Jonchery-sur-Vesle British Cemetery: Cases #1a and #1b - Second Lieutenant(s), Devonshire Regiment

[laughton]

This is a child of this topic:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/279064-jonchery-sur-vesle-british-cemetery/

 

Details will follow here shortly. This creates the linkage between the topics.

 

Note: during the research it became apparent that there were two (2) separate cases here for Devonshire Second Lieutenants!

Edited 24 February , 2020 by laughton
added note shown above

[laughton]

The CWGC documents follow. If you have been following the process of "opening up the french trench maps" you will know that they often had the wrong map name in the entry and very often the X and Y coordinates reversed. So far it looks like the correct map reference, details of which I will post shortly.

 

These are men from the Battle of Aisne 1918 and so to start the case the dates for candidates has been set at May-July 1918. As cases progress we then ensure that there are no other candidates based on topics such as:

• Secondary Regiment status
• those on Special Memorials or elsewhere
• all the battalions on all dates - confirm these restrictions

 

Note: I did not catch this before - it appears that not only was their a redesignation of graves but it happened twice, so there are two (2) Second Lieutenants of the Devonshire Regiment in this cemetery.

 

Case #1a: Second Lieutenant Devonshire Regiment;

• he is in 1.A.8 and appears to have stayed in that location, despite the cemetery restructuring
• the reference point here is Private Davies in 1.A.11

 

GRRF 2013807

COG-BR 2013868   This is difficult to read but it is the second line in Grave 1.A.8 where it says:   Berry-au-Bac 1/20000 293.3 x 215.5 Unknown 2nd Lt. Devon Reg.

 

Case #1b: Second Lieutenant Devonshire Regiment;

• he is initially in 1.J.12 - now even I am confused!
• later he appears in 1.G.38 after the restructuring of the graves
• the reference points here are Private Cornish and Second Lieutenant Leat in the neighbouring graves
• in this case the graves were restructured from Plot 1 Row J Grave 12 (COG-BR 2013918) to Plot 1 Row G Grave 38 (COG-BR 2013919)
• only the final one is shown below for the Second Lieutenant in 1.G.38

 

GRRF 2013820

COG-BR 2013919   This one is nicely typed and easy to read:   Berry-au-Bac 1/20000 218.3 x 298.3 (or Soissons 22 1.K.20x10) Unknown British Officer 2nd Lt. Devon Regt note that this has the issue of the X an Y axis inconsistency in the trench map coordinates

 

There are two candidates, which we should be able to separate on the basis of the dates. When this post was first made, several hours ago, I did not realize that not only had the graves been restructured but that there were two (2) separate graves with Unknown Second Lieutenants of the Devonshire Regiment. I will have to check this again with a clear head, but if true then it means we have identified both of the Unknown Second Lieutenants from the Battle of Aisne 1918! Once I check the war diaries, we can compare their location at the time of death to where the remains were recovered - a project for tomorrow morning!

 

There are also two known Second Lieutenants in two of the related cemeteries that we have been investigating during these cases:

 

SOISSONS MEMORIAL (2) CHAMBRECY BRITISH CEMETERY (1) JONCHERY-SUR-VESLE BRITISH CEMETERY (1) Last nameRankService Number First namesorinitials Date of deathAgeCemetery/memorialGrave Reference/Panel Number RegimentCountry of service LEAT Second Lieutenant FREDERICK CHARLES 27 May 1918 Age 21 JONCHERY-SUR-VESLE BRITISH CEMETERY I. F. 33. VIEW RECORD 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment United Kingdom HUISH Second Lieutenant FRANCIS 28 July 1918 Age 25 CHAMBRECY BRITISH CEMETERY IV. B. 1. VIEW RECORD 5th Bn Devonshire Regiment United Kingdom PELLS Second Lieutenant CYRIL ELMORE 27 May 1918 Age 27 SOISSONS MEMORIAL VIEW RECORD 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment United Kingdom HAY Second Lieutenant ROBERT 28 July 1918 SOISSONS MEMORIAL VIEW RECORD 5th Bn Devonshire Regiment United Kingdom

 

Edited 25 February , 2020 by laughton
discovered there are two cases here for the same topic

[laughton]

There may be signs of some GOOD LUCK here as I start to look at the locations where the two sets of remains were found. This is early in the new phase of reading the French Trench Maps in detail, so there may be some minor issues.

 

Note in the above that that two KNOWN men have the exact same dates and battalion affiliations as the two UNKNOWN men.

• Second Lieutenants Leat and Pells of the 2nd Battalion on 27 May 1918
• Second Lieutenants Huish and Hay of the 5th Battalion on 28 July 1918

While marking up the sites on Google Maps, based on approximations from the French Trench Maps, I also noticed that the woods northwest of where the remains are located at 218.3 x 298.3 is the site of the Devonshire Memorial for the 2nd Bn on 27 May 1918. The two red squares on the Google Map mark where the two sets of remains were found, one in the north by the memorial and the other to the southwest in Roucy.

 

Google Map:

Devonshire Memorial: 2nd Bn 27 May 1918

 

These are the specific locations of the remains, marked on the French Trench Maps. If you have been following the new techniques for reading the French Trench Maps you will know that they sometimes named the wrong map and they often reversed the X and Y axis from the norm. On the map below I have inserted the numbers on the X axis for the coordinates and put red boxes around the numbers for the Y axis. The first set of remains for Grave 1.J.12 that became Grave 1.G.38 were found at Berry-au-Bac 1/20000 218.3 x 298.3. This appears to be near the woods called "Bois de Boches" to the southwest of Juvincourt.

 

 

The second set of remains were found to the southwest in the Village of Roucy. These were buried in Grave 1.A.8 and were recovered from Berry-au-Bac 1/20000 215.5 x 293.3. Here too I have put red boxes around the Y coordinate markers and inserted the numbers for the X coordinates. The star marker is an approximation.

 

 

Although not easy to read, this is a combined view of the trench map to match with the Google Earth map to show the separation of the two sets of remains. Note the northern star is a little too low for 298.3 but close enough for now.

 

 

[laughton]

Tiem to check the war diaries for details. From the LLT:

• 2nd Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 23rd Brigade 8th Division
• 1/5th Battalion Devonshire Regiment, 185th Brigade 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division

The records show that the 2nd Battalion was ordered to move into the Bois de Butes on 26 May 1918 (war diary page 302 of 363). On the 27th the bombardment started, followed later by an enemy attack. The war diary reports that the battalion, with the remainder of the brigade, was forced to retire under heavy shelling and machine gun fire. The CO is missing and many rearguard actions were fought. This continued for the next two days. Although not mentioned by name in the war diary, that would be consistent with the recovery of the remains for Second Lieutenant Cyril Elmore Pells. He would have been with Second Lieutenant Frederick Charles Leat, recovered and buried in more-or-less the same location. Also buried here was Lance Corporal E J Cornish #20435 of the 2nd Battalion.

 

We pick up the 1/5th Devonshire Regiment in July 1918 near Amplier (war diary page 235 of 788). They entrained at Doullens and headed out to join the 5th French Army near Juvigny (southeast of Reims). From there they marched northwest to Saint-Imoges (in the woods on the road between Reims and Epernay on Google Earth). From there the war diary sends us to Appendix B4 for the period of 19-30 July 1918 (handwritten summary, war diary page 236 of 788). On 25 July 1918 the battalion moved u to the outpost line around the Maisonette in relief of the 80th French Infantry Regiment (war diary page 238 of 788). Orders on 27 July were to march to Chamuzy (to the northwest) where on the 28th they would attack the ridge running from Montague de Bligny to R, Ardre. On 28 July the war diary then reports they are 800 metres north of Chamuzy, heading north another 500 metres, receiving heavy machine gun fire in the direction of Bligny. Two Officers are reported killed and two wounded. They held the line in the three days following under heavy artillery fire. No names of casualties are provided.

 

The CWGC records for Second Lieutenant Francis Huish provide agreement with the location of his remains found at Jonchery-sur-Vesle 217 x 272 (COG-BR 1982435). He was buried in the Chambrecy British Cemetery. So we have a problem here as this is not the area where the missing Second Lieutenant was found at Berry-au-Bac 215.5 x 293.3.

 

Looking back at the start of this topic, we had Private W. G. Davies #53382 of the 11th Bn Cheshire Regiment found at the same location as the Unknown Second Lieutenant of the Devonshire Regiment (COG-BR 2013868). That would be 11th (Service) Battalion, 75th Brigade 25th Division (LLT). Back to the drawing board!

 

i will check all the missing Second Lieutenants in this period - back shortly.

[laughton]

The CWGC database tells us we have two (2) Lieutenants showing Secondary Regiments (attachments). However this again brings up the question as to what insignia would an attached officer be wearing - that of his original regiment or the regiment to which he was attached? There are no reversed attachments of a Second Lieutenant of the Devonshire Regiment attached to another Regiment. The documents are clear that the Unknown Second Lieutenant was wearing insignia of the Devonshire Regiment.

 

Second Lieutenant ADAMS, PHILIP ROCKEY
Died 27/05/1918

6th Bn. Somerset Light Infantry

attd. 2nd Bn. Devonshire Regiment - so the same as LEAT and PELLS

 

Second Lieutenant SMITH, JOHN
Died 20/07/1918

The King's (Liverpool Regiment)

attd. 5th Bn. Devonshire Regiment - so the same as HUISH and HAY

 

Logic would now tell us that since we have found 2nd Battalion Devonshire men in the area where the remains were recovered  and not men of the 5th Battalion, then Second Lieutenant Adams would be a priority candidate. Note the date separation remains consistent of May for the 2nd Bn and July for the 5th Bn.

 

More though later.

[Chris Ludlam]

Hi Laughton

 

I visited Jonchery-sur-Vesle cemetery a few years ago and looked into this. 

I agree with you on the burial references and believe there was an error and they should be reversed (this is also based on the reference for the cemetery itself at the top of the sheet which should also be reversed to give the correct location).

 

However unfortunately everything is not straightforward.  

I will try to explain.
 

Jonchery-sur-Vesle Cemetery

 

In Jonchery-sur Vesle Cemetery there are three unknown Officer graves of the Devons.

Two 2/Lts. and one other Devon 'Officer'. 

 

On the Soissons Memorial there are four Devon Officers listed with unknown graves.

 

Lt. Colonel Anderson-Morshead
Lt. Tindall
2/Lt. C E Pells
2/Lt. R Hay.

As you have found, a search on the CWGC website picked up the above four Officers and also the following Officers who were KIA when attached to the Devonshire Regiment and are also on the Soissons Memorial.

2/Lt. P. R. Adams (attached to the 2/Devons from the Somerset Light Infantry).
2/Lt. J. Smith (attached to the 5/Devons from the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment).

 

But there is another one!

 

David Blanchard who wrote the Pen & Sword Battleground Europe book has also identified another Officer who was attached to the 2/Devons at this time. 

 

2/Lt. S. J. Cussell (attached to the 2/Devons from the ASC). 2/Lt. Cussell is also on the Soissons Memorial but his attachment is not listed.

His attachment to the 2/Devons is confirmed in his Service Record.

2/Lt. R. Hay and 2/Lt. J. Smith.
 
Both these 2/Lts. served with the 5th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (62nd Division).  Smith was KIA on 20th July 1918 and Hay on 28th July 1918 when the 5/Devons were in action around Marfaux/Bligny.
 
Therefore I consider that these two 2/Lts. cannot be either of the two unknown 2/Lts. buried in Jonchery-sur-Vesle Cemetery as; 

• they were KIA approx. 20 miles away and,
• the original burial locations for the unknown Devon Officers in Jonchery-sur-Vesle Cemetery were, in July 1918, behind the German lines.

Lt. Colonel Anderson-Morshead and Lt. Tindall.  

 

From accounts of the action at Bois des Buttes and from Tindall’s Service Record it appears that both were killed at the Bois des Buttes on the 27^th May 1918.

 

Therefore I believe the two unknown 2/Lt's in Jonchery-sur-Vesle and the unknown Officer are probably 2/Lt. Pells, 2/Lt. Adams and 2/Lt. Cussell.

 

But which grave is which?

I have copies of the Service Records for Lt. Tindall, 2/Lt. Pells, 2/Adams and 2/Lt. Cussell.  Unfortunately they do not provide any definitive information on where each Officer was killed.  

2/Lt. Pells survived the sinking of the Lusitania with his wife but unfortunately lost his baby son.

 

More research is required.

What is confusing me is that two of these Officers were attached from other Regiments.

Would they have changed their regimental badges?

 

Hope the above all makes sense.

 

Chris

[laughton]

22 hours ago, laughton said:

Looking back at the start of this topic, we had Private W. G. Davies #53382 of the 11th Bn Cheshire Regiment found at the same location as the Unknown Second Lieutenant of the Devonshire Regiment (COG-BR 2013868). That would be 11th (Service) Battalion, 75th Brigade 25th Division (LLT).

 

I checked on the location of the 11th Cheshires at that time (war diary page 176 of 181) and they were in the area where the remains of Davies were found. On the 26th they moved to Concevreux which I located at Berry-au-Bac 213.8 x 293.8. That village is less than 2 km west of Roucy where the remains were recovered at Berry-au-Bac 215.5 x 293.3. There are no additional details in the war diary, except for the reported death of Captain H. M. Wilkinson who reappeared from the ashes in May 1931 (the letter is in the war diary)!

 

From that, it would appear the records are correct about the location at Roucy.

[laughton]

Sorry - the post above about Davies was from 6am this morning - had not pressed submit.

 

1 hour ago, Chris Ludlam said:

Therefore I believe the two unknown 2/Lt's in Jonchery-sur-Vesle and the unknown Officer are probably 2/Lt. Pells, 2/Lt. Adams and 2/Lt. Cussell.

 

Thanks for your input Chris - particularly the third attached officer, as I would have never known about Cussell. The problem with the ATTACHED OFFICERS so far is that everyone has told me that an attached officer would most likely still be wearing the insignia of his primary regiment. If that is the case, then none of the attached officers are candidates - unless it had been from another form of identification such as a cross on the grave.

 

You have also said:

 

1 hour ago, Chris Ludlam said:

the original burial locations for the unknown Devon Officers in Jonchery-sur-Vesle Cemetery were, in July 1918, behind the German lines.

 

I struggled with that comment for a while, then it struck me that what you are saying is that as the Germans moved south, what had been a front line or no man's land was now behind the new German front line. So that agrees with the war diary information that shows that none of the July officers could have been in that area.

 

I did check them all on the ICRC to see if there was any record of one or more of them being wounded or captured and taken back into the german held area. There was also the possibility that they were taken to an aid station or a cemetery, where they were buried, as compared to a battlefield burial. I could find no evidence of such events.

 

I also checked as many of the burial locations I could to see if there was any chance that they recorded the coordinates incorrectly. I could find no evidence.

 

I had not paid a lot of attention to the Unknown Officer Devonshire Regiment in 1.B.3 (COG-BR 2013869) other than when comparing him to the Northumberland Fusilier Officer in the neighbouring grave 1.B.4 (in this separate GWF topic). The only cross-over on battalions in the 21st Division was the 12th/13th Northumberland Fusiliers and the 8th Somerset Light Infantry, but Adams was stated as 6th Somerset. From the LLT I got lost with what happened to the 6th and why the 8th is not listed in the 21st Division? I thought there might be some importance as Adams Effects Register makes no reference to the Somerset Light Infantry, only the Devonshire Regiment. I did not have the Officer Files! The question was, is it possible that he was transferred to the Devonshire Regiment when the 6th Somerset broke up, in which case there is a case for him wearing Devonshire Insignia. A convoluted mess.

 

I have not checked the London Gazette to see what they have to say about the attached officers - I should do that!

[laughton]

AND THERE MAY LIE THE ANSWER!

 

Second Lieutenant Philip Rockey Adams was not Somerset Light Infantry attached to the Devonshire Regiment, in fact the reverse was true. He as a initial Devonshire man and had been transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry service battalion on 26 September 1916 (London Gazette 9 November 1917 Supplement 30376 Page 11668). Maybe he never changed his uniform, or did he change back when he switched back to the Devonshire Regiment? Others here have more experience in that area!

 

There is more confusion to his story, as an earlier issue (London Gazette 17 August 1917 Supplement 30237 Page 8510) says that Temp. 2 Lt. P. R. Adams came from General List (R.F.C.) to be attached to Devon Regiment 18 August 1917. Did he wash out of flying school?

 

The two sets of facts do not appear to agree, unless I am out to lunch on my interpretation?

 

Is it possible that he was an original Devonshire man, went to the R.F.C., that did not work out but they gave him a posting with the Somersets. When that did not work out he went back to his original unit, wearing his original uniform.

[Chris Ludlam]

Second Lieutenant Philip Rocky Adams

I have gone through his Service Record and a brief summary is given below.

  

All the documentation in his Service Record states he was with the Somerset Light Infantry (SLI) and attached to the 2nd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment however there is no record of him actually joining the SLI or any reference that he was going to join them. 

See the note under 2nd August 1917.  It appears he was posted directly from the RFC to the Devonshire Regiment. 

 

12^th November 1914                               Attested as 1189 Pte. P R Adams, Royal Fusiliers

13^th November 1915 to 16^th May 1916 - Served with the Royal Fusiliers in France.

22^nd May 1916                                         Posted, No. 10 Officers Cadet Battalion.

25^th September 1916                               Discharged on being granted a commission in the Royal Flying Corps.

12^th April 1917                                         Recommendation that he be returned to the Infantry.

                                                                Unlikely to become an efficient Pilot.

                                                                Could not be removed due to pending General Court Martial                    

25^th April 1917                                         RFC General Court Martial.  Guilty of one charge.  Severely reprimanded.

2^nd August 1917                                      Approval given to be transferred back to the Infantry.

                                                                Note stating that he has been posted to the 3rd Battalion, Devonshire Regiment.

10^th May 1918                                         War Diary of the 2/Devons states 2/Lt. P R Adams joined the 2nd Battalion.

 

Therefore he would have been wearing Devonshire Regiment insignia. 

 

Second Lieutenants Cussell and Pells

According to the war diary 2/Lts. C. E. Pells and S. J. Cussell both joined the 2nd Battalion on 25^th April 1918)

 

Edited 26 February , 2020 by Chris Ludlam

[laughton]

46 minutes ago, Chris Ludlam said:

All the documentation in his Service Record states he was with the Somerset Light Infantry

 Can we see that documentation or get details? Does not seem to fit with the rest of the information quoted?

 

Richard

[laughton]

On the matter of Stanley James Cussell and Cyril Elmore Pells the question is raised as to the difference between being "attached to" a regiment versus what the war diary says as "the undermentioned officers joined the battalion" (war diary page 297 of 363). If you go to wide interpretations, perhaps an officer can be "attached to" and regiment and then "join" a battalion?

 

The London Gazette confirmed the rank of Temporary Second Lieutenant on Stanley J. Cussell, Army Service Corps (20 February 1917 Supplement 29956 Page 1849). This followed his probationary appointment of 21 December 1916 (19 January 1917 Issue 29911 Page 819).

 

Pells was unique in that he was filed under his full name, not initials. His entry is of 20 December 1917 as "Special Reserve Officers" from Officer Cadet Units to Second Lieutenants, Infantry ofn 28 November 1917. To the Devonshire Regiment went Frederick Willis King, Cyril Elmore Pells and Geoffrey Alfred Smith (18 December 1917 Supplement 30438 Page 13339). King and Snow appeared to have survived the war. This appears to confirm Pells was a Devonshire man from the start.

 

The prime candidates for the remains, described as Second Lieutenants, are thus:

• 2nd Lt. Cyril Elmore Pells
• 2nd Lt. Philip Rockey Adams

The other Officer, no rank specified,could be the men Chris named:

• Lt. Col. Rupert Henry Anderson-Morshead
• Lt. Louis Nicholas Tindall
• 2nd Lt. Stanley James Cussell

If it was possible that Cussell would be wearing Devonshire insignia in the capacity of an "attached" Second Lieutenant, then there is no answer as he cannot be separated from Pells and Adams.

 

One item I have not checked is whether the cemetery has any unknowns from the Somerset Light Infantry or the Army Service Corps.

[Chris Ludlam]

On 26/02/2020 at 22:18, laughton said:

 Can we see that documentation or get details? Does not seem to fit with the rest of the information quoted?

 

 

Second Lieutenant P R Adams

 

Just to clarify the only references in his Service Record to the Somerset Light Infantry are in some letter headings.  

 

 

There are no other references to the Somerset Light Infantry.  

I cannot see or understand why some of the letter headings would include it. 

 

A letter dated August 2nd 1917 in his Service file states he was posted from the RFC to the Devons. 

Based on the Service Record I do not believe he ever served with the Somerset Light Infantry.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laughton]

I am not familiar with what is held on the FORCES OF WAR records database, but it does have both "P R Adams" and "Philip Rockey Adams"

listed. That may be just because they are listed elsewhere, such as the UKNA or the CWGC? I thought I saw somewhere that these are two distinct men, now I cannot remember where!

 

https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/320/somerset-light-infantry/

 

On this item:

 

On 26/02/2020 at 16:32, Chris Ludlam said:

12^th November 1914                               Attested as 1189 Pte. P R Adams, Royal Fusiliers

 

The Medal Index Card does say "Philip Rockey Adams" in the URL but Ancestry and the card itself say "Philip Rucker Adams". Listed as PS/1189 18th Fusiliers.

 

The Register of Soldiers' Effects lists him as Adams, P. R. 2nd Lt Devonshire Regiment 27 5 18. No mention of Somerset or RFC. 

 

He does appear in one family tree on Ancestry Philip Rockey Adams BIRTH APR 1897 • Plymouth, Devon, England.

 

There must be someway to find out if he ever had a link to the Somerset Light Infantry. Would there not be records of Officers of that regiment somewhere? Maybe there is something in the details of his Courts Martial proceedings? They must be available in the archives.

[michaelpi]

Bottom, right hand column

 

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30376/supplement/11668

[laughton]

Agreed, that is what I had in Post #9 above but there is no corroboration of that fact.

 

Chris reports that his service record for the day prior to that:

Quote

25^th September 1916                               Discharged on being granted a commission in the Royal Flying Corps.

 

Is the similarity of the dates purely coincidental or was there another "P R Adams"? I checked all places I could think of again this morning with no results.

 

Something is not correct somewhere!

[laughton]

I found the link where I saw the other P. R. Adams: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8187127

 

Adams, Percival Roland

Service number(s): 215824, F15824,

• AIR 79/1942/215824

ADAMS, Philip Rockey

• WO 339/63508
• Army Officer's service record

 

Percival also seems to have a navy file: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C12346806

Adams, Percival Roland

Date of birth: 1 May 1881

Service number(s): F15824

• ADM 188/591/15824
• Naval service record

which also mentions another P. R. Adams for AIR 76 - a tangled web ....

Adams, P R

• AIR 76/2/54
• Air Officer's service record

 

[Chris Ludlam]

Second Lieutenant P R Adams

 

His Service Record confirms that  in November 1914 he attested as 1189 Pte. P. R. Adams, Royal Fusiliers and joined the 18th Battalion.

His name is definitely Philip Rockey Adams. Rucker is I believe a spelling error.

(His mother spells his name as Philip Rocky Adams, Rockey on his Attestation forms). 

 

Also for information two notes in his Service Record; 

 

Dated 25.10.1916.                       

'Posted to Royal Flying Corps. Orders issued 6.10.16. See London Gazette dated 20.10.16.'

 

Dated 02/08/1917   

'I am directed to inform you that approval has been given for Temporary Second Lieutenant P. R. Adams General List (RFC) to be transferred to the Infantry.

He has been posted to the Devonshire Regiment (attached) and the General Officer, Commanding-in-Chief, Aldershot Command, has been requested to 

cause instructions to be issued for him to join the 3rd (R) Battalion of that Regiment for duty.'

 

No references to the Somerset Light Infantry. 

I had a quick look for the London Gazette reference but did not find anything. 

                                        

[michaelpi]

3 hours ago, Chris Ludlam said:

Dated 25.10.1916.                       

'Posted to Royal Flying Corps. Orders issued 6.10.16. See London Gazette dated 20.10.16.'

 

Page 10087

GENERAL LIST.

The undermentioned cadets to be tempo-rary 2nd Lts. (on prob.) for duty with R.F.C.: —26 Sept. 1916

William Turnbull

Philip Rockey Adams.

harles Stuart Atkinson