Staff officers Egypt

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

I am after some Bio details on these British Staff officers in Egypt;

LAYCOCK JF LtCol British Army RA CRA HQ Anzac MD 1916-17 DSO

BARLOW CL Maj British Army Intell offcier HQ Anzac MD 1916-17 to LtCol DSO

FERGUSON VM Col British Army Staff (GSO) DMC 1916-17 DSO

KERSHAW SH Maj British Army Staff (GSO) DMC 1916-17

Most of these officers types have a write up in the known sourses, AOWH (Gullet) and BOWH (Falls) but no record of them?

They were all on Staff during late 1916 to early 1917 with the DMC or Anzac Mounted Div.

Just a basic outline would do or point me in the right direction.

Cheers

S.B

[Carmania]

This from Who Was Who:

LAYCOCK, Brig.-General Sir Joseph (Frederick) KCMG, 1919 (CMG 1917); DSO 1900

Born 12 June 1867; o s of late R. Laycock, MP, and Annie, 2nd d of Christian Allhusen, of Stoke Court, Bucks; m 1902; Katherine M., 3rd d of late Hon. Hugh Henry Hare; two s two d ; died 10 Jan. 1952

Nottinghamshire Horse Artillery (Territorial Army)

Education: Eton; Oxford

Career: Served S. Africa, 1899–1900 (despatches twice, Queen’s medal 6 clasps, DSO); European War, 1914–18 (despatches, Bt Lt-Col, CMG); Zone Commander, Home Guard, Notts.; DL Notts.; Lord High Steward of Retford

Recreation: Fox-hunting and shooting

Clubs: Turf, White’s, Royal Automobile; Royal Yacht Squadron (Cowes)

Address: Wiseton, Doncaster; Wiseton 24

Aled

[David Porter]

Steve,

There is a breakdown of the wartime service of Lt-Col. Vivian Moffat Fergusson (via docs at IWM) here:

Vivian Moffat Fergusson

David

[Terry_Reeves]

By September 1918, SH Kershaw was a T Lt Col serving as GSO1 with 54 (East Anglian) Division.

TR

[ddycher]

Steve

This from a very incomplete biography of Sidney Kershaw from my on going work on the 75th Division :

Sidney Hardinge Kershaw was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers after passing out from Sandhurst. Have not as yet spent much time on his early career but he was appointed to staff (3rd Grade) on 5th August 1914. Gazetted to Bde Major on 16th October 1915. He then moved to General Staff at Grade 2 on 5th April 1916 when he was filling a yet to be determined position at GHQ. Briefly acting as Act’g B.-G.G.S XX Corps from the 2nd~22nd August 1917 he was then appointed to the 75th Division; where he was GSO.1 from the 6th December 1917 ~ 20th May 1918 (this is the period I am particularly interesed in). He went on leave from the 20th May 1918 ~ 14th August 1918. A long leave I have as yet not been able to detail. He returned to Egypt picking up his post in the 75th Division 14th – 30th August 1918. On his return to Egypt he was quickly transferred to the 54th Division during the restructuring of that division in the August and then served with them for the remainder of the war against the Turks as GSO.1 of 54th Division 28th August 1918 - 30th September 1919.

He was awarded the DSO, but I as of yet have no detail, and was gazetted as a Major (temp Lt.-Col.) to be Brevet Lt.-Col. on 1st January 1919.

Lots more work to do on this biography but I hope this helps. I would love to supplement my work with anything additional you have.

Let me know.

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Steve

A quick follow up.

Having checked this evening there is nothing in Prestons history of the DMC associating Kershaw with this corps (However this covers the later part of the campaign). Where did your ref for this come from ? It does though makes sense and fills a gap for me but I had no prior ref. I will check Beckes again this weekend but would appreciate any insight here.

Regards

Dave

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Yes these names come from a letter by Chetwode following the Rafa battle.

I enclose the letter from Bill's site;

"The Desert Column, Chetwode Letter

The following is a transcription of the letter of General Chetwode from the War Diary of the Desert Column, about their role at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.

Headquarters

Desert Column

17 January 1917

To

Headquarters

Eastern Force

I forward herewith a descriptive diary of events of the affair at Rafa, together with sketches and plans of the enemy works.

When daylight broke the ground was seen to be almost entirely open and devoid of cover, while the immediate neighbourhood of the works was almost a glacis.

I confess that I thought the task was almost beyond the capacity of dismounted cavalry to carry through, and it is difficult for me to express my admiration for the dash and gallantry with which the thin dismounted lines, with little or no depth, kept up the forward impulse, and finally stormed the enemy position.

This result was largely due to the close support and good shooting of the RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) and the Hong Kong and Singapore Battery under Colonel JF Laycock, DSO, CRA, A & NZ Mounted Division, and the "B" Battery, HAC (Honourable Artillery Company).

When all behaved so well before the enemy, it is almost invidious to select one unit or formation for special praise, but I am sure all who witnessed the action will agree that good as the work was, by the ANZAC Mounted Division, the ICC and the 5th Mounted Brigade, that of the New Zealand Mounted Brigade under the able leadership of Brigadier-General EWC Chaytor, CB, stood out, and that their brilliant assault and capture of the Reduit, finally broke the enemy resistance.

I have again to express my indebtedness to Major General HG Chauvel, CB, CMG, commanding the A & NZ Mounted Division, to whom the conduct of the main attack was entrusted and who handled his troops with conspicuous success.

The complicated arrangements for the march, the approach, and the withdrawal, all conducted in the dark, worked without a hitch, under the direction of Colonel VM Fergusson, DSO, and Major SH Kershaw, General Staff, Desert Column.

Colonel CG Powles, DSO, AA & QMG, A & NZ Mounted Division, made all the arrangements at Sheikh Zowaiid for the return, feeding and watering of the tired troops in the dark and the reception of the wounded. It is enough to say that no one was kept waiting a moment.

The RFC (Royal Flying Corps), under Colonel Joubert, did yeoman service, with the artillery, by offensive action from the air, and in keeping me continually informed as to the situation and the movements of neighbouring hostile forces.

The devotion of Colonel HM Downes, ADMS, A & NZ Mounted Division and his staff, who were operating and attending to the wounded for 36 hours continuously maintained the best traditions of their Corps.

I am much indebted to Major CL Barlow, DSO, Intelligence Officer, for guiding the Column to the exact spot indicated to him, and for his assistance in dealing with hostile Arabs and others.

Philip W Chetwode

Lieutenant General

Commanding Desert Column"

Do you have any thing on Maj Barlow DSO Intell officer?

Cheers

S.B

[David Porter]

From http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/searchcataloguearchive/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=29305

D.S.O. London Gazette 8 November 1915: ‘Charles Leslie Barlow, Major, The Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire Regt.), attached Essex Regt. For distinguished service in the field during the operations at the Dardanelles.’

M.I.D. London Gazette 5 November 1915 and 1 December 1916.

Charles Leslie Barlow was born on 8 June 1877, and entered the Army as Second Lieutenant, West Yorkshire Regiment, on 18 October 1899. He served in South Africa during the Boer War 1899-1901, and was present at the relief of Ladysmith, including action at Colenso, operations of 17 to 24 January 1900 (wounded 21 January), and action at Spion Kop; operations in Natal, March to June 1900, including action at Laing’s Nek (6 to 9 June); operations in the Transvaal, east and west of Pretoria, July to November 1900; operations in the Transvaal, 30 November 1900 to April 1901.

After serving for nearly a year in India, Barlow was seconded for service with the King’s African Rifles from 15 April 1902. He took part in the operations in East Africa 1902, under the command of Lieutenant F. W. O. Maycock, Suffolk Regiment, for which he received the medal with clasp. This clasp would appear to be the rarest of the entire series, being awarded to only two Army officers (Maycock and Barlow), 6 political officers, one civilian surgeon, and 68 members of 3 K.A.R. and the East African Police, a total of just 78. Barlow subsequently took part in the operations of May to July 1905 in the Sotik country of East Africa, earning a second clasp to his medal.

Barlow was attached to the Egyptian Army from 21 May 1909, and was promoted to Captain the following February. He served during the Great War in Egypt from August 1914, and subsequently in the Dardanelles (despatches and D.S.O.). Promoted to Major in September 1915, Barlow was appointed second-in-command of the 1st/5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 15 September 1917, the battalion then serving in Egypt, and took command of the battalion on 4 October 1917. Accompanying the battalion to France, Barlow was killed in action in the fighting at Hill 158, near Beugneux, on 1 August 1918. He is buried in Oulchy-le-Chateau Churchyard Extension, Aisne, France. He was previously buried in Beugneux British Cemetery which contained 36 British soldiers, mainly of the 1st/5th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, who were killed on the 1st August, 1918.

[ddycher]

Steve

Thanks for the Rafa ref. Sorry I dont have anything I can add on Barlow.

Regards

Dave

[stevenbecker]

Mates,

Many thanks for that, the details filled a number of holes (names) thrown up by Chatwode's letter of whom I had no record of.

Cheers

S.B