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Remembered Today:

7518 corporal Levi Holden KIA 16 Feb 1915


robinsgt

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I am trying to find any details of Levi Holden 2nd Batt Royal Sussex Reg. There is no age given on CWGC site and although an unusual name there are several Levi Holdens that could be him on the census of WORTHING W SUSSEX where he is remembered on the War Memorial.

Any help much appreciated.

John

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Hi John,

Levi was a pre-war Regular soldier with the 2nd Sussex, who were based in Woking at the outbreak of the war. He crossed to France with his Bn, part of 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 1 Corps under Haig on 12th August 1914 and took part in the retreat from Mons. They then fought on the Marne, had heavy casualties on the Aisne (14th/15th Sep) and 1st Ypres. New year 1915 saw the Bn in the Cuinchy sector, with heavy fighting at the 'Keep' within the 'Brickstacks' 25th Jan. Feb 1915 was actually one of their quietest months on the Western Front, where 2nd Sussex spent the whole war. From his number, L/7518, it can be estimated that he enlisted in the Royal Sussex in late 1903, so he may have been on the Reserve at wars outbreak (having served his 7 or 9 years dependent upon what he signed for, with 5 or 3 years on the Reserve respectively). I will check the war diary and find you the entry for 16th Feb and post shortly.

I have just found him on the 1911 census, as a market gardeners labourer, so that indicates he was on the Reserve and had served 7 years more than likely. This could have been with 1st or 2nd Royal Sussex. On the census he is listed as about 24 years old and born about 1887. He started the war as a Private, but within 6 months had been made a temporary corporal.

More as I find it shortly John

Jim

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Interesting, the war diary states that during the period (it is a block date entry) 16th - 20th Feb 1915 the Bn were at Allouagne conducting "platoon training, company training, firing on range, signalling instruction, plus 'in *****' (??) training", but on the 16th alone 2 Cpls (Holden and Relf) and 8 privates died, all Killed in Action. Although the WD mentions nothing, and other forum members may have other conclusions, but I believe that these men must have been on a Working Party up at the/beyond the front line and were either killed there or on the way to or from that work. They are all commemorated on Le Touret Memorial, i.e. their bodies were not found. It could be concluded that these men were killed by shell fire at any point in their journey/work or if beyond the front line, for example repairing the British wire, they may have been killed in No Man's Land and their bodies were unrecoverable.

I'm sorry John, but this is where the scant evidence leads us I think.

Sadly Levi's service docs did not survive

He was entitled to the 1914 Star (Mons Star), Victory Medal and British War Medal

Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help

All the best

Jim

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Just a thought; as Allouagne is nearly 12 miles behind the Cuinchy sector I would be surprised that a working party would be detatched for a 24 mile round trip. Maybe they were left behind to undertake some activity or to assist the battalion replacing them in the line. Does the 2nd Royal Sussex mention who replaced them and if so would the war diary of that unit make mention of them? I've had a quick search of the forum and the wider electrical interweb for references and came upon several to mining in the area. German mines were exploded at the end of January and the newly formed 170th Tunneling Company was rushed to this area in February if I've read the reference correctly. There appears to have been a lot of saps dug out into no mans land between the brickstacks and I'm wondering if the loss of the two corporals and 8 men was as a result of this work or directly from a mine. Later aerials show a line of mine craters running between the brickstacks south from the embankment. I've not found anything that dates the mines in the area but the bodies may have been lost as a result of this activity even if they were not killed by mining.

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Hi Pete,

Must admit my first thought was that they were hit by long range artillery. like I had read in an East Surreys WD of the same period (different location), but there is nothing in 2nd Sussex's WD about such, or even enemy air activity. They had been relieved by the Coldstreams of 4th Guards Bde on 30th Jan at Guinchy and had been at Allouagne training since 4th Feb. As mentioned Feb 1915 was one of the quietest months 2nd Sussex had on the WF. I had never considered the mining angle (being a good ex-Gunner with a severe aversion of anything even hinting at Sapper type work lol ... I'll get my helmet for the incoming!!), but a very good call my friend. There is nothing in 2nds WD to that end, but as I understand it (held by fingertips at a distance lol) such engineering/mining work did take parties from the infantry battalions to clear spoil etc. But hold my hands up, the mining war on the WF is not my forte, so if these lads were with the Tunneling Coy or whoever it would be good to know. A mystery that must be pursued to the limits of available evidence then Pete?

Just a thought, wonder if anything in Bde WD about parties being needed to engineering work? One for Kew ...

Good thoughts mate

Jim

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  • 3 months later...

Levi Holden is my great great uncle so this post and thread has been a great find for me, thank you! I knew when he died and that he is commerated on the Le Touret Memorial but really nothing else (apart from hie medal card), I've often wondered where/how he was killed and thats how I found this post today! so thank you everyone for all your interesting and valuable info, John may I ask whether he is a relation of yours?

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Hi Tankgirl,

Glad we could help! Still a mystery as to how the ten men were killed, not recovered and unreported. Pete may be on to something, but read other WDs where such events (mines going off in Bn held lines) are recorded, and sometimes in detail. I plan to get the 2nd Bde WD for the period when finances allow, but am also going down to see the 1915 newspapers in the local Records Office and will see if anything is mentioned in them.

All the best

Jim

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Hi Jim, its interesting like you said that 10 men could be killed and nothing mentioned (particularly as it seems to be a 'quieter' time), the tunneling Company is an interesting avenue to look into. Please would you let me know how you get on at the records office, thank you.

Thanks again to you all

Zoe

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Of course Zoe,

Won't get to the Records Office for a couple of weeks or so, but I will report back on anything I find. Don't suppose you have a photo of him do you?

Cheers Jim

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SDGW has the following all killed in action 16-2-1915 2nd Batt Royal Sussex - G/1148 Ernest CAINE; L/10385 Lionel John COX; S/762 John DEACON; S/2232 George William DUMBRELL; L/7518 Levi HOLDEN; L/10296 George MARTIN; L/6494 Richard John RELF; S/9790 Mark ROUTHEN; GS/51 Arthur SLATER.

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Hi Zoe,

I looked into the other fallen members for John, and all have no known grave. They are all on the Le Touret Memorial

Cheers

Jim

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