Tank Crew I 41 Cambrai day 4

[dgibson150]

I visited Bovington now about two months ago and looked at the records re William Frederick Raper # 91378. There were letters to the Raper family from Major Vandervell and Captain David L Robinson indicating that Raper had probably become a prisoner of war, captured on 23 November 1917 at Fontaine Notre Dame while manning a tank under the commander 2/Lt Williams.  

 

The 9th Battalion War History records:

 

"Very vigorous resistance was encountered, the tanks being bombed from all directions and fired at by armour-piercing bullets, the whole time..  A41, 2/Lt Williams, received a direct hit from a trench mortar, which broke one of the tracks.  The tanks finally groped their way out of the village about 6 pm when it had become too dark to discern friend from foe, leaving the question of possession still in dispute.

Major Penn-Gaskell, who had in the meantime reported the situation to the GOC 61st Brigade, rallied his tanks on their return to La Justice Farm.  All tanks and crews were accounted for, with the exception of I41.  Considerable anxiety was felt for some time as to the fate of 2/Lt Williams and his crew, as no Information as regards to them reached the Battalion until some months later, when it was learnt that they had all been taken prisoners, with the exception of one man who had been killed."

 

I checked out the International Red Cross records of POW's and it seems that the rest of the crew captured on the same day were as follows:

 

Gnr Ernest W Sherriff #78671

Gnr Stephen Thorne #78975

Gnr William Lawrence #201561

Cpl Clarence B Clarke #92470

Gnr Sydney Smith #91272

 

2/Lt George Williams is recorded in the International Red Cross POW records as being captured at Fontaine on 24 November 1917 and held at Blankenburg. Apparently 2/Lt Williams was wounded which could explain the one day date difference.

 

The single fatality was  Pte Llewellyn George Tudor #201594

 

Has anyone any more information on this.

 

David

 

Edited 22 April , 2019 by dgibson150
To correct information