Worcestershire Regiment 2nd Battalion war diary (with links)

[Martin Warrilow]

I’ve been researching my great grandfather William Warrilow who served with the Worcestershire regiment in the 2nd battalion and wanted to compile a document which contains the war diaries for the period in which he served (4th October 1915 - 28th February 1916) and links to all the fallen in this time period. 

I’ll add the names of all the fallen later so they’re searchable. 
 

Hopefully I can expand this document in the future with personal stories from this time period and more photographs.

 

I hope this is of some interest,

 

all the best,

 

Martin
 

All information is compiled from the following:

www.ww1worcestershire.co.uk

www.cwgc.org

www.everyoneremembered.org

war diary - worcestershire regiment 2nd Bn..pdf

[GraemeClarke]

Morning Martin,

 

Many thanks for sharing the War Diary.

 

Here are images of men from Walsall area if you wish to use them,

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

[Martin Warrilow]

7 hours ago, GraemeClarke said:

Morning Martin,

 

Many thanks for sharing the War Diary.

 

Here are images of men from Walsall area if you wish to use them,

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

Thank you, those images are really great. Did you get them from an online resource?

 

i’ll check the names over and try and link them where possible!

 

Thanks again!

[GraemeClarke]

Hi,

 

From newspapers local to Walsall, direct from paper via computer.

 

All died in the period you are covering.

 

If you need dates let me know,

 

Regards,

 

Graeme

Edited 4 April , 2020 by GraemeClarke

[Martin Warrilow]

Thanks again Graeme, I shall add them on and then re-upload the document. I imagine it took a long time going through all the papers and scanning. 
 

it’s so nice to put their pictures where possible. 

[sadbrewer]

4 hours ago, Martin Warrilow said:

Thanks again Graeme, I shall add them on and then re-upload the document. I imagine it took a long time going through all the papers and scanning. 
 

it’s so nice to put their pictures where possible. 

As a matter of interest Martin, did your Great Grandfather marry a Nellie Leech in 1915?

[Martin Warrilow]

35 minutes ago, sadbrewer said:

As a matter of interest Martin, did your Great Grandfather marry a Nellie Leech in 1915?

unfortunately not. 

He married Mary Mullins in January 1914. 
 

He was killed in action Feb 1916, and my grandfather was born in June 1916. 
 

 

[Martin Warrilow]

List of fallen Worcestershire regiment 2nd Batallion between 4th October 1915 - 28th February 1916 featured in war diary document.

 

Pte. George Dennis  Barber 9364

L/Cpl. Charles Henry Chatterton 17099

Pte. William Felix Hale 12568 (1st & 2nd Bn.)

2/Lt. atto Eric Peter Lester (13th Bn. atto 2nd Bn.)

Serjeant Arthur Maund 11729

Pte. John Alfred Houghton 17806

Pte. John Charles Turner 23744

Pte. Frederick Preston 14619

Capt. Greville Edward Gordon McClellan

Pte Wilfred Hunt 17134

Pte. William Hollingshead 14392

Pte. William New 9069

Pte. George Thomas Cordery (2nd & 4th Bn.) 9748

Pte William Cartwright 14357

Pte Henry James Haywood 17271

Pte Thomas Jackson 18093

Sec. Lieut Richard Frederick Leacroft

Pte Joseph Henry Page 14304

Pte Frank Ross 13472

L/Sergt. Frank Spittle 7683

Pte. William Tyler 23690

L/Cpl. Francis Wynde 4627

Pte. John Henry Round 19774

Cpl Harold Kirkman 8612

Cpl Henry Walker 12620

Pte FH Daynes 23679

Serjeant Major Thomas Pickerell 9373

The Rev James Robert STEWART

CQMS John Wells 8249

Pte Frederick George Andrews 22594

Drummer George Henry Blunt 13275

Pte Arthur Callear 13595

Pte Albert Cliff 8477

Pte Robert Dalton 24651

Pte Albert Edward Bunford 23433

Pte James Willis 14516

Pte George Burton 22513

Pte George Smith (aka Alfred Curd) 9806

Pte Charles Crowther 9806

Pte Fred White 23841

Gunner Frank Brookes 1030

Pte Herbert Harry Knight 24216

L/Corp Walter Corrall 9977

Pte William Thomas Wall 21471

Pte Arthur Hamer 21968

Pte William Warrilow 22535

Edited 5 April , 2020 by Martin Warrilow

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

It looks like there are a few other men that died during your timeframe that aren't on the list:

 

 

I guess that Ball, Carter, King and Lawton are the '4 men killed' in this diary extract (Ancestry link) ...

 

Image sourced from Ancestry

 

I haven't looked, but from their burial places, I would think that Cox and Owins were initially WiA, and subsequently died.

 

Regards

Chris

[Martin Warrilow]

1 hour ago, clk said:

Hi Martin,

 

It looks like there are a few other men that died during your timeframe that aren't on the list:

 

I guess that Ball, Carter, King and Lawton are the '4 men killed' in this diary extract (Ancestry link) ...

 

I haven't looked, but from their burial places, I would think that Cox and Owins were initially WiA, and subsequently died.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Fantastic Chris, thanks for the extra information. I will research and add the 4 men to the research document. 

 

 

I've not come across a handwritten document like the one you have posted. Are they quite common? There seems to be a lot more information included there, and i wouldn't mind transcribing it into the document, as the more info the better. 

 

Thanks again 

[clk]

Hi Martin,

 

12 hours ago, Martin Warrilow said:

I've not come across a handwritten document like the one you have posted. Are they quite common?

 

Yes they are. Most units were obliged to keep them, and submit them on a monthly basis.

 

For the time period that you are interested in, at the National Archives, the Battalion war diary is in two parts here and here. On Ancestry they are here and here. From the National Archives you download a date chunk, whereas from Ancestry you have to do it a page at a time. The Brigade/Division structure that the Battalion was in is shown on the LLT - see here. Depending on how much detail/context you would like to add to the events in the Battalion war diary, their respective headquarters diaries would probably be worth looking at. The National Archives search page is here, and the Ancestry page here.

 

Regards

Chris

[Martin Warrilow]

 

9 hours ago, clk said:

Hi Martin,

 

 

Yes they are. Most units were obliged to keep them, and submit them on a monthly basis.

 

For the time period that you are interested in, at the National Archives, the Battalion war diary is in two parts here and here. On Ancestry they are here and here. From the National Archives you download a date chunk, whereas from Ancestry you have to do it a page at a time. The Brigade/Division structure that the Battalion was in is shown on the LLT - see here. Depending on how much detail/context you would like to add to the events in the Battalion war diary, their respective headquarters diaries would probably be worth looking at. The National Archives search page is here, and the Ancestry page here.

 

Regards

Chris

This is great. Thank you for taking the time to provide me with links too. I've never seen these before, so i will give them a read and try to transcribe the information. Unless that is they appear anywhere transcribed already? Ideally i'd like to compile as comprehensive a guide as possible. I have access to Ancestry so i will check out the links on there. 

 

Thank you very much for the help!

[Martin Warrilow]

On 06/04/2020 at 11:36, clk said:

Hi Martin,

 

 

Yes they are. Most units were obliged to keep them, and submit them on a monthly basis.

 

For the time period that you are interested in, at the National Archives, the Battalion war diary is in two parts here and here. On Ancestry they are here and here. From the National Archives you download a date chunk, whereas from Ancestry you have to do it a page at a time. The Brigade/Division structure that the Battalion was in is shown on the LLT - see here. Depending on how much detail/context you would like to add to the events in the Battalion war diary, their respective headquarters diaries would probably be worth looking at. The National Archives search page is here, and the Ancestry page here.

 

Regards

Chris

Just as an update, i have been transcribing the war diaries that you linked me to. It's taking a while but its hugely satisfying. Almost finished October! 

 

As these have never been transcribed before, is there somewhere that would benefit from the finished transcription once i am finished?

Edited 9 April , 2020 by Martin Warrilow

[Martin Warrilow]

I've just finished transcribing the full war diary for Worcestershire Regiment - 2nd Battalion October 1915 - February 1916. At some point i will make an enhanced version which combines the information of the fallen with the full war diary. 

 

I hope this is of some interest. 

 

all the best

 

 

War diary - transcription .pdf

Edited 18 June , 2020 by Martin Warrilow