East Yorkshire Regiment, 11th battalion

[pansypetal]

My Grandad served in the East Yorkshire 11th (reserve) Battalion, I have managed to get his medical records online and found that he enlisted on the 7th of September 1914, he was injured on the 13th of November 1916 in ~France when he lost his right arm and ended up being discharged on the 31st of July 1917 as unfit for duty. I have managed to get some details from the medical records but they are very hard to decipher and this is my first encounter with any service history details.

On his medal card it states theatre of war Egypt, I had never heard of my Grandad being in Egypt and I used to listed to alot of his war stories but they where all based in France. I had been advised in a facebook genealogy forum that this meant that his injury happened in Eygpy, but have since read that this means the 1st area of service, is this true? Also his medal card says qualifying date 23/12/15....what does this mean?

If anybody has any further details or suggestion where I could find more out I would be very greatful, as I would love to be able to add as much background as possible to our family tree.

Many thanks

Heather

[Old Owl]

Hi Heather,

Welcome to the Forum.

The 11th Bn was a service battalion and was infact the 2nd Hull Pals Bn. The date 23/12/15 is the qualifying date for his 1914/15 Star, this is the date that the battalion landed in Egypt. They soon returned however to France and your G.F. would have been wounded in the action at Beaumont Hamel on 13/11/16, which was a very big action for the battalion.

If you could post your G.F.'s full name and details such as service number, then more help will I am sure be forthcoming from some of the East Yorks experts who frequent the forum.

Hope this helps.

Robert

[pansypetal]

Thanks Robert,

Thank you its my first time in the forum.

His name was Joseph Broadley, DOB 15/08/1896, his service number was 11/309.

There are some other reference numbers on his Casualty Form - Active Service not sure what they are HG4208 and W.3083 there is another one but I can't read it. The documents are quiet hard to read especially as I don't have a clue what they could possible be saying anyway, its all new to me.

Heather

[jay dubaya]

Welcome to the forum Heather,

the following extract is taken from Westlake's 'Battalions on the Somme' and consists in the main of extracts from the various battalion war diaries

11th (Service) Battalion (2nd Hull). 92nd Brigade, 31st Division:

Remained in support trenches during attack on Serre (1/7). 'A' Company to Bus-les-Artois, rest to Bois de Warnimont (2/7). To Beauval (5/7), Beaumetz (6/7). Entrained at Auxi-le-Chateau for Thiennes (8/7) and from there marched to Robecq. Entrained at Merville for Candas (8/10) and from there marched to Vauchelles. War Diary records training included practice attacks in conjunction with 'contact patrol' aeroplanes. Moved by bus to Sailly-au-Bois (16/10). Headquarters, 'C' and 'D' Companies to Bois de Warnimont (21/10). 'A' and 'B' to Bois de Warnimont (22/10). 'A' and 'B' Companies moved by bus to Sailly-au-Bois (28/10) and took part in unsuccessful raid on German line. Returned to Bois de Warnimont (29/10). To Rossignol Farm and front line (10/11). Attacked north of Serre (13/11) Returned to Bois de Warnimont (29/10). To Rossignol Farm and front line (10/11). Attacked north of Serre (13/11) - in close support to 12th and 13th East Yorkshire, 'A' and 'B' Companies moved forward to Caber Trench 9.30 a.m. - trench heavily bombarded and withdrew to Nairn Trench. Returned 6 p.m. Relieved by 13th York and Lancaster and to Sailly-au-Bois 9 p.m. To Bois de Warnimont (14/11). War Diary records parties sent forward to clear battlefield during next few day's.

I have Bilton's 'The Trench' which is the story of the 10th Bn. EY and also of the 92nd Bde, 31st Division and also I have an interest in the 12th York & Lancs who were also 31st Division, I will see if there is anything that I can find that is relevant to 11th Bn.

Jon

[pansypetal]

Thanks Jon,

Its really interesting to try and piece together his time in the army leading up to his injury.......

Heather

[joseph]

Hi,

He was in A Coy and received shell wounds to his right arm and hand.

Regards Charles

[pansypetal]

Thanks Joseph,

thats right and he had to have it amputated........... can I ask where you found these details incase there's anything else.......

I'm assuming A Coy is a division? sorry for my ignorance but this is my 1st time dealing with any form of war records/details

Many thanks

Heather

[SteveMarsdin]

Hi Heather,

A Coy is the abbreviation for A Company which is a division in the sense that it is a sub-division of a battalion but it isn't an Army Division which is a much bigger formation.

The link to the Long, Long Trail above gives more general guidance, specifically on this page http://www.1914-1918.net/oob.htm

[Old Owl]

Hi Heather,

As Steve has explained a company is a part of a battalion. Most Infantry battalions during WW1 had a Headquarters company and 4 Infantry companies, ie: A,B,C and D, or W,X,Y and Z, etc.. A battalion consists of circa 950 officers and men, thus each company would consist of circa 200 officers and men. Each company is then sub-divided into a number of platoons which are again sub-divided into sections.

Hope this answers your question,

Robert

[joseph]

Hi Heather,

His Coy is mentioned in his documents, here is November to his wound from the Battalion History;

November arrived and we were told that the projected attack was off and that we were to go in and hold the line again. This we accordingly did on November 10th, immediately south of the Point, with Nairn, Home and jean Bart as our communication trenches and Caber as our support line, but the battalion was distributed in such depth that one Company B remained altogether out of the line in Rossignol Farm. On the 11th November we were told that the Brigade was to attack at dawn on the 13th, as flank guard on the north to the main attack on Beaumont Hamel and Serre, We were to be in close support to the 12th and 13th E.Y.R,, who were the assaulting battalions, and on the night 12th/13th November the entire battalion was packed as tightly as possible in Fort Briggs, Vauban and Vercingetorix. The attack succeeded at first, and at about 8.30 a.m. A and B Companies moved up to support into Caber trench, to await orders. As on July 1st, so now too, Serre proved too much for the assaulting Division (3rd Division), and the 12th and 13th E.Y.R had therefore to fall back that evening, though they themselves had gained their objectives. Throughout the day A and B Companies, and to a less extent the remainder of the battalion, sat still under very heavy concentration of shell fire, ranging from eight inch downwards, awaiting orders. Caber became untenable, and the two forward companies moved to Nairn. A Company had very bad luck and lost about thirty out of a trench strength of 100, but B Company was much more fortunate and had less than twenty casualties out of a total strength of about the same.

Maybe one of the more technical chappie's/chapesses can put the trench map up.

Regards Charles

[pansypetal]

Thanks Steve Robert and Charles.

Charles I have his medical records and didn't see is company mentioned in them unless it was on some of the documents that I can't decipher.......... if you found them on his documents was it the medical or did you find any others.....

Many thanks

Heather

[jay dubaya]

Heather, there's not much more I can add other than the following trench map

[pansypetal]

thanks.......thats great

[joseph]

Hi Heather,

He original was posted to 7 Platoon B Coy on attestation and then transferred to A Coy as on Form B122 in his pension records.

Regards Charles

[pansypetal]

Thanks Charles,

haven't got his pension records yet have to hunt them down........

Heather