Arthur Burkill

[Tackler7]

Arthur Burkill, 202351, 9th BN KOYLI was declared missing, then dead on 26/4/18.

 

I'm struggling to find an obit of him in the local Wakefield newspapers.

 

Has anyone got any further information on his life before the war?

 

Thank you.

[Mark1959]

The CWGC record show his parents as the late Thomas and Hannah Burkill. A good clue.

Born Durker, Wakefield. Birth reg 3rd Quarter 1882

1891 census - with family, scholar aged 8.

1901 census - with now very large family aged 18. Machine Minder, Worsted Mill

1911 census - still with family aged 28.Corn Porter. General Carriers Worker

All census returns in Wakefiled

He enlisted as 8277 into the KOYLI on 18/8/1905 (9 year with Colours, 3 in reserve). Correct parents as NoK. Joined at Pontefract 4 days later. Purchased his discharge 27/7/1908. Money actually paid by his Dad. All this service in UK

Occupation in 1905 - Warper. Aged 23 y 2 m in Aug 1905. So age on CWGC appears a year out. 

Effect Register - Ancestry has indexed as Burkins and 202357 - shows presumed dead. Monies to his father including £12 war gratuity

Edited 6 July , 2018 by Mark1959

[Tackler7]

Thank you very much for this, it is much appreciated.

 

How do you find the discharge details?

[Mark1959]

Both ancestry and findmypast have docs from this earlier enlistment. Not many but contains the essentials

[sotonmate]

There is more in a War Diary on the period leading up to the 26 April 1918.

If you have Ancestry UK access the War Diaires are readable there, you just need to enter 2162/1 in the keyword box and a date from 1 April 1918 and you can read a clear,typed, account of the month, what a treat it is to see that in a unit war diary !

I note that from 27 April the unit strength is given as "100 rifles" when there should be several times more than that. Included prior to the 26th was an artillery bombardment carried out by our own guns upon the unit's trenches, and even after admonishment one gun continued to fire there.

[Tackler7]

5 hours ago, sotonmate said:

There is more in a War Diary on the period leading up to the 26 April 1918.

If you have Ancestry UK access the War Diaires are readable there, you just need to enter 2162/1 in the keyword box and a date from 1 April 1918 and you can read a clear,typed, account of the month, what a treat it is to see that in a unit war diary !

I note that from 27 April the unit strength is given as "100 rifles" when there should be several times more than that. Included prior to the 26th was an artillery bombardment carried out by our own guns upon the unit's trenches, and even after admonishment one gun continued to fire there.

Thank you,I will check it out.

[sotonmate]

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353176

is also a direct link to buying the diary if you have no access to AUK.

[Tackler7]

On 7/8/2018 at 9:37 PM, sotonmate said:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353176

is also a direct link to buying the diary if you have no access to AUK.

 

Forgive my ignorance, but was it Burkill's unit that was getting shelled on by its own men? 

[sotonmate]

Yes. The War Diary extract for the incidents:

 

GRAND BOIS 20.4.1918. "Our own artillery commenced to shell "B" Company Trench( left Company) at 2 pm and when the SOS was put up at 9 pm bursts falling short from our own 18 pounders killed 4 and wounded 4 men"

 

GRAND BOIS 21.4.1918 " In spite of  remonstrations 1 of our guns continued to shell "B" Company's Trench during the early hours of 21st. Casualties Officers 1 killed and 1 wounded. ORs 12 killed and 11 wounded. The strongest protest was made against this discreditable performance and it is to be hoped that the Officer of the Artillery concerned will be tried by Court Martial for carelessness."

[Tackler7]

Tragic. Thank you. I wonder if the court martial happened. 

[sotonmate]

There may be reference to it in the War Diary of Commander Royal Artillery 21 Division, or it may be that other units from elsewhere were within the Artillery Group for this sector at the time. Discovery database ref for CRA 21 Div for the period April 1918 is WO95/2138/4.

 

Later: There seems to have been some interchange during April 1918 with a French Division's artillery, plus the 21 Division's units were 94 and 95 Brigades RFA, plus 150 Brigade of the AFA ( Australian ?). You may also need to map the CRAs moves to try and determine who was where and when. A form of Casualty list for the month also has a heading for another British Division (37 ?) as being part of the CRA control at some time !

Also,as the 9 KOYLI were shown as the "Left Company" and one assumes that they were the last of 21 Div on the left of ther front line, there may have been another Field unit from another Div on the very right of their Front which may have had an effect on who was firing where. I have to say this so that you know it may not be easy to track !

Edited 16 July , 2018 by sotonmate