Anyone the Regimental history of the 34th London Regt?

[von Smallhausen]

Dear friends,

I'm looking for information about the 34th London Regiment. I am particulary interested in 5 november 1918. Some patrols made an attack against Calonne ( S.of Tournai, Belgium) and so far I was not able to find which battalion was involved.

Since I found 7 Londoners died on the 5th November in cemeteries in the area, the 34th Bn.London Rgt. might have been involved.

Thank you for your help,

Jef

[squirrel]

From the Long Long Trail:

34th (County of London) Battalion
Formed in Clacton-on-Sea in early June 1918. On 27 June, the Bn moved to Aldershot, absorbed the cadre of the 7th Bn, the King's Royal Rifle Corps and joined the 49th Brigade in 16th (Irish) Division.
1 August 1918 : landed at Boulogne.

No mention of the battalion in Ireland's Unknown Soldiers the 16th Irish Division in the Great War by Terence Denman.

No mention of the Battalion or Brigade in the 1918 Official History.

[von Smallhausen]

Thank you Squirel for the information. I already have checked these sources.... most frustrating. The German I.R. 29 regimentshistory says ( translated):.... the enemy ( = British, no mention of Bn. name ) had a lot of casualties, we counted at least 30 KIA's, one officer and an OR were taken prisoner. The second battalion of IR 29 only had 2 KIA's and 3 wounded men........

Skipman gave me some advice( http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=201140&hl=) and I checked the cemeteries in the area. Taintegnies Communal Cemetery have a plot made by the 15th and 16th Divisions and Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extention have some Londoners ( 34th Div) died that very day. That's the reason why I'm axious to know about the whereabouts of the 34th Londoners. I have some regimental histories of other Bns in the 16th Div and no info found about the 5th November 1918.

I don't give up...

looking forward to see you next month,

Jef

[Steven Broomfield]

I can't imagine there was/is a history of the 34th Londons, sadly. Only existed for the war nd can't really think there's a history. Were they affiliated to a Line Regiment?

[clive_hughes]

If its any use their War Diary July 1918-April 1919 is ref.WO 95 / 1979 at the National Archives.

[von Smallhausen]

Thank you Steven and LST 164,

I already have been looking on the site of NA and I understand the WD is not digilalized yet... but thank you for the reference number.

Jef

[von Smallhausen]

Thanks to my friend Trefor, I have the WD of the 34th Londoners. Indeed on 5 november four platoons of the 34th London Regt attacked to clear the last German bridgehead on the western Scheldtbank. The many machineguns protected by barbed wire and gas shells made 35 gassed and wounded. 5 O.R. were missed . At first I thought the men of IR 29 were boasting, apparently they didn't.
Thank you LST, Steven and Squirel and of course my dear friend Trefor.
Kind regards,
Jef

[squirrel]

Good on Trefor.

[nfcowling]

Hello

Have just downloaded this WD from the National Archive, hope this helps future research.

Nigel

[TimCornish]

Thanks to my friend Trefor, I have the WD of the 34th Londoners. Indeed on 5 november four platoons of the 34th London Regt attacked to clear the last German bridgehead on the western Scheldtbank. The many machineguns protected by barbed wire and gas shells made 35 gassed and wounded. 5 O.R. were missed . At first I thought the men of IR 29 were boasting, apparently they didn't.

Thank you LST, Steven and Squirel and of course my dear friend Trefor.

Kind regards,

Jef

Thank you for this information. It is most likely my great-grandfather, Henry/Harry Pountney Cornish of the 34btn was gassed during this raid. I will have to double check, according to my great-uncle he was in France for 3 weeks (at the front line), before going over the top. He shot two to three Germans, but they had sent over gas shells which forced his retreat back into the dugout. Gassed, but returned back to England a few days later. In the 1950's he had a check up at the doctor for a lung problem, which the doctor duly asked whether he had been gassed in WW1, my gr-grandfather said yes.

Tim

[von Smallhausen]

Hello Tim,

Glad your great- grandfather made it and got back safely to England....

Jef

[TimCornish]

Hello Tim,

Glad your great- grandfather made it and got back safely to England....

Jef

I'm quite glad too. From what my great-uncle tells me he spent a few days at a forward dressing station and remembers having the dressing over his eyes and being told to troop out of the station with others that had been gassed, hand-on-shoulder style much like in John Singer Sargent's paintings.

[Loader]

A look at the Brigade WD might produce a report of the raid with more details & possible list of the casualties.

Wonder who the officer taken POW was? The list of officers taken POW only shows 1 officer of the 34/London being taken & that was on Sept. 2, 1918. 2/Lt. W.H. BOND.

Maybe the POW was an NCO & something lost in the translation but doubt the Germans would make such an error. Unless the officer in question was attchd from another regt & is listed under his parent regt. for records purposes. Or the POW list is wrong. Hope someone can clear this mystery up.

[TimCornish]

Did anyone manage to find out who was the officer POW?