Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

1st/28th London Regt (Artist's Rifles)


Minerva

Recommended Posts

During my research of the Barnard Castle School ROH, I have come across two Old Boys who ended up joining the same Battalion and dying on the same day.

Does anyone have access to Regimental Diaries which would show what the action was on 30 October 1917? They are both on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

The School are doing a Battlefield trip shortly and I am doing short biographies of the old boys who are buried/remembered at location they will visit, so the present generation can pay their respects to the lost generation.

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

The Regimental Roll of Honour and war record of the artist rifles

which can be read as a E book here

on Page xxiv can be found a what the artists were up to in Oct 17

regards Ray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You may know this--Henry Jefferson's service papers are on Ancestry.com The records state "death presumed on 30 October, 1917," and on another page, "Missing 30-10-17 Death presumed." Let me know if you want hard copies, and I will send them to you if you PM me your address

Chris

764992 Henry Jefferson

Born Whitby, Yorks

Banker's clerk, age 31

Mobilized 15/01/17

Posted to 28th Londons, 18/01/17

Embarked Southampton, 19/03/17

Disembarked Havre 20/03/17

Joined unit 01/04/17

Missing 30/10/17, Death presumed

widow: Marion Jefferson, 4 Westbourne Park, Scarborough

personal items returned to her: Pipe, tobacco pouch, safety razor & blades in case

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 30th October 1917 the Artists Rifles were part of the 190th Brigade of the 63rd (RN) Division at Passchendaele.

That day the attack was launched at 5.50am and started badly;

'..the enemy unexpectedly altered their barrage line on the morning of the battle, and our troops suffered cruel losses in the opening seconds. When after the initial disaster, the assaulting battalions were reorganized, they had lost the barrage.

On the left of the front, the Artists Rifles, despite cruel losses, advanced on Source Trench, but were held up in front of it knee-deep in mud, by close range machine guns. Here, one company of this fine battalion was annihilated…………..Through the day the Brigade had a hard struggle to hold their own, but they gave little ground, ……………When the Artists had done all that was possible by frontal attack, the Division was asked early in the afternoon to try an attack from the right……..'

The final line that day 'established a defensive flank from that point (Source Farm) to the Artists' right at Varlet Farm.

The total casualties of the Division in their two advances had been 32 officers and 954 men killed or missing and 83 officers and 2,057 men wounded; and their task was still uncompleted.'

Details from Douglas Jerrold's history, 'The Royal Naval Division'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

Both Barker and Jefferson were presumed to have been Killed on the 30th Oct

on what was to become Known as the Battle for Passchendaele Ridge

Regards Ray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you have time, then try to get hold of 'War is War' by Ex-Private X, published in 1930 by Victor Gollancz Ltd., London. There was an extract covering this action, reprinted in Len Sellers' magazine 'RND' issue No. 22, Sept. 2002

You may also find it worthwhile to contact The Artists Rifles Association

Good luck

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MapRND30Oct19170001.jpg

This is part of a sketch map from Jerrold's divisional history

The solid line represents the position taken over from the 9th Division

The line of dashes represents the position after the first attack on 26th October

The dotted line represents the position after the second attack on 30th October 1917

Heights are given in metres

regards

Michael

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for this wonderful stuff, although harrowing

Regards

Pat

Hi

The Regimental Roll of Honour and war record of the artist rifles

which can be read as a E book here

on Page xxiv can be found a what the artists were up to in Oct 17

regards Ray

Brilliant - thank you.

Pat

MapRND30Oct19170001.jpg

This is part of a sketch map from Jerrold's divisional history

The solid line represents the position taken over from the 9th Division

The line of dashes represents the position after the first attack on 26th October

The dotted line represents the position after the second attack on 30th October 1917

Heights are given in metres

regards

Michael

Yes, they were obviously lost in the mud.

Hi

Both Barker and Jefferson were presumed to have been Killed on the 30th Oct

on what was to become Known as the Battle for Passchendaele Ridge

Regards Ray

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
Guest Bluebells

We are also researching an individual from the Artists Rifles who died on October 30th 1917 in the Battle for Passchendaele Ridge. His name was Robert Ashley Crowder and he was 21 when he died. All the letters he wrote home to his parents were kept. When are hoping to make a short film about Robert's family during the war to mark the centenary of the outbreak next year. We will not attempt to tell his story from the battle field, but from the home front. Here is a taste if one of his letters:

We are still raising the funds to make this film, so (apart from this preview) we have not started filming. I have so many small questions I need answers to and I thought the Great War Forum would be the best place to get answers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Bluebells

PS - the explanation for my user name is that in one of his letters, when Robert was in training in London, he mentions that the Artists are nicknamed 'Blubells'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for posting that Bluebells. You should post it on a seperate thread for a wider audience.

Regards,

Sean.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...