A/298th North Midlands Brigade RFA

[tinlizzy]

Gas Shell - lethal   What were those shells? I'm sorry I know nothing about them.  I saw a picture of soldiers blinded, walking in a line.  Is that what those shells caused? (apart from explosion?)

William Wallis was buried in St Pierre cemetery in Amiens.  I have located his grave as in graphic above.

I'm hoping to put a timeline graphic (or video) together to send to the family in time for 11am tomorrow.  Not sure if I can do it, but I'm going to try to figure it out, and thanks to you for helping me.  I'm still trying to find footage from April 17th or thereabouts so we can see what they all went through

Have just looked at photos... shocking

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Edited 10 November , 2016 by tinlizzy

[tinlizzy]

I am revisiting this thread and thank you all once again for your help.  I watched many videos...was just awful to see what they went through.

I have been trying to determine which war he died in and where.  I have narrowed it down to The Battles of the Lys  but still not sure exactly which one it may have been. as it doesn't show 298th. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
  http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battles-of-the-lys-1918/

[Ron Clifton]

Hello tinlizzy

 

From 31 January to 21 April 1918 298 Brigade RFA were attached to III Corps which was part of Fifth Army. References to Amiens and Villers-Bretonneux in the records suggest that he was wounded somewhere in that vicinity, rather than further north in the Lys area. The dates ascribed to the various battles are cut-off points based on when the main fighting had died down, but it looks slightly more likely that he was wounded during "Michael" (the first phase of the German offensive) rather than "Georgette": possibly in either the Battle of the Avre on 4 April or the Battle of the Aisne on 5 April, but the only battle in which III Corps took part was the Battle of St Quentin on 21-23 March. His death at a CCS on 18 April seems a little late for that, but not impossible.

 

The gas shells you mention in your post last year were broadly of two types. One type (typically phosgene) attacked the lining of the lungs, and the other caused partial (and usually temporary) blindness through attacking the tear ducts. There is a famous photo of a line of blindfolded men, each with his hand on the shoulder of the man in front - is this the one you mean? That would almost certainly represent casualties from the tear gas, since they were able to walk. At the time of the Armistice, there one German soldier who was recovering after being blinded by tear gas - his name was Hitler.

 

Ron

Edited 11 November , 2017 by Ron Clifton

[tinlizzy]

Once again.... Thank you so much.

I discovered the photo I was referring to was actually the same 55 ambulance division on April 10th 1918. Ten days before my grandfather died...

When I saw it I hoped my grandad didn't die this way...  Sadly he did.