brimacombe Posted 1 January , 2011 Share Posted 1 January , 2011 The only Tank Corps man on my 'Holsworthy' list. 95276 Gnr F W H Littlejohns DOW on 2 August 1917. I'm trying to put together a biography and wonder if anyone can give me an idea of the units operations in July/August of that year. I have no other information at all regarding this individual (apart from the few details from SDGW and CWGC). Any information, either about 'G' Bn or more specifically about Littlejohns, would be a great help. Thanks guys Shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brimacombe Posted 1 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 1 January , 2011 Have found the "Landships" web site which gives an account of the actions of 19 and 21 coys, G Bn on 31st July 1917 at Ypres. Now, it appears that Littlejohns MIGHT have been part of the crew of G2 2308 'Grouse' which was hit during the action, the OIC (Lt Mawer) and 5OR's wounded. There don't appear to be any other references to others wounded during the action. I know this is all presumption at the moment, but can anyone add anything to it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 2 January , 2011 Share Posted 2 January , 2011 Try this site. The use of colour coding on the site doesn't work well as it's hard to read some colours against the background. If you have trouble, highlight the text with your mouse and it should be readable. I agree Grouse looks likely but could be impossible to say for sure. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVB Posted 2 January , 2011 Share Posted 2 January , 2011 at least the tank G11, 2769, Glamorgan commanded by 2/Lt Lynch should also be taken into account as it got a direct hit and the whole crew was killed. The commander is buried on ST.-JULIEN DRESSING STATION CEMETERY Littlejohns himself resting in Essex Farm Cemetery. Johan Vanbeselaere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brimacombe Posted 2 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2011 Hi JVB. I had seen that but discounted it because Littlejohns died of wounds. I have now found a local newspaper report that might mean I'm on the wrong track altogether, possibly. It states that his mother had recieved LETTERS from France telling of his being wounded and taken to hospital and also a letter sympathising with her on his death. Now, I guess it's still plausable that he was wounded on 31st and letters were written almost immediately informing his mother, followed almost immediately by one informing her of his death. But.... It all seems a bit quick... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVB Posted 2 January , 2011 Share Posted 2 January , 2011 Hi JVB. I had seen that but discounted it because Littlejohns died of wounds. I have now found a local newspaper report that might mean I'm on the wrong track altogether, possibly. It states that his mother had recieved LETTERS from France telling of his being wounded and taken to hospital and also a letter sympathising with her on his death. Now, I guess it's still plausable that he was wounded on 31st and letters were written almost immediately informing his mother, followed almost immediately by one informing her of his death. But.... It all seems a bit quick... done some further research : as Glamorgan was completely destroyed on 31st july, all of them should have been killed. I do find 7 soldiers of G Bttn who died on 31st July including commander Lynch. The other 6 all being missed and mentioned on the Menin Gate. Another G Bttn soldier also on Menin Gate but with the date of 2 august. There's a possibility all this ones are from Glamorgan. I do find besides Litteljohns two others from G Bttn who died on august 2nd. So it seems that your initial guess might be not that bad at all, but we will probably never be albe to find out really. I do not find having done a quick search other wounded in any tank, but that does not mean there were not ! All of them are remembered on the Tank Memorial Ypres Salient and especially on the crosses of the garden of remembrance, all of them having received a personalised poppy cross with their name on ! As we are gathering information on all the tankvictims in the salient, the newspaper information might be interesting to us ! Johan Vanbeselaere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brimacombe Posted 2 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2011 Thanks for your thoughts. Would be more than happy to email a copy of the cutting, plus all other information i have regarding Littlejohns (including his grave photo). If you feel it might be of use Pm me with your email address and I'll sort it out tomorrow. Regards Shawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brimacombe Posted 2 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 2 January , 2011 Johan, Just a thought, did the other two G Bn men who died on 2nd die of wounds or were they kia'd? Also, what mk. of tank was the Bn equipped with at this time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 Shawn, I can't help with identifying the tank, but logic (!!) dictates that Littlejohns died of his wounds at Essex Farm Dressing Station. The CWGC cemetery info shows:- The land south of Essex Farm was used as a dressing station cemetery from April 1915 to August 1917. The burials were made without definite plan and some of the divisions which occupied this sector may be traced in almost every part of the cemetery, but the 49th (West Riding) Division buried their dead of 1915 in Plot I, and the 38th (Welsh) Division used Plot III in the autumn of 1916 . A Dressing Station sounds as if only very rudimentary "first aid" was carried out, prior to moving the casualty for treatment to Clearing Stations and Field Hospitals.... and that therefore his wounding might have only occurred shortly before his death. If he was in Lynch's tank, then surely he would have been treated at the same Dressing Station (St Julien) rather than taken elsewhere. That may help rule out G11 "Glamorgan".... Perhaps a trench map of the area showing where various tanks were may help suggest which one(s?) was closer to Essex Farm. He does appear to be the only Tank Corps casualty between 31st July and 5th August in Essex Farm. I hope this helps a bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 3 January , 2011 Share Posted 3 January , 2011 G Battalion were operating Mark IVs at this time. Some supply tanks were converted Mark I and II tanks, but G2 and G11 were both Mark IVs. From the number of G2, i.e. 2308, this was a Mark IV Male tank built by Fosters of Lincoln. G11's number, 2769, tells me it was a Mark IV Female built by Metropolitan in Birmingham. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 4 January , 2011 Share Posted 4 January , 2011 See http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66246&st=0&p=585363&hl=+tanks%20+kitchener%20+wood&fromsearch=1entry585363 Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulianB Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 This is a long shot but could I possibly ask any G / 7 Bn afficianados if they have ever come across a Pte 40114 James Henderson Reid who served with G / 7 Bn from its beginnings in UK until the end of the war. thanks again ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 War diary extract for 2nd August... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 Interestingly, I notice that Littlejohns name doesn't appear in the roll of honour from the 7th Bn's battalion History... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 Hi Shawn. Pte Littlejohns,F,W,H Service number 95276. His town of residence was Holwill. Regards Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew pugh Posted 5 January , 2011 Share Posted 5 January , 2011 Hi Again Shawn. That came from the roll of Honour list in the book called Tank Corps Honours and awards 1916-1919. Regards Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
17tankman Posted 12 January , 2011 Share Posted 12 January , 2011 Littlejohn was definately in the 7th Batt - his number conforms with the 7th Batt as there was a large block of those numbers issued to 7th. Hope this helps Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghchurcher Posted 13 March , 2015 Share Posted 13 March , 2015 (edited) Following up this old thread. The Ypres tanks are Mark IVs and have a crew of 8. The only tank (from the landships site summary) destroyed with casualties (OiC and all crew) was G11. There are 7 "G" Battalion Tank Corps casualties listed on CWGC for 31st July 1917. 2Lt Lynch, L/Cpl Barlow and Ptes Bousfield, Baines, Pattinson, Quinn and Williams. Additionally by chance I noticed the Sept casualty list shows 1169 Sgt TB Maloney to be a Tank Corps casualty on 31st July. Having checked the G Battalion Roll of Honour (shown also above) he is listed as a G Battalion casualty. At this stage therefore it is not unreasonable to assume Maloney was the 8th member of the crew. G11 received a direct hit, and caught fire killing all the occupants. He, like the others, has no known grave and they are commemorated on the Menin Gate Panel 56. (Lynch is an oddity on the CWGC records in so far as he is listed under St Julien Dressing Station Cemetery and Panel 56 (presumably meaning Menin gate) so Im not so sure that the St Julian entry is not in fact an error or typo?) The 7th Battalion Short History, from which the Roll of Honour above comes makes reference under the narrative of the day that there was 1 Officer and 11 OR Casualties. This is not born out by the Date of Death register of the CWGC which has 7+Maloney, so 8. There are two additional MGC entries for that day without a unit indicated but neither appear on the 7th Bat RoH above. So it is likely that the additional 3 casualties referred to in the History are in fact later Died of Wounds including Littlejohn on 2nd August, and by all accounts he is indeed likely to have been in G2 (assuming indeed he was 7th Battalion as indicated by CWGC and above, for as has been pointed out he is not on their RoH - and this must be an omission) Hope that helps ! Edited 14 March , 2015 by Geoffrey Churcher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidearm Posted 14 March , 2015 Share Posted 14 March , 2015 G11's number, 2769, tells me it was a Mark IV Female built by Metropolitan in Birmingham. Gwyn Just taking the opportunity to correct an error revealed by later research. 2769 was part of the Metropolitan order for Mark IV Females but was actually built by one of their constituent companies, The Patent Shaft and Axletree Company, at Wednesbury. Gwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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