Private William Bromley 9146 South Staffs

[Guest wolves]

I am looking for my gt grandfather Private William Bromley, he was injured and lost his leg. He was in the 1st Batt of the South Staffs (BEF) No 9146, discharged 2/10/15.

is there any info on injured soldiers, (how & where)?

Hopefully i have included his medal card. His info is in the bottom left hand corner.

Thank's for any info Paul Harrington

medals_bromley_ww1.pdf

[Chris_Baker]

Paul, welcome to the forum

William was among the original contingent of the 1st South Staffords that landed at Zeebrugge in October 1914. He was almost certainly wounded during the First Battle of Ypres in late Ocober/early November 1914. Only 43 of the original 1000+ men came through that battle unscathed.

However, to take a year to be discharged may indicate that he returned and was wounded again at a later date. He is not mentioned by name in the battalion war diary, so it is rather difficult to tell when this might have been. The most obvious times due to sheer numbers of casualties would be

Battle Of Loos, 25-29 Sept 1915

Battle of Festubert, May 1915.

The only way to tell for certain would be to find his service record. If it still exists it will be in the National Archives in Kew.

Incidentally, 8565 Cpl Charles Bromley, also an "original" - a Walsall man - was killed in action on 31 October 1914. A relative, perhaps?

[Chris_Baker]

Here's my abridged version of the war diary for the Battle of Loos:

24 Sept 1915

In trenches at Noyelles. At 2130, Battn moved to front line trenches at G10b prior to attack. It rained heavily about 2000. The Battn received orders to attack the German fortified position at 0630. During the night it rained in torrents, and the trenches were half full of water. At 2200, the Battn left the trenches at Noyelles, and moved forward through Vermelles (which was in ruins, and was occupied thickly by Field Artillery), through the maze of trenches to it's position. The mud was knee deep. Everyone was pretty wet and muddy by the time our position in the line was reached.

25 Sept 1915

The Battn was in position about midnight, distributed as follows:

C Coy, in the front line trench, under Lt William Cooper. A total of 184 men: 138 men, 19 Machine gunners, 21 bombers, 2 stretcher bearers, 4 signallers. In this and all Coys, the Machine gunners and others were under special arrangements, so the Coy strength was in reality about 140.

A Coy in first support, about 80 yards behind C. 176 men (125+16+24+6+5) under Capt Henry J. de Trafford.

D Coy in second support, another 80 yards behing A. 184 men (130+23+26+4+1) under Capt Claude Limbery.

B Coy in the old British trenches 50 yards behind D. 185 men (131+17+24+8+5) under Lt Henry Burke.

The Battn strength was therefore 729 OR plus 21 officers plus MO. The Battn staff consisted of:

Lt Col Robert Montgomery Ovens CMG, Commanding

Capt Henry Warwick MacGeorge, Acting Adjutant

Lt Geoffrey Beville Schon, Machine Gun Officer

Capt Henry William Parnis, RAMC, Medical Officer

RSM Joseph Snape.

There was also a Brigade Machine Gun Officer (who was killed during the assault) and under whose orders our guns were brigaded.

The line occupied by the Battn was 300 yards long, facing nearly due East. The German line we were told off to attack was about 450 yards long and strongly fortified, powerfully strengthened with flank defence. In front was exceptionally thick wire, and strong posts. There were small redoubts, manned with numerous Machine guns, at intervals, and the left flank was enfiladed by a variety of fire from Hohenzollern Fort and Fosse 8.

The distance to be traversed was approximately 500 yards. Behind the German front line were communication trenches and a powerful 2nd line. Behind that on higher ground were the Quarries, and further on Cite St Elie.

The 20th Brigade were on our right, with 21st Brigade in support. The order "Get ready to charge" came down the line, and Lt Cooper, whoses eyes had been on his watch, gave the order "Scouts and wire cutters advance", at 0628. Directly after, at 0630, the order was given to the Coys to advance. C Coy climbed up the ladders and advanced through the smoke, which was very dense. This, I may mention, was chiefly causedby smoke bombs, smoke candles and gas. There was also a thick cold mist and drizzling rain.

Lt Cooper lead his men on with the utmost gallantry and was killed on the German wire. Had he lived, he would have been recommended for the DSO. He was a most gallant officer, much loved and respected by all ranks.

A Coy came on splendidly, ably lead by Capt de Trafford, who behaved with thegreatest coolness and daring, and would also have been recommemded for the DSO had he not been killed. He fell on the German wire, and his last words were "Don't mind me, push ahead". Truly he and Lt Cooper, and all the officers, NCOs and men who fell on this fateful day deserve the undying gratitude and respect of their country and their regiment.

Lt Bell with A Coy, also did excellent work and proved himself - as at Festubert - a leader of men.

D Coy, lead by Capt Limbery, did gallant work under their plucky young commander, who, with many others, was wounded. capt Limbery was recommended for a MC.

B Coy, under Lt Burke, was reserve Coy in the fourth line, and were very well lead by this extremely young officer who displayed much bravery and keenness. He was, it is much regretted, killed during the advance. Had he lived, he would have been recommended for a MC.

Therer is very little to describe about the actual assault, but the facts stand out very clearly. To make a long story short, the gallant 1st South Staffords rose to their feet at 0628, advanced in extended order - about 3 paces interval between each man - and moved steadily forward against this almost impregnable position. They stormed it, and took the second or support line. And what remained of this magnificent old regiment moved on, and with other units mixed up with them, captured the Quarries. Some of them, with their CO, went on, up to about 50 yards of the German position in Cite St Elie.

The Battn lost in this attack about the following number:

430 NCOs and men killed or wounded, out of 729

9 officers killed, 8 wounded (1 died), and 1 gassed, of 21 who went into action.

The following officers were killed:

Capt H.J.de Trafford

Lt H.J.Burke

Lt R.J.Richardson

2/Lt K.Dunlop (died of wounds on the 26th)

2/Lt W. Cooper

2/Lt H.W.Bone

2/Lt W.N.O.Lee

2/Lt H.C.Reynard

Capt H.W.MacGeorge

2/Lt C.G.Weitzmann (died of wounds).

These officers were wounded:

Capt C.Limbery

Lt G.H.Osborne

Lt E.Bell

2/Lt L.E.Henderson

2/Lt B.J.Kirchner

2/Lt H.A.Cundall

And suffering from gas poisoning:

Major S.Bonner DSO

2/Lt D.S.Glover.

(Note: this report was written by Ovens shortly after he withdrew from action. The text is highly emotional, and he clearly felt the blow of losing so many of his officers and men. The War Diary contains many extra paragraphs, being a mixture of mourning of the loss and praise for the regiment, which are omitted here for brevity and clarity. The description contained in the diary for the next few days is sketchy, and is not in chronoligical sequence until the final withdrawal early on the 30th).

At 2130, Lt Col Ovens, Lt G.B.Schon and 2/Lt H.Brocklesby and about 100 men were in the Quarries, with the 27th Brigade on the East and North, and the Yorkshire Regiment (under Lt Col Young) to the South. The detachment was ordered to guard the South, when bombing attacks began in the Quarries. Firing of differenet kinds came from near Cite St Elie, and the detachment was subjected also to a heavy bombardment by artillery.

26 Sept 1915

In the Quarries near Hulluch Lt Schon and the machine gunners were sent to a position west of the Quarries, where they held on until ordered by the CO to join the remainder of the Battn in the old German front line just south of Hohenzollern. Lt Schon was subsequently honoured by an immediate MC. The whole MG section did magnificent work day and night for six days, and deserve much credit.

Eventually the remnant joined up with the reserve party (Major H.E.Walshe, Major S.Bonner, 2/Lt Parkes, 2/Lt K.Dunlop and Lt/Qmr Bradbury - who had all been left with the Transport, except Bonner who was ill and very pluckily came up to help: later he was caught by gas, and sent to hospital in England).

At 2300, the 27th Brigade were attacked on the North side of the Quarries. The BGC, Brig-Gen Bruce was wounded and captured, and Lt Col Heath commanding 2nd Queens was killed. Lt Col Ovens, Lt Col Young, an NCO and 4 men reconnoitred the north side of the Quarries, and were nearly shot. A timely use of his revolver by Ovens enabled the party to get away, but they found the Quarries now occupied by the enemy.

For the four days 25-28th of September, the party held on. The 2nd Queens and 2nd Royal Warwicks were in a similar condition.

The bombers repeatedly withstood the fiercest and most determined onslaught of picked German bombers, and continually went to the assistance of hard-pressed regiments on our right and left flanks. Heavy rain fell part of the time, the trenches were a sea of mud, and bullets and shells fell thickly day and night.

29 Sept 1915

At about 0100, a burial party under Lt Col Ovens and 2/Lt Parkes carried out the sad duty of burying Capt de Trafford and many NCOs and men.

2/Lt Parkes did excellent work during theses trying five days and showed grit and pluck. 2/Lt Brocklesby also, for the six days he was in this battle, did very good work, was plucky and self-possessed.

30 Sept 1915

At 0300, what remained of the Battn was relieved by the East Yorks, and marched to Sailly La Bourse, where they went into billets for two nights.

[Guest wolves]

Thank's for the info, its great to have this info and people helping others

[brindlerp]

Paul

The actions and locations of 1st Bn South Staffs, 22nd Brigade, 7th Division are covered very well in the book 'The Seventh Division 1914 - 1918' by C. T. Atkinson.

Other posts on this site include trench maps and maps of the Loos battleground where 1st Bn South Staffs fought and elsewhere.

Here are a few examples/links:

http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...063&hl=quarries

http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...361&hl=quarries

http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...533&hl=quarries

Using the site 'search' facility will reveal more.

Modern day aerial photographs of Citie St Elie, Hulluch and Vermelles can be found at:-

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the...chy/cuinchy.htm

Regards

Richard

[Guest wolves]

Thank's for everyones help all this information is great.

Thank's again Paul