St. Souplet British Cemetery: Case #1 Unknown Captain KRRC

[laughton]

This is a derivative of this post:

 

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/145317-st-souplet-cemetery/?do=findComment&comment=2750162

 

Here we find an Unknown British Officer (Captain) of the King's Royal Rifle Corps in Grave 3.A.27, concentrated from the Urvillers British Cemetery, French Grave 2.4.65.   That cemetery is located at 66c.B.28.a.1.7. There are a number of other men with him.   The COG-BR records are confusing as it appears there are Germans intermingled.

 

It would appear that these come from action in March 1918, as there are a large number of these men listed for Memorial Row. The CWGC does note that Urvillers was the scene of fighting in 1914 and 1918. CWGC also reports 14 graves from the 14th (Light) Division:

• (7th, 8th, 9th KRRC)
• 7th is 41st Brigade, left February 1918
• 8th is also 41st, left as cadre in June 1918
• 9th is 42nd Brigade, also left as cadre in June 1918

 

I have not yet matched those with the COG-BR list, which may not be possible, as their graves may have been lost. The ones on the GRRF are named.

 

The CWGC site names 47 men of the KRRC for the St. Souplet British Cemetery: (I removed one who was attached to the 23rd Labour Corps). It appears 15 in graves (CWGC says 14) and the rest are on the Special Memorials. There are no Captains on this list, so he as an UNKNOWN.

 

surname	forename	death	rank	unit	#	grave
MORRISON	ARTHUR	18-10-18	Corporal	4th Bn.	'A/1633'	I. A. 4.
BULL	HENRY	18-10-18	Rifleman	4th Bn.	'R/15189'	I. A. 6.
BRICE	FRANCIS HENRY	01-12-17	Rifleman	11th Bn.	'R/21263'	I. F. 24.
FORDHAM	ALBERT LAURANCE	31-08-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/25107'	I. F. 28.
HILL	WILLIAM	29-08-14	Rifleman	2nd Bn.	'11216'	I. F. 36.
TALBOT	WILLIAM DOMINIC	23-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'A/204264'	I. G. 12.
GILBERT	WILLIAM GEORGE	21-03-18	Rifleman	"C" Coy. 9th Bn.	'R/33558'	I. G. 15.
STONE	E J	21-03-18	Rifleman	8th Bn.	'A/205401'	I. G. 4.
DOMINY	ALFRED LEWIS	23-03-18	Corporal	9th Bn.	'R/21496'	I. G. 6.
JONAS	S	25-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/38280'	I. G. 9.
CAUSLEY	SIDNEY	21-03-18	Rifleman	12th Bn.	'A/202635'	I. J. 11.
BRAKENBERRY	WILLIAM HORACE	23-10-18	Second Lieutenant	13th Bn.		II. A. 8.
MITCHELL	W G	29-03-18	Rifleman	11th Bn.	'R/18903'	II. BB. 18.
STONE	P E	09-04-18	Rifleman	8th Bn.	'A/201641'	III. BB. 4.
STONE	A C	05-10-17	Rifleman	12th Bn.	'R/38559'	III. C. 6.
HANSON	HORACE VICTOR	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/42385'	Urvillers German Cem Mem. 26.
RUSSELL	ALBERT	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'C/3267'	Urvillers German Cem Mem. 37.
UPTON	ALBERT HENRY	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/9009'	Urvillers German Cem Mem. 42.
OLIVER	SIDNEY JAMES	21-03-18	Rifleman	8th Bn	'R/205374'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem 21.
AVES	EDWARD	21-03-18	Rifleman	7th Bn.	'A/205267'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 14.
BASSETT	HARRY	21-03-18	Rifleman	7th Bn.	'R/40423'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 15.
BRIGGS	GEORGE	21-03-18	Rifleman	7th Bn.	'A/205281'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 16.
GILLETT	JAMES	21-03-18	Rifleman	7th Bn.	'A/205327'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 17.
WALLER	SAMUEL ALFRED	21-03-18	Corporal	7th Bn.	'R/29134'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 18.
YOUNG	DONALD WILKES	21-03-18	Rifleman	7th Bn.	'R/30444'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 19.
BROADIS	FREDERICK PERCY	21-03-18	Lance Corporal	8th Bn.	'R/27453'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 20.
SCRUBY	JOHN JAMES	21-03-18	Rifleman	8th Bn.	'R/37417'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 22.
SPENCER	JOHN EDWIN	21-03-18	Rifleman	8th Bn.	'R/38745'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 23.
BRISTOW	EDWIN JAMES	21-03-18	Rifleman	"C" Coy. 9th Bn.	'R/37854'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 24.
BRIDGE	WILLIAM	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'A/204223'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 25.
HUMMERSTONE	C H	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/204240'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 27.
HEAP	A	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/18497'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 28.
JEYES	WILLIAM JOSEPH JOHN	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/42211'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 30.
BOYES	FRED	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/26527'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 31.
JOHNSTON	E	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'A/201110'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 32.
JONES	R C	21-03-18	Lance Corporal	9th Bn.	'R/21947'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 33.
MADLE	S S	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'A/205111'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 34.
PAYNE	H	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'C/3015'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 35.
PRUST	G	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn	'R/36924'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 36.
SEARLE	SIDNEY	21-03-18	Lance Corporal	9th Bn.	'R/23201'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 38.
SIDE	EDWIN THOMAS	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'394037'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 39.
SKINNER	A A	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/12232'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 40.
SYKES	G	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'R/516'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 41.
BOULTON	GEORGE	21-03-18	Rifleman	17th Bn.	'R/17112'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 43.
EDWARDS	CHARLES HENRY	21-03-18	Lance Corporal	9th Bn.	'5/5014'	Urvillers German Cem. Mem. 51.
JACKSON	F	21-03-18	Rifleman	9th Bn.	'A/205093'	Urvillers German Cem., Mem. 29.

 

There are two UNKNOWN CAPTAINS on the CWGC:

 

Captain SINGLEHURST, REGINALD Died 21/03/1918 Aged 36 24th Bn. attd. 9th Bn.  King's Royal Rifle Corps

Captain JACKMAN, HAROLD Died 21/03/1918 7th Bn.  King's Royal Rifle Corps M C

 

There is nothing about the numerals. so we can not separate the two by that means. We also do not know where they were recovered. The only distinguishing item is the Military Cross, however I have not yet checked (checked - not found) to see if Jackman had it at the time of his death, in which case he may have been wearing the ribbons. No mention of those on the COG-BR.

 

WD 7th Battalion 21 March 1918

• at Rnay
• barrage opened at 4:45 am from the Germans and lasted 5 hours
• Captain Jackman of "A" Coy is reported killed, while Borthwick ("D" Coy) and Sanders ("C" Coy) severely wounded and in enemy hands
• King ("B" Coy) got back

 

WD 9th Battalion 21 March 1918

• German's approaching down the St. Quentin Road
• D Coy apparently holding out at Lambay Farm
• on the evening of the 21st March the battalion apparently ceased to exist
• only Captain Webber of "B" Coy is mentioned by name as WIA

 

I will have to file this under "Share a Grave" as it is one of these two men but I don't see a way to determine which one.

Edited 16 March , 2019 by laughton