Kings Royal Rifles 16th Battalion

[Tank]

Four of the men on my village war memorial were in the Kings Royal Rifles 16th Battalion and I'm hoping someone can help identify where they were or what they were up to on the dates below.

Sgt Lester Green C/213 was the first victim on 15th July 1916

Pte Ernest Overton R/19431 is next on 25 Aug ust 1916

Pte Benjamin Wright R/18805 is next on 7 November 1916

finally his brother Pte William Wright R/18804 on 13 April 1918

I know another of the men listed died from a gass attack nearly two years after the event so a date is just a date but at least I'll have some form of foundation.

Many thanks in advance

[MBrockway]

15 July 1916 - Battle of the Somme. Attack on HIGH WOOD - heavy losses by the battalion

25 Aug 1916 - Still on The Somme. Relieved by 1/Middlesex and proceeded to CARLTON TRENCH to the SW of LONGUEVAL. Later moved back to MAMETZ WOOD. On the previous day (24 Aug 1916) the battalion had attacked and captured TEA TRENCH just N of DELVILLE WOOD towards FLERS. Rfn Overton was probably injured during this attack, though as you say, any Date of Death is no certain indication of the action when the fatal injury was sustained.

07 Nov 1916 - Still on The Somme. Relieved by 2/East Lancs and proceeded to the hutted camp at CARNOY and then to CITADEL CAMP. On 05 Nov, the battalion had attacked HAZY TRENCH in the LES BOEUFS area. The attack was very successful, but some casualties were taken.

13 April 1918 - German Spring Offensive. Defending a heavy German attack in the NEUVE EGLISE area SW of MESSINES. After heavy fighting in early morning mist, the remains of the battalion regrouped at HILL 70 to the S of MOUNT KEMMEL. Losses 12-17 April 1918 were 544 other ranks and most of the officers.

Serjeant Green's C/213 service number indicates he was almost certainly one of the Church Lads Brigade members who formed the original establishment of the battalion. The heavy losses at High Wood on the 15 July 1916 meant that the CLB identity of the battalion was much diluted thereafter.

Cheers,

Mark

[Tank]

Outstanding Mark and yes Chris Burge had previosuly flagged Lester Green as a member of the Church Lads although I could see how they'd joined together, I hadn't appreciated they were at the spear head.

Thanks very much.

[conijoni]

I post a picture of C/213 Sergeant L Green, formerly of the Ibstock Church Lads Brigade Company. I cannot provide photographs of the other men.

[MBrockway]

Johnny,

The two brothers, Benjamin Thirlby and William Thirlby WRIGHT, both enlisted initially into the RAMC before transferring into 16/KRRC. They went out to France with the RAMC on the same day - 24 Feb 1915 - but do not have consecutive RAMC service numbers, so may have been in separate units.

Might they have been churchmen and thus possible former Church Lads Brigade members also? Do you have any record of them being in the CLB?

Their KRRC service numbers of R/18805 and R/18804 respectively suggest they did transfer together.

Ernest Davis OVERTON, R/19431, was only 19 when he fell in August 1916, so would have been too young to enlist into the original 16/KRRC establishment, hence the R prefix. Again, could he have been a former CLB member?

Overton was also only eligible for the pair, so he must have gone out after 01 Jan 1916. His later service number suggests his enlistment was later than the Wright brothers' transfer.

There's a strong tradition of KRRC recruitment in the East Midlands coalfields anyway, so enlistment into 16/KRRC does not necessarily point to former CLB membership.

Cheers,

Mark

[MBrockway]

Tank,

I've just found the Ibstock 16/KRRC were already covered in two Topics started by Chris Burge back in 2010.

See here:

16th KRRC - 4 Casualties on Ibstock War Memorial

Where they ex. Church Lad's Brigade?

Cheers,

Mark