21st Battalion KRRC - the original Yeomen

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thank you very much, Chris, it's always moving to see a man you've been researching looking you in the eye. He looks a fine upright fellow, too. I feel sort of guilty about connecting him to the miserable FP no 1 episode on this public forum (I'm sure he would have wanted it forgotten) except that it was part of the whole story, and you might not have noticed the thread otherwise! The additional family details are interesting too. You'll have seen I posted some details of his life before and there's a lot more on the battalion's movements throughout this thread and elsewhere. We've concentrated on 1916 here but more and more information about 1917 and 1918 is building up elsewhere on the forum.

There were a number of men, both 'originals' like Peter Beresford and later drafts, who died after the 21/KRRC was disbanded on 16 March 1918 (e.g.Charles Affleck Hodgson and the man I mentioned who died in the MGC like Beresford, Reginald Percy Barrell. I wondered for a while if just being new in a battalion made them less likely to survive, but on the other hand there simply were heavy losses in several KRRC battalions at that time, March-April 1918. GV Dennis knew how lucky he was to miss being posted to the 16th Bn because of his health. There were casualties during 1918 among men with original 21/KRRC service numbers in almost all the other KRRC battalions.

It will be very interesting to see further details from your research.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

I am going to provide brief notes for the men on Jim's B Coy 7 platoon photo, which I'll also have to repost on this page for convenience, I think. I never quite managed to get a jpg version of manageable size for cropping really clear individual portraits, but if anyone requests a particular man I am sure we could arrange it.

Starting with the back row, I've already mentioned the two possibilities for the first man and there are many names in the Yeoman Rifles with at least two candidates. In addition, where the man survived, I haven't always found details beyond the MIC or even that sometimes, so there's often a question mark. If anyone can add anything, especially from local knowledge such as newspaper reports, it would be very helpful.

Left to right, back row

Johnson Rfn Richard Fisher Johnson C/12452 (mentioned by Nigel Marshall on p 1 of this thread)

Farmer Born and lived in Scholes, near Leeds

Enlisted York

Died of wounds 30 Sept 1916 after Flers

Age 23

Cemetery Barwick-in-Elmet (All Saints) Churchyard

Record states B Coy

OR Cyril Hubert Johnson C/12680 born Stowmarket, Suffolk

Assistant manager (clothing) Resident York; father grocer and coach trimmer.

Enlisted York

Killed in Action with 9th Bn 2 Oct 1917

Age 23

Tyne Cot Memorial

Record states B Coy

(There was also Edward Johnson C/12042, but he was in C Coy)

Speed George E. Speed C/12374 . Evidently survived but no service records found, only MIC.

Best census match: George Edward Speed born Lincolnshire, had also lived Northumberland, but in 1911 in Selby, West Riding, Flour Miller Rollerman.

Appears to be same man died Goole 1960.

S. Barrett Stephen Barrett C/12623.

Gardener, born and lived at Weardley, Harewood, Leeds; parents Waite and Olive Barrett; father farmer and molecatcher

Enlisted Leeds.

Killed in action 18 June 1916 at Ploegsteert Wood.

Age 29

Berks Cemetery Extension

Byford Norman Oxley Byford C/12461.

Born Tadcaster 1897, died Wakefield area 1934. No service records found.

Father Daniel, mother Harriet, keepers of Ulleskelf Arms, Ulleskelf in 1911, White Hart Inn at Pool, Leeds by 1917.

Brother Harold in Coldstream Guards and RFC.

Russon

Rfn William H Russon, C/12810. Survived but no service records found. Several in census records, none obvious.

Coates Rfn Fred Coates C/12460

Tobacconist, born and lived in Harrogate.

Enlisted Harrogate.

Discharged unfit (TB) 22 August 1916, died 5 Oct 1917

Record states B Coy.

Thomas

Cpl Charles Thomas C/12619? Seems the only Thomas with 'original' service number.

There may be long gaps between instalments so feel free to interrupt.

Liz

Edited 10 June , 2012 by Liz in Eastbourne

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Here is the platoon photo again for reference.

Edited 12 August , 2017 by Liz in Eastbourne
Re-insert photo

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Second from back row

Goodall Eric William Aldrich Goodall C/12531

Land agent born 1885 enlisted Bradford, son of Mary and Thomas Walker Goodall, bank manager of Eldwick, Bingley.

Transferred to Royal Engineers April 1917.

Some of his service records spell his name Goodhall, but this is an error.

Record states B Coy.

There is also Frederick Richard Goodall, C/12031, died of wounds 23rd August 1917 and buried in Etaples Military Cemetery.

He was a land agent's clerk from Mirfield, West Riding, but he enlisted in Richmond, North Riding and his Medical Form clearly states he was in A Coy.

A.Tindall Allan Tindall, cousin of Harry who is in the next row, third from back.

No MIC or service record found.

The link provided by Chris to Harry Tindall's details on the Craven's Part in the Great War website has a newspaper report quoting the letter from his cousin Allan who was in the 21st Bn and went over the top with him at Flers on 15 Sept 1916 , and mentioning Allan's brother Ted (George Edward - no MIC or service records found for him either) who was kept back as a reserve machine gunner.

Son of Skipton blacksmith Arthur Tindall.

I assume a look at the actual medal roll at Kew would find their service numbers.

Ellis. Arnold Ellis C/12442.

Survived but no service records found. Several West Riding possible identifications in census records.

Dally. Ronald Dally C/12446.

Survived but no service records found. Census 1911 shows born Leeds, living Skipton, father railway goods inspector, mother absent, Ronald aged 19 'school'.

E.C. Nicholson Ernest Carroll Nicholson C/12448

S. Nicholson Sidney Nicholson C/12449

These two brothers are especially interesting and I'll do a separate post next about them.

Arnott Harold Bertrand Arnott C/12615.

Survived but no service records found. 1911 Census shows him as commercial traveller born Birmingham, living in Leeds.

Enlisted 25/11/15. Silver War Badge.

[Liz in Eastbourne]

A postscript about the Tindalls, Allan and Ted and their cousin Harry.

The website of their school, Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, says that they were all good rugby players and the England rugby player Mike Tindall is the great-nephew of Allan and Ted - his grandfather was their younger brother Douglas.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

The two Nicholson brothers in the second from back row were sons of a Barnsley timber merchant's clerk, John William Nicholson, and his wife Elizabeth, who had six sons and three daughters. They had enlisted together in the Yeoman Rifles in Leeds, in mid-November 1915 to judge by their service numbers.

Sidney, according to a Nicholson family website, was (as Lance Corporal) 'leading his section' at the time of his death. His record does not appear to have survived, but Gird Ridge casualties' records often say 5/10 October (just as Flers casualties say 15/17 September) resulting in 10 October being given on SDGW and CWGC. By far the most likely date for a man to have been killed in action was actually 7th October, though there were some deaths on other dates especially during the approach. But this family story confirms the assumption that he was killed when the battalion went into action in support and B Coy suffered very heavy casualties – see Eden and Dennis, and 21/KRRC War Diary. That means 7th October.

S. Nicholson Sidney Nicholson C/12449

Born Barnsley abt. 1890. Glass cloth manufacturer's clerk (1911).

Enlisted Leeds.

Killed in action at Gird Ridge 10 October 1916

Lance-Corporal at time of death.

Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial. (CWGC)

Ernest was, according to the same website, kept back in the transport lines so was not with his elder brother. His MIC shows that he reached the rank of Serjeant and was commissioned on 26th February 1917. LG entries show that this was into the Royal Berks Regt, but he was then attached to the East Yorkshire Regt, with whom he won the MC. He was a temporary Captain and then Major on the General List in 1918. After the war he became a bank manager (family website).

EC Nicholson Ernest Carroll Nicholson C/12448

Born Barnsley abt. 1896

Enlisted Leeds.

Sergeant then commissioned 26.2.1917.

Military Cross citation

London Gazette 30950 Supp15 Oct 1918 p 12085

T./2nd Lt. Ernest Carroll Nicholson, attd. E. York. R. .

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while leading his platoon in .an advance. He successfully rushed enemy posts, capturing prisoners and two machine guns, eventually gaining the final objective and consolidating. He maintained touch with the unit on his left, crossing and recrossing ground swept by intense machine-gun fire, and reported clearly all developments to his

company commander. His fearlessness and resource were beyond praise.

There will now be an intermission on my part for about ten days, but Chris has kindly offered to help me with the photo - I have a very large jpg. file I haven't been able to handle properly for cropping, but once we sort it out it will provide very clear individual portraits.

Liz.

[Chris Foster]

A postscript about the Tindalls, Allan and Ted and their cousin Harry.

The website of their school, Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, says that they were all good rugby players and the England rugby player Mike Tindall is the great-nephew of Allan and Ted - his grandfather was their younger brother Douglas.

Liz

Liz, I know the history teacher at Ermysteads,Steven Howarth in fact he's member of the forum . He wrote a book called "A Grammer School at War" The story of Ermysted's Grammer school during the Great War, and of couse Harry is mentioned. I'll try and contact him to see if he wants to contribute to the thread .

Regards

Chris

[Chris Foster]

The two Nicholson brothers in the second from back row were sons of a Barnsley timber merchant's clerk, John William Nicholson, and his wife Elizabeth, who had six sons and three daughters. They had enlisted together in the Yeoman Rifles in Leeds, in mid-November 1915 to judge by their service numbers.

Sidney, according to a Nicholson family website, was (as Lance Corporal) 'leading his section' at the time of his death. His record does not appear to have survived, but Gird Ridge casualties' records often say 5/10 October (just as Flers casualties say 15/17 September) resulting in 10 October being given on SDGW and CWGC. By far the most likely date for a man to have been killed in action was actually 7th October, though there were some deaths on other dates especially during the approach. But this family story confirms the assumption that he was killed when the battalion went into action in support and B Coy suffered very heavy casualties see Eden and Dennis, and 21/KRRC War Diary. That means 7th October.

S. Nicholson Sidney Nicholson C/12449

Born Barnsley abt. 1890. Glass cloth manufacturer's clerk (1911).

Enlisted Leeds.

Killed in action at Gird Ridge 10 October 1916

Lance-Corporal at time of death.

Commemorated on Thiepval Memorial. (CWGC)

Ernest was, according to the same website, kept back in the transport lines so was not with his elder brother. His MIC shows that he reached the rank of Serjeant and was commissioned on 26th February 1917. LG entries show that this was into the Royal Berks Regt, but he was then attached to the East Yorkshire Regt, with whom he won the MC. He was a temporary Captain and then Major on the General List in 1918. After the war he became a bank manager (family website).

EC Nicholson Ernest Carroll Nicholson C/12448

Born Barnsley abt. 1896

Enlisted Leeds.

Sergeant then commissioned 26.2.1917.

Military Cross citation

London Gazette 30950 Supp15 Oct 1918 p 12085

T./2nd Lt. Ernest Carroll Nicholson, attd. E. York. R. .

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while leading his platoon in .an advance. He successfully rushed enemy posts, capturing prisoners and two machine guns, eventually gaining the final objective and consolidating. He maintained touch with the unit on his left, crossing and recrossing ground swept by intense machine-gun fire, and reported clearly all developments to his

company commander. His fearlessness and resource were beyond praise.

There will now be an intermission on my part for about ten days, but Chris has kindly offered to help me with the photo - I have a very large jpg. file I haven't been able to handle properly for cropping, but once we sort it out it will provide very clear individual portraits.

Liz.

As Promised Liz, EC Nicholson and S Nicholson cropped from Jims group photo

Regards

Chris

E C Nicholson.

S Nicholson

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thank you very much, Chris, for doing this - it's been defeating me for weeks because Paintbrush etc wouldn't handle the size of the file. And thanks too for your offer to contact Steven Howarth. The more info we have on each man the better.

I'm back on the case now though finding a number of difficulties in identifying men in the next row down, and also a bit busy on another of my topics - but will proceed slowly and hope other people can chip in.

Liz

[Nigel Marshall]

Re: Rifleman Richard Fisher Johnson, B Coy.

From The Rothwell Courier and Times, 7 October 1916.

"A Soldier's Death

We regret to announce the death of Private Richard Johnson, of the King's Royal Rifles, who was reported in our last issue as having been seriously wounded. Deceased, whose father is a farmer at Barnbow, was wounded in the fight in which Lord Feversham was killed, and was brought to England, receiving treatment at Netley Hospital. His injuries, however, were so serious that there was little hope of his recovery, and the gallant lad died on Saturday. Prior to enlisting he resided at Osbaldwick, near York, and he greatly appreciated the kindness of the vicar of the parish, who, on hearing of his being wounded, went to Netley and spent two days with him. The body was conveyed to Scholes on Tuesday morning, and taken home, the interrment taking place later in the day. Colonel Benson, of Oswaldkirk, sent a beautiful wreath to place upon the hero's grave. Private Johnson was very brave, for although he was wounded in the neck, he refused to fall out, and went on until he received the wound which caused his death."

His name is not included among those on the Osbaldwick War Memorial.

Nigel

[Nigel Marshall]

Scholes War Memorial, showing Richard Fisher Johnson's name.

His brother Frank Johnson is listed beneath Richard.

Nigel

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thanks very much Nigel, especially for the newspaper report. These extra human details make all the difference to our understanding, particularly of the impact on the community - the vicar going to be with him at Netley for two days is a touching detail, isn't it?

And thank you for coming back!

Just to explain to anyone who hasn't been with us from the outset, Nigel posted about Richard Fisher Johnson on p 1 of this thread with a picture of his gravestone and he is probably (though there is another possible Johnson contender) on the B Coy 7 Platoon photo, as discussed in several recent posts.

I wondered at first why Colonel Benson of Oswaldkirk sent a wreath, as Oswaldkirk is on the edge of the Howardian Hills, some distance from Osbaldwick, but of course it's nextdoor to Helmsley and his estate was next to Feversham's Duncombe Park. Men from there had also been killed or wounded.

Liz

[MBrockway]

Liz,

Just popped back in a VERY rare spare moment ... and I'm lost for words.

This is absolutely wonderful.

Really looking forward to reading the pages and pages of fantastic new material.

Well done!

Cheers,

Mark

[Jimmy Taylor]

Major Kenneth Lindsay Godson. Born 1895 at Westgate-on-Sea, Thanet, Kent, the son of Dr Clement Godson and Alice M. née Tritton. His father was a physician and surgeon, born at Burnet, Herts. The 1901 Census shows the family at Hanover Square. Children with them were Charles Aubrey (20), Edgar Reginald (19), Muriel (17), Alice (14), Olive (12) and Kenneth (5). Other children were Vera, Arthur Talbot, Clement (d.1880), and Isabel Mary. Promoted Lt., 2nd RIR, 15.11.1914, with seniority from 13.3.1915. B Coy. To hospital, sick, 11–24.3.1915, and 5.4.1915. Invalided home. Promoted Capt. 1.1.1917. Army List December 1918 shows him employed with an Officer Cadet Bn. Evacuated sick to Persia in July 1920 while serving with 2nd RIR in Mesopotamia during the Arab Rebellion. At the Depot 1923. GSM with clasps Iraq and NW Persia.

Quis Separabit, autumn 1964: ‘Kenneth Godson died suddenly at his home at Fleet, Hampshire, on 24th June. He was … commissioned into the Royal Irish Rifles in Aug 1914. He served in the 2nd Battalion during the retreat from Mons … Apart from a short tour at the Regimental Depot in the Isle of Wight most of his service was spent with the 2nd Battalion in Iraq, Egypt and India, until his retirement in 1931. In 1929 he married Miss Verity Hankin of Wellington, South India, who predeceased him. He was recalled on the Reserve of Officers in 1939 (with brevet of Major) and, in the course of service with the BEF was taken prisoner. “Cuthbert”, as he was generally known, will be remembered as a gentle, kindly person, fond of music and of amateur theatricals. He was also a keen and proficient games player, particularly of cricket, at which he had been awarded a County cap for the Isle of Wight. The Regiment extends its sympathy to his son and daughter.’

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thank you, Jimmy, for this additional information on K L Godson - pure luck that I've seen this as notifications weren't functioning and I came to check the thread was still intact. For anyone else interested in him, my original post was on p. 11, #253, and his attachment to the Yeoman Rifles in 1916 was probably quite short - confirmed by the fact that it's not mentioned here. I take it this information (apart from census records etc which I had found earlier) comes from his own regiment, the Royal Irish Rifles (as was).

I like ' "Cuthbert", as he was generally known'. Of course. Obvious name for a Kenneth.

Btw I have several other biographies of officers not in the group photo that I haven't got round to posting yet, again just in case anyone else looks in and has a query.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Liz,

Just popped back in a VERY rare spare moment ... and I'm lost for words.

This is absolutely wonderful.

Really looking forward to reading the pages and pages of fantastic new material.

Well done!

Cheers,

Mark

Must just say a belated thanks to Mark for this - though I have thanked him personally.

I had not meant to give the Yeoman Rifles such a long summer break, especially as Chris Foster has given me some great help in providing individual portraits from the group photo which I was not managing to do, and Nigel Marshall has sent some excellent photos of Yeoman Riflemen's memorials in Yorkshire following a memorial tour he did in July.

I had to finish another piece of research but I'll be returning to the account of the men in the B Coy 7 platoon photo soon, as far as I am able, and hope we'll get some more contributions.

Liz

[24224054]

I have just completed reading the full thread.

Amazing amount of hard work and rigorous accuracy.

It demonstrates that persistence and luck make the difference and I hope the outstanding research into the 21 KRRC continues.

My Grandfather served in the Battalion in 1916 until taken as a POW by the Germans. He stayed in the army after the war but he was always very proud to be a Rifleman.

Chris

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Thanks, Chris - we have corresponded off the forum and it's very useful to have news of other riflemen; the ones who survived are often hardest to find.

Well, there's been a long pause in this thread and I still have to finish researching Jim's B Company 7 Platoon photograph - I can't believe a year has gone by. I am going to divert myself before I do that, although this will intersect with that topic, as it concerns the Somme casualties of the Yeoman Rifles. I have recently been to the Somme for the first time and have visited nearly all the places where the Yeoman Rifles’ Somme casualties are buried or remembered – with invaluable help from two Forum pals, without whom I wouldn’t have done it.

Apart from the overwhelming contrast between the rural beauty of the place and the appalling events that took place there, I was struck by the way in which not only seeing the terrain of the battles helps (even someone ignorant of strategy), but also knowing the final burial place of some of the men can assist in understanding their records.

Because those who were killed in action were usually written down as ‘15/17.9.16’ in the chaos following the battalion’s participation in Flers, many are recorded as having been killed on 17th, when they were not in action. There is usually no way of knowing whether they were killed instantly or remained alive after 15th.However, precise dates given shortly after 15th for the deaths of those who died of wounds are likely to be correct. For example, having been to Heilly Station Military Cemetery and checked the records of all the men buried there, I now realise that they were all in Casualty Clearing Station 36 or 38 and this accounts for the precise dates of death given.

I reckon, using Geoff’s search engine, that there were 183 men including 7 officers who were killed in, or died of wounds after, the battles of Flers and Gird Ridge between September 15th and October 10th 1916. I have yet to visit the graves in Amiens, Rouen or Etaples, or those of the men who died at home later (one of whom is Nigel's Richard Fisher Johnson and we have photographs on this thread of his grave and memorials). There are almost certainly a few more later deaths directly or indirectly attributable to the Somme battles, and several of the 21/KRRC ‘originals’ died with other KRRC battalions at Flers and Guedecourt, having for one reason or another been transferred early on.

EDIT it is now of course possible to search on regiment and service numbers on the CWGC website.

By far the majority are on the

Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme (136).

The rest are in:

AIF Burial Ground, Flers (8)

Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery (1)

Caterpillar Valley Cemetery (5)

Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt (2)

Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval (1)

Etaples Military Cemetery (1)

Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs (11)

Heilly Station Military Cemetery (10)

Serre Road Cemetery no 1 (1)

St Pierre Cemetery Amiens (1)

St Sever Cemetery, Rouen (2)

England (Darlington, Morpeth, Leeds and Islington) (4)

Total in known graves (47)

Just a brief reference to that contrast between the rural tranquillity and what happened there – I can now completely believe a story told by Anthony Eden in his book Another World:

‘One of our sergeants wrote to his mother: ‘This is what struck me as being very funny. You hear Whizz! – Bang! - Cuckoo! The birds sing all the time the shells are bursting - it is really astonishing...' '

More shortly

Liz

Edited for arithmetic (again)!

Edited 24 October , 2012 by Liz in Eastbourne

[Liz in Eastbourne]

As mentioned in my previous post I've looked up the records of the eight Yeoman Riflemen buried in Heilly Station Military Cemetery and there are also two officers already researched. There were two casualty clearing stations at Heilly at this time, 36 and 38.

First, the five who died of wounds after Flers (15th September 1916).

C/12614 Heap, H Ref IV. E.20

Corporal Herbert Heap died of wounds in Casualty Clearing Station 36 on 19th September 1916. He had been in B company, as a West Riding man - a woollen (shoddy) manufacturer in Leeds, unmarried and living at home with his widowed mother and siblings. He enlisted at Bradford at the age of 29 years 8 months (1 Dec 1915), was tall (5’11½”) and well-built, and his only recorded medical problems as a soldier before Flers were with his dentures. He had been promoted Lance-Serjeant on 1st June, but reverted to Corporal on 25 July at his own request.

C/13027 Hearsum, Harry Ref IV. D.12

Rifleman Harry Hearsum died of wounds in Casualty Clearing Station 38 on 16th September 1916 (SDGW, confirmed by the casualty form in his record). He had been in D company, as a Derbyshire man; he was a horse driver, son of David and Hannah Hearsum of Brook Houses, Hayfield; his mother, by 1919, had been widowed and moved to Huddersfield. He attested at Glossop (Buxton according to SDGW).

C/12284 Ridsdale, F Ref II. H.34

Rifleman Frank Ridsdale died of wounds on 17th September 1916. His military record survives, and shows he was in B Company, as expected for a West Riding man. He gave his name only as Frank, his occupation as shop assistant and his age as 19 years 5 months, a year older than he was, when he attested in Ripon in November 1915 (approved in York). The son of Thomas (farmer) and Annie Ridsdale of Sicklinghall, Wetherby, West Riding, his full name was Francis Burton Ridsdale and he was 19 when he died at Casualty Clearing Station 36 (casualty form).

Frank had been made unpaid Acting Corporal on 30th May, when the battalion was at Ploegsteert Wood, and moved to 124th Brigade/1 Trench Mortar Battery. In late July, after being admitted to the medical facility for a week with scabies, he went back to the battalion and reverted to Rifleman at his own request. He had a week with the TMB again in early September but had gone back to the battalion on 9th September, less than a week before the battle in which he was fatally wounded.

His parents, three brothers and four sisters survived him. I have been unable to find any entry on SDGW, oddly, despite trying with both ‘Frank’ and ‘Francis’.

R/11968 Wigley, Joseph Charles Ref IV. E.7

Joseph Charles Wigley was a Londoner born and bred in Clerkenwell, and had joined the 21st Battalion in the field at Ploegsteert Wood on 21st June 1916, by which time they had sustained losses though not in any major action. He had enlisted at Cockspur Street and joined the KRRC at Winchester in April 1915, when he was 18, though he gave his age as 19; he then spent a year in England with the 6th Battalion.

Joseph’s birth was registered in January 1897, but he was baptised at the Church of the Holy Redeemer, Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, on 29 November 1896. His father William and mother Catherine had a large family. William was a type founder’s caster in 1911; his sons included a brass founder and a warehouseman and one daughter was a cardboard maker. Joseph, aged 14, was an errand boy, and by 1915 he described himself as a shop porter.

Joseph, whose company does not seem to be mentioned on his record, died of his wounds sustained at Flers in Casualty Clearing Station 36 on 18th September 1916. His mother was advised of his death by letter, though it is not clear whether she received it. The post-war form for relatives was not filled in, and letters remain in his file marked ‘Gone Away’.

Another young Clerkenwell man of the same age with a very similar record (enlisted in April 1915 and joined the 21st battalion in the field on 21st June 1916) was Albert Edward Hull, R/11808: he died a week after Joseph, on 26th September, after returning home on the hospital ship Asturias, and is buried in Islington Cemetery. His company is given as A, not surprisingly as A company had suffered a higher number of early casualties than any other (i.e. before going into the line, so that new men arrived to replace the originals), and this may well have been Joseph’s too.

C/12639 Young, S Ref IV. D.53

Rifleman Sidney Young, aged 19, died of wounds on 17th September (SDGW and CWGC) or 16th according to his casualty form, at Casualty Clearing Station 38. Born in North Somercoates, Lincolnshire, he was an accountant/clerk living with his family in Skirlaugh, East Riding, when he attested at Hull, and was in C company. Though C Company was originally said to be for men from Northumberland and Durham, we know from Gerald Dennis's account that a number of Hull recruits were posted into it rather than A as might have been expected. His father Robert was a bricklayer, who with his wife Florence and Sidney’s elder sister and two younger brothers survived him.

2/Lt Jones, Philip Allsworth Ref IV. G.36

I have written about Lt Jones in some detail already on this thread, when going through the officers of the battalion on the Aldershot photograph (p.7)

I'll post separately about the Gird Ridge casualties.

Liz

Edited 9 June , 2012 by Liz in Eastbourne

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Heilly Station Military Cemetery

Four casualties of the action at Gird Ridge 7 Oct 1916, three riflemen and NCOs, one officer.

C/12555 Farrer, Atheling, (MM), Ref III. B.41

Atheling Farrer, who died of wounds in Casualty Clearing Station 36 on 10th October, was a Boston Spa man in B Company, and is, I think, ‘Farrar’ on Jim’s 7 Platoon photograph. A farmer aged 21 years 3 months when he attested in York at the end of November 1915, he was the son of Edward Farrer, butcher in High Street, Boston Spa, and Elizabeth, and was survived by his father, two elder brothers living with their father and two married sisters.

The Boston Spa memorial pages online quote the Yorkshire Evening Post of the time mistakenly saying that Farrer was wounded in June 1916: his record survives, and he was certainly wounded at some point during the action at Gird Ridge (this was 7th October with losses before and after that day), and admitted to Casualty Clearing Station 36 at Heilly on 8th October. The same newspaper apparently says he was employed at the Victoria Club in Leeds, whereas his attestation form says ‘Farmer’, address at home in Boston Spa, a more likely occupation for a butcher’s son whose two brothers also remained there.

C/12573 Grainger RF Ref III. D.65

Robert Franks Grainger (or Francis Robert Grainger, as he gives his name on the 1911 census), aged 33, died of multiple gunshot wounds on 9th October after being admitted to Casualty Clearing Station 38 at Heilly. He was in A company, having been born and spent all his life in or near Thirsk, North Riding, where he attested. The two hamlets of Leake and Borrowby recur in his records and he is commemorated on the memorial in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Leake. Son of William, agricultural labourer, and Amelia, he was a groom and gardener, according to his record (hard to read as water-damaged). His mother, two sisters and two brothers survived him.

C/12331 Oldroyd, G.S Ref IV. B.79

Corporal Gilbert Sheard Oldroyd, aged 24, died of abdominal wounds on 12th October after being admitted to Casualty Clearing Station 38 at Heilly. He was in B company, a West Riding man born and bred in Ossett where his father Gerald was a spinner in a woollen mill. Gilbert was a clerk in the county council offices and living at home when he attested at Ossett. His father, mother Annie and sister survived him.

2/Lt Anderson, James Skelton Ref III. B.44

I have already given details of Lt Anderson on p 6 of this thread.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

I found Sue Light's comments on Heilly Station casualty clearing stations very useful. I don't know whether, by September, the situation there was as desperate as in July. As none of these men are in multiple graves as were those buried earlier, perhaps not. Sue's photographs also give a good impression of the place as it is now.

http://greatwarnurses.blogspot.co.uk/2007/02/heilly-station-ccs.html

Thanks, Sue.

Liz

[David_Underdown]

I must go there too. My gt gt uncle is one of those in a multiple grave, just 18 when he died having lied about his age (photo in avatar)

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Hello David - yes, I think you would find Heilly a lovely place as well as a moving one, especially given your family connection with it.

Another beautiful Somme cemetery which gave me a little more understanding of a soldier’s record was Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery near Bray-sur-Somme. Only one Yeoman Rifleman is there.

C/12499 Grant, J.B. Ref II.C.15

John Beveridge Grant died of wounds aged 27 (CWGC says 26, his age when he enlisted, but his birth was registered in summer 1889) on 15th September 1916, the day of the action in which the battalion took part. SDGW, CWGC and his record give that precise date, not 17th Sept or '15/17 Sept’ as usually happens with the men ‘killed in action’. Looking back at his record I now see that the information came from ‘O/C 14 C MDS’. The CWGC’s information about Bronfay Farm Military Cemetery states that it ‘was used by Commonwealth troops from August 1915 to February 1917, particularly during the Battle of the Somme, when the XIV Corps Main Dressing Station was at the farm’. So John Grant lived long enough to be treated at that dressing station and to have his precise date of death recorded. If he’d not been picked up quickly he would have been recorded as killed in action.

Grant was in C Company, as a Newcastle man born and bred. His conduct sheet, signed by Captain C. Pitt (‘Joe’ Pitt, mentioned several times in this thread), shows one offence of refusing to obey an order at Aldershot in February 1916. His father (also John Beveridge Grant) was a paper ruler for a stationery company, and John described himself as a commercial traveller when he attested. His parents (mother Mary) and brother George, a professional musician in 1911, survived him.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Another Yeoman Rifleman who ended up on his own, but this time in a concentration cemetery, Serre Road Cemetery No 1, was

C/12621 Barker, George, Ref II.AA.14

Serre Road No.1 was not created until 1917, and after the Armistice many more graves were brought in from nearby battlefields and a number of smaller cemeteries. Details given of soldiers brought in from the latter do not seem to fit this man’s date of death so he was probably buried in a corner somewhere.

George Barker was killed in action (17th September CWGC and SDGW, 15/17.9.16 on his records, in reality on 15th unless he actually died later of his wounds), aged 29. Probably in B Company, as he was born, lived in and enlisted in his home city, Leeds in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he was tall (5’11”) and appears to have had no problems in his short army career until he was killed in the battle of Flers. He had been a commercial traveller, like his father (also George), and had seven siblings. His mother Anny, brothers and sisters survived him, but his 19-year-old brother 2/Lt Frederick Ernest Barker of the 10th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own) was killed on 13th October 1917 and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot memorial.

Liz

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Three Yeoman Riflemen who died of wounds in the battalion’s Somme actions are buried in

Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt.

The CWGC details explain that the cemetery was begun in August 1915 and ‘in September 1916, the XV Corps Main Dressing Station was established in the neighbourhood’. Again, looking back at the records shows that this is why these men were buried here and have a precise date of death.

C/12291 Feather, Richard Edwin Ref II.C.32

Richard Edwin Feather died of gunshot wounds on 16th September 1916. His casualty form is a clear illustration of how the records were done. The first entry on 19.9.16 says’ Missing. Field. 15/17.9.16’; this is crossed out and ‘Now reported died of wounds’ written above. The entry below dated 16.10.16 comes from ‘15 C MDS’ (=XV Corps Main Dressing Station): Wounded in Action & admitted: GSW. Field. Died 16.9.16.’

He was 33, lived and worked as a worsted spinner (like his father, John) in Halifax where he had been born, and enlisted in Leeds. As a West Riding man he was in B company. His widowed mother Ellen, 3 brothers and 3 sisters survived him

C/12758 Gaukroger, A, Ref II.A.45

Arthur Gaukroger also died of wounds on the 16th and his record shows that he too was in XV Corps Main Dressing Station. He was 21, and had been born in Leeds but lived in Bridlington, where his parents were hoteliers at the George Hotel and then the Victoria Buffet. Arthur was a barman, probably in the family hotel. He enlisted in Bridlington, and as an East Riding man, he was in A Company.

R/14563 Brown, H, Ref II.D.24

Henry Brown died of wounds on 5th October (SDGW). He was not an ‘original Yeoman’ (their numbers go from C/12000 to C/13100), but his service number, similar to those of Wigley and Hull mentioned in my post on the previous page, suggests that he went to Winchester after attesting to join the KRRC, and he may well, like them, have been drafted to make up the already slightly depleted numbers of the 21st battalion at Ploegsteert Wood on 21st June. He was born in Leicester and attested in Woolwich, according to SDGW.

I have been unable to find Brown’s military record. It is therefore not certain whether he died shortly after being wounded in the approach to Gird Ridge, or – like the other two – had been wounded at Flers. Even relevant census records have eluded me; perhaps someone else will find him. On the basis of the other two records it seems reasonable to assume he died in the same dressing station.

Liz

Edited 10 June , 2012 by Liz in Eastbourne