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Remembered Today:

1/5th Londons at Gommecourt 1/7/16


Old Owl

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Hi All,

 

The 1/5th Londons took a real pasting at Gommecourt on the first day 1/7/16, so what are the chances of a man being killed on the second day? Is this common or possibly just an error from the way in which the casualties were recorded? I believe that the 1/5th took the highest number of fatal casualties of any of the London battalions involved in that attack.

 

Any thoughts?

 

TIA,  Robert

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Is this Philip Ernest Parsons?

 

Were they being withdrawn?

Where were they on the 2nd July?

Were they within range of shellfire and he was KiA by that?

 

Regards

 

Russ

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Hi Russ,

 

Indeed, this is the man in question--I have no answers to your questions, but I see this as a possible error in the recording of casualties.

 

I am a little mystified, unless of course he was wounded during the attack on 1/7/16 and then killed by shell-fire on the second day whilst lying on the battlefield.

 

Is he the only man killed that day?

 

Regards,  Robert

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6 men are recorded in CWGC dead with the 1/5th Bn on 2nd July - 5 are recorded in SDGW as DoW but Parsons is recorded as KiA.

 

SDGW is not infallible but his Effects Register also states KiA and this is normally pretty accurate in my experience.

 

Not sure why you think he might be lying on the battlefield - he could be in plenty of other places (e.g. a dressing station, CCS) and still be within enemy artillery fire.

 

Regards

 

Russ 

 

 

 

 

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War Diary extract (image courtesy of Ancestry) for 2nd July - some of opportunities for a KiA - MG fire whilst bringing in wounded and shellfire in the village to which they had withdrawn.

 

 

5th Londons.JPG

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Just remembered I had a copy of "Gentleman & Officers" by K W Mitchinson.

 

In analysing the causalities he relates that one was killed on 2nd July at Bayencourt.

 

Regards

 

Russ

 

 

5th Londons 2.jpg

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