Guest Nigel Manley Posted 3 June , 2013 Share Posted 3 June , 2013 I would be most appreciative if their is anyone out there who might help my search. My great uncle (George Clement Croom) enlisted in 1916 and was posted to the above despite being from north London. He was killed in action on the 26th June 1917 and we have been trying to locate as best we can where he died. No body was recovered and his name is on the wall of the war memorial in Arras. The books we have read place the DLI in the battle of Arras in the spring of 1917 but there is little mention of the 1/7th in the battle. At the weekend we went to Arras and traced the battle through to Wancourt Tower which is where we believe he is most likely to have died. I have not found the 1/7th mentioned on any trench map. Anything on the 1/7th from the middle of 1916 through to the battle of Arras would be very welcome. Nigel Manley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbw541 Posted 3 June , 2013 Share Posted 3 June , 2013 Hello, Welcome to the GWF. It sounds like you have already done a lot of research on your Gt. Uncle, so you may have already found this information. Pte G C Croom`s Service Papers have survived and they give a little more detail on his brief service. The Service papers also gives the names of Georges parents, brothers and sisters. Hopefully someone will come along soon to actual answer you question regarding the 7th Batt. D.L.I. Good luck with your research. Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 June , 2013 Share Posted 4 June , 2013 I have transcribed the diary but only the period up until they became a pioneer battalion in Nov 1915 although they did stay with the 50th Div as divisional pioneers. I have other diaries for the division which cover the period your after and they often mention the other Bns so I'll see if they say anything. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 4 June , 2013 Share Posted 4 June , 2013 I can't see any reference in the diaries I have for June 1917 so its possible that they weren't in the same area as the battalions I have the diaries for. They were clearly in action as 3 other men died the same day and his records show he was recorded , initially, as missing in action on the 26th June however it was until 1918 that he was declared as having been killed rather than captured. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Taylor Posted 4 June , 2013 Share Posted 4 June , 2013 Nigel On the 26th 150th Brigade made an attack on German trenches near Fontaine-les-Croisiles and captured a small section of trenches which were held for a day or so. The Germans reacted by shelling the area heavily and eradicating the trenches and much of the garrison; they then re-occupied these trenches. Whilst I have a lot of the diaries for 50th Division at this time I do not have that for 7th DLI. I would presume that they were in charge of digging trenches to link this new section of line with the British trench system. In this activity your ancestor may have been killed but the war diary will tell you for sure. I do not believe it had been digitized yet. On the other hand your man may have been killed during normal trench wastage elsewhere on the 50th Division front. Kind regards Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyneside Chinaman Posted 4 June , 2013 Share Posted 4 June , 2013 Hi, Clive Dunn has delivered the text of his 7/DLI history to Pen & Sword a couple of months ago. It is the lsat Bn of the Regiment to have a WW1 history published due out at the end of the year I believe. regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yardley Posted 12 June , 2013 Share Posted 12 June , 2013 3148 Pte David Stothard HALL of 1st/7th DLI was KIA on 14 September 1915. He is buried in the Strand Military Cemetery. Any information relating to this man or the actions of the Battalion on this day would be greatly appreciated. Extracts from the War Diary would be a great help. kind regards Yardley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 12 June , 2013 Share Posted 12 June , 2013 yardley You are in luck, its one of the 'bits' of the regiment I have The 13th seemed an 'interesting' day, and heres his headstone http://www.findagrav...&GRid=12733680 (Got a bit bored so I 'mucked about' with the picture for you) Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 12 June , 2013 Share Posted 12 June , 2013 The 13th seemed an 'interesting' day, i thought that too when I transcribed the diary - I got the feeling that the Germans were playing around a bit to see what could be achieved. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraemeClarke Posted 14 June , 2013 Share Posted 14 June , 2013 ????? Where are you Yardley, you've visited twice since the posting so Im bumping it up Regards, Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ohark Posted 18 November , 2013 Share Posted 18 November , 2013 Hi, Clive Dunn has delivered the text of his 7/DLI history to Pen & Sword a couple of months ago. It is the lsat Bn of the Regiment to have a WW1 history published due out at the end of the year I believe. regards John is there any further news on this publication? my great great grand father Sgt John O'Hara was KIA with them at Arras on 21/04/1917. I can find very little about their deployments after becoming a pioneer battalion or the type of duties and engagements they were involved with. any further info would be greatly appreciated regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin W Taylor Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 Kevin Whilst I don't know about the book I'd suggest getting a look at the war diary for 1/7th DLI which will tell you what they were involved in up to this time. As they have not been digitized you will need to visit Kew and look up file WO95/2823. Another kind soul may have a copy of may be able to get hold of it during a visit for you. Kind regards Colin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ohark Posted 20 November , 2013 Share Posted 20 November , 2013 Thanks Colin it is a tricky unit to get details on but thanks for the info Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CharlesHerbert Posted 29 August , 2014 Share Posted 29 August , 2014 Title The Fighting Pioneers: The Story of the 7th Battalion DLI Author Clive Dunn Publisher Pen & Sword Books Limited, 2015 ISBN 147382348X, 9781473823488 Length 320 pages Due for publication at the end of January - eagerly awaited. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CampbellSJ Posted 10 November , 2019 Share Posted 10 November , 2019 Which Division Diary would I purchase for Info on - Lavelle. Thomas . 52nd Grad Bn D.L.I. TR/5/118175. 1/7th D.L.I. 85184. Class Z . This all from the Medals Roll. He was on a injury list May 1918. Home in blighty wearing a wound strip shortly after. Being only 18 years old when he enlisted in 1917, I am guessing he was probably only in France for a very short time. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 10 November , 2019 Admin Share Posted 10 November , 2019 1 hour ago, CampbellSJ said: Which Division Diary would I purchase for Info on - Lavelle. Thomas . 52nd Grad Bn D.L.I. TR/5/118175. 1/7th D.L.I. 85184. Class Z . This all from the Medals Roll. He was on a injury list May 1918. Home in blighty wearing a wound strip shortly after. Being only 18 years old when he enlisted in 1917, I am guessing he was probably only in France for a very short time. Thanks You have posted on an old thread. Since 2014 the war diaries have been made available on Ancestry, which you are probably aware is free this weekend. The war diary for the 1/7 D.L.I. can be viewed here Other ranks are seldom mentioned in the war diaries. Following the German Spring Offensive the U.K. Government agreed men aged eighteen and a half with six months training in the U.K. could be sent on active service in France. He appears to have been in a draft with Pte 85185 Liddle whose record has survived and shows he was posted to France on the 5th April 1918 arriving at Etaples the following day and posted to the 1/7 and renumbered at the IBD on the 7th. They joined the Battalion on the 11th although no mention of their arrival in the war diary. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 10 November , 2019 Share Posted 10 November , 2019 (edited) Hi CampbellSJ , The man below him on the medal roll has surviving papers which (at least in part given the closeness of his TR and DLI numbers) may be relevant . It shows... Images sourced from Findmypast It points towards Thomas also going overseas on 5.4.1918, and being transferred/posted to the 1/7 DLI (whilst at 'E' Infantry Base Depot) on 7.4.1918 where he was allocated his new 85184 number. 3 hours ago, CampbellSJ said: He was on a injury list May 1918...I am guessing he was probably only in France for a very short time. I think that is probably most likely the case. His actual date of wounding would predate the list by several weeks. It might be possible to narrow down the actual date of wounding by looking for surviving service papers for other men from the DLI on the same list to see what they show. 3 hours ago, CampbellSJ said: Which Division Diary would I purchase As you appear to have access to Ancestry, the Bn war diary for April 1918 starts here. For more context it might be worth looking at the Division HQ (General Staff) diary (see here for what they were - Ancestry search page here, National Archives here). Regards Chris Edit: Same advice as Ken really: Edited 10 November , 2019 by clk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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