2/6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment

[GraemeClarke]

Morning,

I've just identified yet another man from Walsall who is not on the RoH.

Harold Nicklin was killed during attacks on Hill 35 on the night of Wednesday 5 September 1917.

Would anyone, by any chance, have the War Diary for the 2/6th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment for dates covering these attacks ie 5 and 6 September 1917 ??

Most grateful,

Regards,

Graeme

[Alan Tucker]

From my History of the Warwicks. Uses war diary....

Before dawn on September 4 their most forward trenches were evacuated to enable the ‘heavies’ to bombard Hill 35. The rest of that day was quiet apart from occasional heavy shelling of Pommern Castle. On September 5 six inch and eight inch howitzers shelled Hill 35 all day with armour-piercing and delayed action shells - no direct hit and some fell near their own line - and there was also harassing fire from 18 pounders on the gun emplacements there. This paved the way for another attack at 8.45 p.m. that evening. ‘B’ company led by Captain B.R Saunders attacked to the east of Pommern Castle. The creeping barrage began at a line roughly half way between Pommern Castle and the German emplacements. At zero +5 the creeping barrage was followed by ‘B’ company until zero+10 when it lifted off Hill 35 and continued on a ‘protective line’ for a further two hours. The company’s assault was ‘much broken up’ by machine gun fire but some portions of the second and third waves reached the emplacements where there was severe fighting for an hour. Then a heavy German barrage in response to a second SOS from their position fell on the northern and western sides of Hill 35 and about 50 yards from it as well as on Pommern Castle. This response made it very difficult to assist ‘B’ company. Despite small parties still trying to get into the emplacements the company was withdrawn to Pommern Castle at 11.30 p.m. The war diary recorded thirteen killed, 56 wounded and seven men missing. At a later date it took two infantry brigades to take the position.

In the early hours of September 6 the battalion relieved the 2/5 in right support. A day later they were relieved themselves and moved by light railway from St Jean to Query Camp at Vlamertinghe for refitting and rest. Sixty-two men had been killed between September 1-7, including 19 on September 6.

Other moves followed; September 12 to Ridge Camp, September 14 to Clyde Camp and on September 17 to billets in the Eecke area. On September 18 the battalion left Caestre station for Arras No 1 Station and onwards to billets at Dainville.

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Alan

Many thanks for the info., appreciate it.

Most annoying as I was only at St. Johns the other week !!!!!

Regards,

Graeme