Help with 1st battalion Coldstream guards

[rflint]

I have  pieced together the possible battles that my great uncle took part in. The long, long  trail says the guards were listed as being involved in the battle of Menin Road however the site does not say which army they are part of. My assumption is that they were part of the Fifth army under Gough. Does anyone know whether this is correct? Also I assume that he was injured during one of the battles during the first Battles of the Somme. Is there any way that I can work out when which battle that he was wounded in? or any other useful information. 

 

My great uncle James Champion was enlisted in Hartley Wintney to 1st battalion Coldstream guards(21208). He was released from his job as a railway porter 28 Jan 1917. He died of wounds 4th April 1918 and buried Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport.

 

 

At time that James joined the Coldstream guards 1^st Battalion in 2nd Guards Brigade, Guards Division.

 

The Guards Division were involved in the following during the period 28 Jan 1917 to 4 Apr 1918.

1917

German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (14 Mar – 5 Apr)

Guards part of Forth Army(Rawlingson)

The Third Battles of Ypres

– Battle of Pilkem (31 Jul – 2 Aug)

Guards part of Fifth Army (Gough)

– The Battle of the Menin Road (20 – 25 Sep)

?

– The Battle of Poelcapelle (9 Oct)

Guards part of Fifth Army (Gough)

– The First Battle of Passchendaele (12 Oct)

Guards part of Fifth Army (Gough)

The Battle of Cambrai (20 Nov – 3 Dec)

Third Army (Byng)

1918

The First Battles of the Somme, 1918

– The Battle of St Quentin (21-23 Mar)

Third Army (Byng)

– The Battle of Bapaume (24-25 Mar)

Third Army (Byng)

– The First Battle of Arras 1918 (28 Mar)

Third Army (Byng)

 

 

Edited 3 November , 2019 by rflint

[tullybrone]

Hi,

 

You’ll likely find the answers on the 2 Volume WW1 Regimental History available to download via these links - 

 

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015074828552&view=1up&seq=11

 

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b790665&view=1up&seq=9

 

Volume 2 may be of more interest to you.

 

Steve

 

PS

 

You don’t say whether you have had sight of his service papers. If they aren’t available on Ancestry or FMP you will need to apply to MOD as RHQ CG relinquished possession of service files over the past year.

 

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

 

If he was called up on or about 27th Jan 1917 he might’ve been sent out to BEF as a reinforcement on completion of his training in late spring (May/June) 1917.

 

 

Edited 4 November , 2019 by tullybrone

[rflint]

@tullybrone

Thank you for your help, I will take a look later. I did not find his service papers on FMP so looks like I will have to request them.

[Coldstreamer]

If he was released to serve in Jan 1917 then he missed the 1st battles of the Somme (July - November 1916)

 

died of wounds makes it very hard to pinpoint a battle  - it could have been a sniper or artillery in the trenches that got him

Edited 5 November , 2019 by Coldstreamer

[Coldstreamer]

Ive NEVER found papers for a man killed / died wounds at the NA, Ancestry or FMP - - as my forum pal says  - the MOD has them now

[Coldstreamer]

May i ask how you know he enlisted into the 1st battalion ?  He may well have moved battalion - he almost certainly enlisted into the 5th battalion

 

looking in local newspapers might give some more info on when he was wounded etc