Trying to narrow down search for possible grave

[bts1970]

Good evening

One of the lads of my list, he has no known grave. He was killed early on in the War

DRURY, Private Henry, Philip.

Enlisted: Devizes.

Age given: Born Greenhill, Purton.

Address / Next Of Kin, family details: Swindon.

MIC details / Medal entitlement.

6444 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment.

British War Medal, Victory Medal, 14 Star (Clasp).

Extracts from: Wilshire Regiment records.

31/08/1914 Arrived in France (Detail from MIC) at St Nazaire.

05/09/1914 Draft replacements of 89 men joined the 1st Battalion at Chartres, France.

22/09/1914 Killed in action during the battle of the Marne and Aisne; the 1st Battalion was in the village of Braine on this date. Details from the Wiltshire Regiment includes a record of a grave “Near quarry in wood 1 mile NE VAILLY. Not marked” (Reported by) OIC 1st Wilts Regt.

Death / Burial / Memorial details.

Killed in action 22nd September 1914. Henry has no known grave. Commemorated on the LA FERTE SOUS – DOUARRE MEMORIAL.

Evidence for inclusion on the Purton Parish list: Wiltshire Regiment records, SDGW listing.

I wonder if he made it into a CWGC plot, could this be the closest cemetary to the location?

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=2067106&mode=1

Unfortunately the 7 burials are all Airmen,presume they are all WW2.

Can anyone tell me the cemetary that bodies were concentrated post WW1 in this region.

Best regards

Bob

[Michelle Young]

There are a fair few 1st Wilts in Vailly British cemetery.

Michelle

[KevinBattle]

Bob, yes the 7 are aircrew, no doubt carefully looked after by the village.

405 (RCAF) Squadron Lancaster B Mk III. Serial Number JB684. Squadron Code: LQ-U

Operation: Laon. 22nd/23rd April 1944

JB684 was delivered to 405 Sqdn from No.7 Sqdn on 11^thDec 1943. Undertook no operations with No.7 Sqdn and no other operationalhistory traced. When lost this aircraft had a total of 263 hours. Airborne 2223 on 22^nd Apr 1944 from Gransden Lodge, to bomb the railway yards at Laon.Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed, bursting into flames, at Conde sur Aisne(Aisne), 12 km E of Soissons. All are buried in the Communal Cemetery at Conde surAisne, which is roughly 350 metres SW of the village church.

F/Sgt R.A. Saltzberry RCAF KIA; Sgt G.R. Berkey RCAF KIA; WO2 W.R. Oliver RCAF KIA; F/Sgt E.L. Alberts RCAF KIA; Sgt S. Bosworth KIA; P/O J.M. Tonkyn KIA; Sgt J. Grodecki RCAF KIA. Lloyd is in Grave 1; Saltzberry 2; Bosworth 3; and Grosecki Grave 6. the 3 remaining (Berkey, Oilver and Tonkyn couldn't be individually identified and are in Collective Grave 4/5... ) My maths isn't great but I'm sure there's an explanation!

Sorry, appears off topic, but I was confirming your suspicion that the graves were WW2...

The 1st Battn lost 6 men killed that day, 4 are in Vailly, the other 2 are on the La Ferte sous Jouare.

001BUSHNELLGH63181ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT002DRURYHP64441ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT003FREESTONJF60851ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT004HILLIERA89951ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT005JEFFREYSGL63821ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT006STAGGRJ60801ST BN22/09/1914WILTSHIRE REGIMENT

[bts1970]

Like many of my lads not listed on known graves i am trying to find as much info as possible. Its a shame that Henry appears to have been buried in a known & marked location only to be lost over the coming years like so many others.

Bob

[RBK1]

I would concur with Michelle on this Bob: there is a fair percentage of 1st Wilts buried in Vailly British Cemetery from the action around the 20th September 1914. This cemetery was an entirely post-Armistice concentration cemetery, built to receive nearby exhumations of the Clearance Teams from the surrounding battlefield.

Incidentally, the quarry in the wood that is mentioned in the diary, is the site of the Forward HQ of the 1st Wilts and, in particular, the site of strong enemy advance and engagement on the 20th September.

I note that quite a few of the records of those 1st Wilts killed in action at this time give a date of death as 22 September, but it is more than likely that Private Drury's actual date of death is infact the 20th.

Of 17 men from the 1st Wilts, killed at this time: 6 are on La Ferte sous Jouarre [including Private Drury], 2 are presumably died of wounds and buried at Braine, with the remaining 9 buried in Vailly.

However, of these 9 burials, only one has a 'marked' grave with headstone [Private Bushnell] and all remaining 8 are, infact, Special Memorials [known/believed to be buried] which is entirely consistent with these 8 reburials having been made from a former burial plot nearby, but one where records of the dead had been made and kept.

Reason leans towards the probability that if these 8 men were collected and reburied in Vailly then likely others, where their details/records were not known or available, most probably were too.

Not an exact science I'm afraid, but my inclination would go with Vailly.

[bts1970]

RBK

Many thanks for your post, as you say not an exact science but as good an idea as possible i think given the limited detail we know for sure. Do you have a specific interest in the Wilts lads or the area iteslf?

Best regards

Bob

[RBK1]

Apart from being a 'Moonraker in Exile', I have a special interest in the 1st Wilts and am trying at the moment to locate an officer's original grave from this same action. I am interested in where you found that reference to Private Drury's burial, Bob. It also supports my feeling that his date of death is the fighting on the 20th - the burials [likely some or all of the others now on La Ferte sous Jouarre] would have been made post-engagement, a day or two later.

If you need any more info on anything connected with this, please feel free to pm me. I have a couple of maps you might be interested in.

Mary

[truthergw]

Hi Bob. Just one point and you may be well aware of it. As well as area of burial, the cemetery where men's remains were interred also depended on when they were found. As time wore on, open cemeteries reduced in number and remains sometimes were taken quite a distance, bypassing local cemeteries which were no longer being used.

[bts1970]

This is the upto date entry i have compiled for Henry.

DRURY, Private Henry, Philip.

Pre WW1 enlistment: 22/10/1903, B Coy. Devizes.

Age given: Born Greenhill, Purton.

Address / Next Of Kin, family details: Swindon.

MIC details / Medal entitlement.

6444 1st Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment.

British War Medal, Victory Medal, 14 Star (Clasp).

Extracts from: Wilshire Regiment records.

31/08/1914 Arrived in France (Detail from MIC) at St Nazaire.

19/09/1914 Joined the Battalion.

20/09/1914 Battalion War Diary entry; (Sunday) Third reinforcement of about 90 rank and file under 2nd Lieut Gaskell arrived, and posted to companies. Enemy engaged some of our front trenches between 8 and 9a.m. and shelled us 11 to 12 noon. A party of enemy estimated at 200 with machine guns got through some dense wood in the line and rushing on got on flank of the rear of trenches held by Worcester Regiment, and this broke the line at this point. Enemy pushed on and seriously threatened the right of our position, but, eventually stopped within 50 and 100 yards of our position, (as it was then). During this time a lot a close fighting took place. One of our guns on our right now shelled the wood held by the enemy with very good effect. Enemy fell back a little and started entrenching themselves on two commanding and almost bare knolls which they had gained. Our gun again shelled them out of this. While all this was happening C B and D Coys from W to E on the high ground above held their position, but were engaged with parties of the enemy sent to try and work round their rear. At 5p.m. a general advance ordered with all troops on right (about 200 men of Wiltshire, Worcesters, South Lancs Regiment) at 5.45p.m we regained our former line, and, connected with the Companies on our left. Enemy retired leaving many dead and wounded. In this fight the Battalion had Lieut Col Hasted Commanding wounded. Capt Reynolds and Lieut Cruikshank killed, wounded or missing. Major J Roche was now ordered to take Command of the Battalion and also of the right section of the area held by the 7th Inf Brigade in which were also 1 Coy Worcester Regt and 1 Coy S Lancs Regt. This section was reinforced this night by four Machine guns. 2 of the 12th Lancers and 2 of the 19th Hussars. No further attack this night, informed that the Brigade would be relieved by another within next 26 hours. 2nd Lieut Roseveare died of his wounds same evening.

21/09/1914 Battalion War Diary entry; (Monday) Endeavoured to make position more difficult of entry. Shelled. Got 2 new machine guns in place those lost on August 26th near LE CATEAU. 4th Brigade on our right attacked about 6pm. An attempt to draw our fire by the enemy firing at long range from his trenches was made at 7pm and was successful from enemy's point of view as an almost continuous fusillade went on throughout the night in some parts of the line. This wild firing at night badly wants checking and discouraging.

22/09/1914 Battle of the Marne and Aisne; the 1st Battalion was in the village of Braine.

22/09/1914 Battalion War Diary entry; (Tuesday) Shropshire Light Infantry 16th Brigade 6th Division arrived at 4am and took over part of right Section relieving C and B Coys before daylight. Remainder of 7th Inf Brigade and H Q withdrew during early morning to BRAINE and thereabouts. Wilts Regiment and 1 Coy South Lancs ordered to stand fast in their position till relieved following night by Norfolk Regiment. Movement across the pontoon bridge at VAILLY being only possible at night. We now came temporarily under the Command of the G O C 16th Inf Brigade: Norfolks arrived at 9pm took over remaining Section of the line. Usual night firing took place just as they were relieving us. Assembled Battalion at 12pm marched off for VAILLY where we picked up our first line transport. Crossed the AISNE and reached BRAINE at 12.30am on 23rd Sept where we went into billets having been nine days in this position N of the river where the hardships were considerable. (Reproduced with permission from The Wardrobe).

Death / Burial / Memorial details.

There is some confusion regarding the casualty listing for Henry. According to the CWGC / SDGW he is recorded as killed in action 22nd September 1914. However in the Regimental archives I found an entry in the casualty listings that he was reported KIA by OC 1st Wilts on the 20th September. The burial book listing of the 22nd September suggests that whilst he was killed on the 20th his body was not recovered or buried until the 22nd.

Henry has no known grave. Commemorated on the LA FERTE SOUS – DOUARRE MEMORIAL. The Wiltshire Regiment records in Salisbury record a burial “Near quarry in wood 1 mile NE VAILLY. Not marked” reported 29/05/1915 OIC 1 Wilts Regiment.

Evidence for inclusion on the Purton Parish list: Wiltshire Regiment records, SDGW listing.

[bts1970]

From the Wilts archives regarding burials.

20 September 1914

7 men are recorded killed for this date, 5 are commemorated on a special memorial in Vailly the other 2 are remembered on the memorial at La Ferte.

2 of the men Brockway & Cole have entries recording a burial at the same location (Quarry)as my man Drury.

The 2 officers named above were buried at a different location, they are remembered on the La Ferte memorial as well

Bob

[SheridanP]

I am consolidating the latest information about Henry here: http://www.woottonbassettinthegreatwar.uk/henry-philip-drury/and would be grateful for anything which can be added to the research to date.