Herald. I have had this book since I was a child and maybe it is the reason I am interested in the men who fought. It was originally issued to Gunner Frances Barker, who I presume survived. Who or why the book ended up with my family I do not know. But there we are. When we first got in contact, I told you that when I first met Gerald, he loaned me his typed copy of his memoirs. I noted some of the main items and on my annual motor bike trips, visited the places mentioned. I took photos of the places and looked for Yeomen in the cemetery registers. When I found them I took a photo for Gerald. I have now found my notes of those trips and the cemeteries visited etc. Now, of course, the info is easy to find on the web. there are a number of yeomen in Le Clyte as Gerald mentioned. Very interested in Chris' interesting additions. Best wishes, Jim K

Jim

Thanks for reminding us and adding some more! Its a bit annoying the way info that was previously hard won by effort and experience now pops up so easily online but I still think, somehow, there's more value in yours gained by going round the cemeteries, following in Dennis's footsteps.

I should think having the book from childhood would have an effect on you. I haven't forgotten the men of No 7 Platoon, B Company - maybe I'd better put info up bit by bit as I'm being so slow.

Liz

[Chris Foster]

Liz here is a bit more detail on Peter Beresford. Information & photo from Keith Taylor's book Swaledale & Wharfedale Remembered, Published by Ashbridge Press . Country Books 2006

Lance Corporal Peter Fred Beresford 21st Bn K.R.R.C

Peter was the third eldest child of six children to George & Jane Beresford who farmed at Cowside, Deepdale in Lanstrothdale .

George died aged 48 in 1905, just before he was about to take over a fresh farm at nearby Greenfield. Jane and the six children moved into a cottage in Starbotton and a few years later Peter began work as a under gamekeeper for the Holdsworth family on the Scargill House Estate. Just before the outbreak of the war Jane remarried and the family moved to Old Ing Farm, Horton-in-Ribblesdale .

Peter attested in Keighley in Keighley on 29/11/15 and joined the 21st Bn K.R.RC at Helmsley 3/1/16, arriving in France 5/5/16.

The 21st Bn moved as part of the 41st Div to Italy in November 1917 to reinforce the Italians who had fallen back in disarray at the Battle of Coporatto, before returning to France on March the 8th 1918 . The Bn as a unit came to an end a few days later and men were distributed amongst various Bns of the Regiment . It was during this period that Peter was wounded and was taken 40 Km west of Arras to the 6th stationary Hospital at Frevent. His condition worsened and he caught influenza and died on the 30/3/18 aged 21. Peter was buried in grave A2 St Hilaire Cem Extention, Frevent .

I'll post more details on the other lads later.

Regards

Chris