2/Lt Andrew Bruce Hill, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

[Susan Tall]

I'm researching the above man who according to his medal card was with the 7th Royal Warwicks when he was killed in action 27 September 1918. But which battalion was he really with? Looks as if the 7th Bttn was in Italy at the time he died. Could it have been the 1/7th or 2/7th Royal Warwicks?

From the medal card he was previously with the 4/5 and 5th R. Highlanders as a private, arriving in France in August 1916. He then appears to have been transferred to the Warwicks on 25 September 1917, but I'd really like to know just which battalion he was with and what that battalion was doing when he was killed. He is buried at Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery having been transferred there from somewhere else.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction.

[HarryBrook]

He was gazetted to a Territorial Force battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regt. 26.9.1917.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30351/supplement/11000

Since his C.W.G.C. record states 7th Bn. it must be 1/7th or 2/7th. As 1/7th was in Italy and he died in France he must have been in 2/7th

(3/7th became 7th Reserve Bn. and did not serve overseas).

[Susan Tall]

Thanks so much for your quick reply.

I'd tried looking for him in the London Gazette but failed. Yes I can see now that he must have been with the 2/7th RWR. Now to find out what they were doing on the 27th Sept 1918. Thanks again.

Sue

[clk]

Hi Sue,

A casualty list for 27.9.1918 that is in the A&Q war diary, 5th Division, shows a 2/Lt A B Hill having been killed with 16th R. Warwicks http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60779/43112_1557_0-00000?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d60779%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=43112_1520_0-00402

The diary for 2/7 Bn http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60779/43112_1557_0-00000?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d60779%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=43849_3056_3-00477 says that they were in rest billets at Yam Farm, and were training. No casualties are given for them,

Regards

Chris

[Susan Tall]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for this extra information. Looks as if Andrew Hill was transferred to the 16th Bn RWR then and pretty obvious he wasn't with the 2/7 Bn if they were training and reported no casualties.

I shall have to see if I can find out just what the 16th Bn were doing that day.

Thanks again.

Sue

[clk]

Hi Sue,

There is quite a bit in the 16th Bn war diary http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60779/43112_1557_0-00000?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d60779%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=43112_1574_0-00425 (including a reference to a 2/Lt A B Hill in a list of officer casualties, who is recorded as being killed on 27th September)

In a Report on Operations for 13th September to 1st October 1918 which is in 5th Division HQ General Staff diary http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/60779/43112_1512_0-00000?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d60779%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=43112_1516_0-00541 it says:

"... The 15th Infantry Brigade took over the left half of the Divisional front, North of the junction of SNAP TRENCH and SOOT AVENUE.

Brigadier-General OLDMAN decided to attack with two battalions, the 1st BEDFORDS on the right and the 1st CHESHIRES on the left, the latter keeping one Company specially detailed to deal with BEAUCAMP. The 16th R. WARWICKS were in support with orders to pass through the 1st BEDFORDS when the latter had captured DUNRAVEN TRENCH, while the 1st NORFOLKS were to be held in Brigade Reserve..."

Below is a trench map (from September 1918) of the area showing the location of Dunraven Trench. The green dot I've put on it indicates the location of your mans original burial (57c.Q.17.d.5.6) shown in his CWGC record, which would appear to tie back nicely to the 2/Lt A B Hill of 16th Bn, and the Battalion location (as above) which seems to be a short distance north of the junction of Snap Trench and Soot Avenue in square 23.b. It might be worth checking the 16th Bn war diary to see if there is an entry to show when A B Hill joined the Battalion.

Regards

Chris

[Susan Tall]

Chris,

Thank you so much for this information and the map. I'd been wondering if I could locate where he was first buried.

This will be really useful. Thanks again for your time and effort.

Sue

[Tom Lang]

Chris,

Thank you so much for this information and the map. I'd been wondering if I could locate where he was first buried.

This will be really useful. Thanks again for your time and effort.

Sue

Susan,

His original burial place is Map Reference Q.17.d.5.6 as shown in the Grave Concentration documents at the CWGC:

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/248370/HILL,%20A%20B

Kindest Regards,

Tom Lang.

P.S. My grandfather is also buried in Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery and I was there in April last year.

[Tom Lang]

Susan,

Q.17.d.5.6 is on the D29, NNW from Gouzeaucourt:

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sidebyside.cfm#zoom=14&lat=50.0688&lon=3.1041&layers=101465209&right=BingHyb

Using the 'side-by-side' map, you'll see a cursor on both maps to help show you the location.

On the military map (left side) you'll see a X-roads; on the modern map it's a Y-junction.

Kindest Regards,

Tom.

P.S. Coincidentally, that's just just north of where my grandfather was originally buried in Q.30.b.6.7.