Pte Alfred Whittingham - West Riding Regt

[Kitchener's Bugle]

I am researching the above soldier for a friend and wondered if any one might have a headstone image of his grave please.

 

 

Private WHITTINGHAM, A

Service Number 34030

Died 11/10/1918

1st/4th Bn.
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

 

Buried at WELLINGTON CEMETERY, RIEUX-EN-CAMBRESIS  reference: I. G. 1/10

 

Anything else of interest grateully recieved.

 

Regards KB

 

 

[ss002d6252]

One can be purchased here, if needed.

https://www.twgpp.org/photograph/view/4171578

 

Craig

[DaveC]

War Diary for 11-10-18

 

11th     Oct 1918	08.20     09.00                   09.30     10.00           10.30                       11.00 Approx 13.00	Soon after midnight, Oct 10/11th the Bttn moved off in fighting order: order of Coys: D,A,C,B,H.Q. Route: NAVES - T.18.d.5.2. (approx), Here guides from the advanced party met them & guided them to assembly positions. Some difficulty was found in reaching these positions owing to the darkness of the night & the number of troops of other Bttns who were moving in the same area.. The vicinity of T.13.b. was subjected to heavy burst of shell fire, mainly 7.7cm with instantaneous fuse, which caused some casualties. By 0400 the whole Bttn was assembled as under:- Front: Sunken Road from about U.13.a. cen to SUGAR FACTORY (U.7.c.1.3) Right A Coy, Left D Coy. Support: In ploughed field about 200 yards behind Sunken Road:- Right B Coy, Left D Coy. Bttn H.Q. & H.Q. Details:- Dry River bed about T.18.d.40.55. All ranks dug in before dawn. The morning was fine but rather cool. Ground was dry & afforded good going. The assembly position was along the line reached by the 2nd Canadian Divn the previous day. About 08.20 word was received from Bde that the first hours of the attack would be covered by an artillery barrage (Details as per Appendix 3 attached) Coys were at once notified. At zero hour (09.00) The Bttn went over the top with the 1/7 Bttn D of W Regiment. on its right, the 146 Infantry Bde on it left, & the 1/6 Bttn D of D Regiment (Bde.Res.) following in rear. Almost at once the enemy put down a much heavier barrage than was expected on two distinct lines one about 100yds E. of the Road & one about 100 yds W. of the Road. The Bttn advanced magnificently as if on a field day in perfect order & formation. The opening of the attack went so well that the barrage was too slow & in order to make good the high ground in U.8. our advanced troops passed through their own barrage. By 09.30 front line Coys had disappeared beyond the crest, prisoners were coming in & a message was sent to Bde (V. Appendix 4) Bttn H.Q. now moved forward to the Sunken Road about U.7.c.5.0. & the CO went forward to the top of the ridge in U.8.b. to make a personal reconnaissance. By 10.00 the whole Bttn & also the 1/6 Bttn Duke of Wellington's Regiment had moved beyond the top of the ridge. Up to this point casualties has been comparatively light. Now the enemy resistance began to stiffen., particularly towards VILLERS - EN - CAUCHIES & hard fighting was necessary to get the Bttn forward. by about 10.30 the Bttn had reached approx line Q.33.cen.-U.4.c. At this point the attack was going well, when the enemy suddenly counter-attacked heavily on both flanks with Tanks & Infantry. The Tanks which were German not captured British & about 8 in number, had been lying out of sight in the low ground about Q.28.d. In the face of this counter-attack troops both on right & left of the Bttn, particularly on the left withdrew. This left the Bttn with its flanks "in the air". Lt.(A/Capt) W.GRANTHAM (A/O.C.B. B.COY) & Lt(A/Capt) R.B. BROSTER (OC C Coy) were both killed & the Bttn suffered heavily. The whole line, slowly & in good order, withdrew almost to its assembly position of the morning. The enemy, following up with Res Tanks again occupied the high ground in U.1.2 & 8 & considerable artillery & M.G. fire was opened on the Bttn. The reorganisation of the Bttn was at once taken I hand personally by the CO & the men returned to the attack. Considerable casualties were suffered in this second advance mostly by M.G. fire, but the men steadily forward & by about 13.00 the whole of the high ground in U.2 &8 had been regained. The enemy were driven back & touch with them was lost.  For the rest of the day there was no infantry action but the enemy maintained an intermittent but heavy artillery fire on our outpost line. The approx line taken up was:- U.8.d.6.7. - U.8.b.5.4. - U.2.d.1.1. - U.2.c.22., with a support line about 200 yds in rear.  All Coys were needed to man this line & no Bttn reserve was left with the exception of H.Q. details. The Bttn was well in touch with the 1/7 Bttn Duke of Wellington's Regiment on the right but was rather anxious about its left as the troops there were a good deal behind the alignment; this however was rectified during the night. About 17.00 Bttn H.Q. moved forward to the road about U.7.c.9.0. The weather, which had been fine in the morning was now rather damp & a cold night was spent in slits dug in the ground.
11th - 12th		During the night preparations were made for a fresh attack in the morning at 12.00 with a heavy barrage, the RAILWAY which had been the first objective on the 11th to be the objective.
12th   Oct 1918	09.30   10.15         12.00         12.15                       16.00                                 19.00	N. OF RIEUX & FORWARD. - N. OF VILLERS-EN-CAUCHIES   At dawn preparations for the day's attack were continued & troops were being 'dribbled' forward to their assembly position. The morning was rather hazy & patrols pushing well forward could find no trace of the enemy. Soon it became clear that the enemy having lost the high ground in U.2.&8 on the previous day had been compelled to withdraw. The arrangements for a new attack which had been made during the night were cancelled, & orders were recieved from Bde about 09.30 for the Bttn to advance at 10.15 & make good the line of the railway in O/29.c. & d, & O.35.b. (Appendix 5). The Bttn was at once assembled & at 10.15, covered by a small advanced guard, moved off. The opposition was met with but the Bttn had not moved far when it was seen that no one was advancing on its left. A message was sent to Bde at one & the Bttn halted until the 146 Infantry Bde moving forward began to get into touch on the left. The Bttn then continued its advance & by 12.00 was on the forward slope in O.34.b & d. with its advanced guard almost on the railway in O.29.d. At this point a second halt was necessary for a short time as the barrage, which was to assist the 51st Div on the left, came down just in front. The barrage from out 4.5" howitzers made thing very uncomfortable for a short time for the advanced guard. About 12.15 the Bttn was able to move forward again & before 13.00 the line of the Railway was reached. Here the Bttn halted & began to dig in as under:- Line of Railway (O.29.c.5.7. - O.35.b.9.0.);- B,D,C,Coys Line of Road about ).35.a.6.7:- A Coy & Bttn H.Q. Up to this point, apart from some shelling of the villages of AVESNES-LE-SEC & VILLERS-EN-CAUCHIES, the enemy had been quite inactive. While the Bttn was making good the line of the Railway the advanced guard had pushed forward to the hollow about P.25.c.0.5. At this point they came under fire from the wood in front & from the copse in X.0.24.d: the  enemy were seen coming down the hill in O.24 & collecting at the copse in O.24.d. The advanced guard was withdrawn. About 16.00 orders were recieved from Bde to advance & make good the wood in P.25. (Appendix 6). An advanced guard was again pushed out, followed by the Bttn as under:- Front (Right to Left):- B Coy, D Coy Support(Right to Left):- A Coy, C Coy Bttn H.Q. moved forward to Railway about O.35.b.8.0. On reaching the hollow about P.25.c.0.5. the advanced guard was again held up by M.G. & rifle fire from the wood in front & was forced to halt. As dusk was falling B Coy came up on the right followed by A Coy, later D Coy came up on the left. Advancing first by section rushes & later, as it became dark, more easily & quickly, B & D Coys reached the wood, drove out the enemy & established a line of posts along the E. edge from about P.25.d.7.7. to about P.25.b.1.3. A Coy moved up to a support position on the W. edge of the wood. As the Bttn was now out of touch with the 146 Infantry Bde on its left C Coy formed a defensive flash across O.30.d. facing N. There dispositions were taken up by about 19.00 & no change was made during the night.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

That is great, Many thanks KB.

[sadbrewer]

He is on the Christ Church, Pendlebury, Roll of Honour.

[Kitchener's Bugle]

6 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

He is on the Christ Church, Pendlebury, Roll of Honour.

 

Hi sadbrewer, is that Pendlebury Salford Area?

[sadbrewer]

On 26/05/2020 at 17:52, Kitchener's Bugle said:

 

Hi sadbrewer, is that Pendlebury Salford Area?

As I read it, yes.

[Matlock1418]

On 26/05/2020 at 17:52, Kitchener's Bugle said:

is that Pendlebury Salford Area?

Pension Ledger and Pension Card at WFA/Fold3 give mother as Mary Edith Whittingham (48), 10 Cranbourne St., Salford

Find a Grave have a photo of a  family/mother's headstone in cemetery at Weaste   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/22497459/a-whittingham

so seemingly in right area

:-) M

Edited 27 May , 2020 by Matlock1418