2/18th., London Irish Rifles.

[Neil S]

Hi all. I would appreciate any information with regard to my Great Grand Uncle whose details are given below...

 

RIFLEMAN ALEC MICHAEL VAS

Service Number: 3780

Regiment & Unit/Ship

London Regiment (London Irish Rifles)

2nd/18th Bn.

Date of Death

Died 13 September 1916

Age 26 years old

Buried or commemorated at

ECOIVRES MILITARY CEMETERY, MONT-ST. ELOI

III. F. 25.

France

[Guest]

Hi-Welcome to GWF. My ever helpful colleagues on GWF will, no doubt, punch up very useful information from Ancestry etc and explain what the technical stuff actually means. Not sure we can get his shoe size worked out by the end of the day!!   May I suggest going to the website of London Irish,as it is very helpful and does contain background materials on London Irish during the Great War that are not available elsewhere?  

[PRC]

Hi Neil and welcome to the forum.

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War, a multi-volume HMSO publication from the early 1920’s, records that he was Killed in Action on this day. It also shows him as resident Earls Court and enlisted Chelsea, but the place of birth is blank.

 

As far as I can see his service record doesn’t appear to have survived the Blitz.

 

His entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects, (a financial ledger rather than an inventory), will show who the balance of his pay and his war gratuity went to. From the amount of his War Gratuity it’s possible to make a decent stab at when he might have enlisted. The Register can only be seen on Ancestry.

 

His Medal Index Card, (literally that, an Index Card created late 1918/ early 1919 at the records office to keep track of the issue of medals), shows that he only qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal – a combination that means he did not enter a theatre of war until some point on or after the 1st January 1916.

 

The associated service medal roll of the London Regiment, (Ancestry only), is generally amongst one of the most detailed there is, stating Battalions and Dates in Theatre. It’s well worth checking out.

 

There is no obvious soldiers will or civil probate for him.

 

I see the personal inscription on his headstone is “SON OF A.C. VAS KARACHI THE SACRIFICE OF AN INDIAN FROM GOA”

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/66281/ALEC MICHAEL VAS/

 

I see from our parent site, the Long, Long Trail, that the 2/18th Battalion landed at Le Havre during the period 23rd /29th June 1916 – which would tie in with the award of the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. It was part of the 60th (2/2nd London) Division.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/london-regiment/

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/60th-division/

 

Currently you can download War Diaries for free from the National Archive for units that served in France& Flanders & Mesopotamia – the 2/18th went to Salonika in November 1916.

I believe this is the part that covers their first period in France, (they returned in 1918).

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7355283

You have to register for a free account but you can do that as part of the ordering process.

It is very unlikely they will mention your relative by name but it will give feel for where they were operating and what they were up to.

 

Hope that gets you started,

Peter

Edited 7 October , 2020 by PRC
Typo

[sadbrewer]

This should be a good start...From The Englishman's Overland Mail, November 10th, 1916.

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. 

 

 

[Guest]

 He would seem to be the man  below.  This should mean that there will be a little bit more material available either through the published vols. of remembrance of Inner Temple or Middle  Temple or from either of those inns direct. Both inns (as indeed the other two) are generally very helpful (Makes a change from dealing with lawyers all day!!) 

   His Indian background should pull up all sorts of leads  from the Families in British India  group,which has a fantastic level of research work available on both the India+British records and on Anglo-Indians as well. My colleagues will be in touch -hopefully shortly-as some of them are well on top of what there is.

  He appears listed on the War memorial for Inner and Middle  Temple, taken from the Imperial War Museum  War Memorials  Register

 

Vas, H M

Memorial: Temple Church. Middle and Inner Temple Members (WMR 58240), City of London, Greater London

 

[sadbrewer]

A photo of him on this site...looks as though you'll have to take a subscription to see the original.

https://www.geni.com/people/Alec-Michael-Vas/6000000005791750136

 

 

[Guest]

Further to previous post, he is the same H.M.Vas-as CWGC have only one "Vas" died in the whole war.

 

PRC has corrrectly pointed out that CWGC  have the inscription on his grave  "The Sacrifice of an Indian from Goa"  This leads to further lines of enquiry-Goa was then Portuguese (ie Outside the Raj) but it had a somewhat peculiar relationship with British power.  As a large number of its inhabitants were Christian, then it was preferred over the Raj proper in some matters such as naval recruiting.

    CWGC also,very helpfully, gives the full names of both his parents which is like an early Christmas present for any genealogist.

 

 

• Additional Info Son of Antonio Caetano Vas and Theonila Vas, of Karachi, India.
• Personal InscriptionSON OF A.C. VAS KARACHI THE SACRIFICE OF AN INDIAN FROM GOA

[Neil S]

23 hours ago, voltaire60 said:

Hi-Welcome to GWF. My ever helpful colleagues on GWF will, no doubt, punch up very useful information from Ancestry etc and explain what the technical stuff actually means. Not sure we can get his shoe size worked out by the end of the day!!   May I suggest going to the website of London Irish,as it is very helpful and does contain background materials on London Irish during the Great War that are not available elsewhere?  

Thank you very much. I am pleasantly surprised with how helpful everyone has been.

[Neil S]

22 hours ago, PRC said:

Hi Neil and welcome to the forum.

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War, a multi-volume HMSO publication from the early 1920’s, records that he was Killed in Action on this day. It also shows him as resident Earls Court and enlisted Chelsea, but the place of birth is blank.

 

As far as I can see his service record doesn’t appear to have survived the Blitz.

 

His entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects, (a financial ledger rather than an inventory), will show who the balance of his pay and his war gratuity went to. From the amount of his War Gratuity it’s possible to make a decent stab at when he might have enlisted. The Register can only be seen on Ancestry.

 

His Medal Index Card, (literally that, an Index Card created late 1918/ early 1919 at the records office to keep track of the issue of medals), shows that he only qualified for the Victory Medal and the British War Medal – a combination that means he did not enter a theatre of war until some point on or after the 1st January 1916.

 

The associated service medal roll of the London Regiment, (Ancestry only), is generally amongst one of the most detailed there is, stating Battalions and Dates in Theatre. It’s well worth checking out.

 

There is no obvious soldiers will or civil probate for him.

 

I see the personal inscription on his headstone is “SON OF A.C. VAS KARACHI THE SACRIFICE OF AN INDIAN FROM GOA”

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/66281/ALEC MICHAEL VAS/

 

I see from our parent site, the Long, Long Trail, that the 2/18th Battalion landed at Le Havre during the period 23rd /29th June 1916 – which would tie in with the award of the Victory Medal and the British War Medal. It was part of the 60th (2/2nd London) Division.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/london-regiment/

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/60th-division/

 

Currently you can download War Diaries for free from the National Archive for units that served in France& Flanders & Mesopotamia – the 2/18th went to Salonika in November 1916.

I believe this is the part that covers their first period in France, (they returned in 1918).

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7355283

You have to register for a free account but you can do that as part of the ordering process.

It is very unlikely they will mention your relative by name but it will give feel for where they were operating and what they were up to.

 

Hope that gets you started,

Peter

 

Thank you for the start Peter. He appears to have been on the front for just a few months. From what I have read about the 2/18th Battalion, they weren't involved in a lot of direct military action, as compared to the 1/18th...

21 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

This should be a good start...From The Englishman's Overland Mail, November 10th, 1916.

Courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive. 

 

 

 

Wow! This is very useful. Thank you very much.

[Neil S]

20 hours ago, voltaire60 said:

 He would seem to be the man  below.  This should mean that there will be a little bit more material available either through the published vols. of remembrance of Inner Temple or Middle  Temple or from either of those inns direct. Both inns (as indeed the other two) are generally very helpful (Makes a change from dealing with lawyers all day!!) 

   His Indian background should pull up all sorts of leads  from the Families in British India  group,which has a fantastic level of research work available on both the India+British records and on Anglo-Indians as well. My colleagues will be in touch -hopefully shortly-as some of them are well on top of what there is.

  He appears listed on the War memorial for Inner and Middle  Temple, taken from the Imperial War Museum  War Memorials  Register

 

Vas, H M

Memorial: Temple Church. Middle and Inner Temple Members (WMR 58240), City of London, Greater London

 

 

He was admitted to Middle Temple. I have located the register and it appears that he was admitted in the year 1910. I have also found photographs of the memorial.

20 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

A photo of him on this site...looks as though you'll have to take a subscription to see the original.

https://www.geni.com/people/Alec-Michael-Vas/6000000005791750136

 

 

 

Thank you for the link. It is always nice to put a face to a name.

[Neil S]

14 hours ago, voltaire60 said:

Further to previous post, he is the same H.M.Vas-as CWGC have only one "Vas" died in the whole war.

 

PRC has corrrectly pointed out that CWGC  have the inscription on his grave  "The Sacrifice of an Indian from Goa"  This leads to further lines of enquiry-Goa was then Portuguese (ie Outside the Raj) but it had a somewhat peculiar relationship with British power.  As a large number of its inhabitants were Christian, then it was preferred over the Raj proper in some matters such as naval recruiting.

    CWGC also,very helpfully, gives the full names of both his parents which is like an early Christmas present for any genealogist.

 

 

• Additional Info Son of Antonio Caetano Vas and Theonila Vas, of Karachi, India.
• Personal InscriptionSON OF A.C. VAS KARACHI THE SACRIFICE OF AN INDIAN FROM GOA

 

 

I am aware of the family history, to a certain extent. I am interested in finding out more about him and his short role in the war.

[Neil S]

In the official records, (CWGC) his death is registered as 13th September, but elsewhere it has been mentioned as 12th September. Also, he appears to be the only soldier from his unit to fall that day. I have gone through the London Irish Rifles website and there are extracts of the War Diary. On the 12th of September it is mentioned that 2 ORs were wounded, whereas on the 13th no casualties are mentioned. Also, his commanding officer has mentioned that his death was instantaneous and he died at his post. Would this be indicative of a sniper or artillery? 

[PRC]

Although the newspaper article records him as falling the the "great push" on September 12th, as far as I'm aware the 60th Division were not involved in the fighting on the Somme front, but were near Mont St-Eloi to the north west of Arras.

 

The CWGC webpage for the cemetery where he was buried has the additional historial information:-

 

"This cemetery is really the extension of the communal cemetery, were the French army had buried over 1,000 men. The 46th (North Midland) Division took over the extension with this part of the line in March 1916, and their graves are in Rows A to F of Plot I. Successive divisions used the French military tramway to bring their dead in from the front line trenches and, from the first row to the last, burials were made almost exactly in the order of date of death. The attack of the 25th Division on Vimy Ridge in May 1916 is recalled in Plots I and II. The 60th (2nd/2nd London) Division burials (July to October 1916) are in Plot III, Rows A to H, and Canadian graves are an overwhelming majority in the rest of the cemetery, Plots V and VI containing the graves of men killed in the capture of Vimy Ridge in April 1917."

https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/6300/ECOIVRES MILITARY CEMETERY, MONT-ST ELOI/

 

War diaries seldom cover a neat 24 hour calendar day. They would often be written up by the adjutant and then signed off by the commanding officer. The ways in which the information was gathered varied from unit to unit, but most likely the relatively mundane stuff came from Company Commanders and they in turn got it from platoon commanders, with all the scope that gave for a delay in reporting and making it likely that an individual death or wounding that occurred over 24 hours ago was effectively regarded as no longer "newsworthy". It could also be that when Alec was taken from where he was wounded he was still alive, but by the time he reached even the first point of the medical evacuation chain he was dead. Having not formally entered the medical treatment process he was recorded as killed in action rather than died of wounds.  The "His death was instantaneous" line was generally a good way to spare the family from the thought of their loved one suffering and was often not a reflection of reality.

 

As his unit was in a relatively quiet sector of the line, his death seens to have been typical of the everyday attrition of life. That could be from enemy sniping, trench mortars, artillery or aerial attack as well as friendly fire. It might be worthwhile checking out the war diary appendices for the month as these sometimes give more than the barebones of the daily entries. It might also be worth looking at the war diaries of neighbouring units - the quality of reporting varies tremedously and so if there was a particular problem with, for example, sniping, it might draw a comment there.

 

I also tried looking to see if I could find Alec on a Casualty list to see if it was possible to find out who the other man, (or even both men) recorded in the War Diary entry for the 12th September 1916 was \ were. This was in the faint hope that they had surviving service records or cropped up in the 5% of admissions and discharges registers retained at the National Archive. I initially drew a blank.

 

Looking for other members of the unit recorded as died on CWGC between the 11th September and the 14th September 1916 brings up one other name - Private 2114 Bertram Cyril Durance who died on the 12th and who is buried in the same cemetery, two graves away from Alec. He too is recorded as Killed in Action in Soldiers Died in the Great War.

 

In the grave in between is Private 6027 R. Letty of the 2/17th Battalion. A feel for the daily attriton can be gained just by looking at the page of the Grave Registration Report that lists all three.

 

(Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission).

Alec Vas, (out of alphabetical order), as well as some of the London Regiment men listed above, appear in a Casualty List that was in the edition of The Times dated Saturday, October 7, 1916 in the section "Killed". The list will cover men from all Battalions of the Regiment, although they do tend to only cover one Theatre of War.

 

Source: The Times Digitial Archive.

 

The same list shows the following as Died of Wounds.

 

(Source: The Times Digitial Archive.)

 

There is then a very long list of wounded - to make it legible requires the file to be too big and the number of names makes transcription a lengthy task. I can send it as a PM if it's any help.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

[FROGSMILE]

In this particular case the fact that his commanding officer stated specifically that he “died at his post whilst on duty” suggests to me that he was quite probably killed whilst on sentry.  Whilst I totally agree with Peter’s point that “died/killed instantaneously” had become something of a constant, intended as a kind comfort, when read in direct context with the “on duty” comment, I think that he was most likely killed by a sniper, or stray shell/mortar bomb.  It was quite common for novice soldiers to be shot in the head whilst standing on the fire step as sentries within the first week, or two of arrival in the line.  Of course it’s impossible to be sure of this, but I think that the commanding officer’s choice of words is telling.

Edited 8 October , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Guest]

2 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

In this particular case the fact that his commanding officer stated specifically that he “died at his post whilst on duty” suggests to me that he was quite probably killed whilst on sentry.

     The likeliest, yes.   But in SDGW  terminology  there is a key but significant difference between "killed" and "died". The former covers a multitude of sins but generally involves violence from the enemy.  "Died" tends to mean not by the action of the enemy- accident, suicide even.  The use of the word "died" should set a little alarm bell ringing as to why thus and not "killed"

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, voltaire60 said:

     The likeliest, yes.   But in SDGW  terminology  there is a key but significant difference between "killed" and "died". The former covers a multitude of sins but generally involves violence from the enemy.  "Died" tends to mean not by the action of the enemy- accident, suicide even.  The use of the word "died" should set a little alarm bell ringing as to why thus and not "killed"

I’m not so sure that an infantry commanding officer of 1916 would be so nuanced as that.  SDGW is a post war construct.  The commanding officer’s words were written in a personal letter to the father of the fallen man concerned.  It would in any case be extraordinarily odd if the monumental Soldiers Died [in the] Great War - SDGW project were given a title whose qualifying word meant someone not deceased by enemy action.

Edited 8 October , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[squirrel]

This doesn't give day by day dates but does give an idea of what conditions were like in the Neuville St Vaast sector from July to September 1916.

From the book, "Signal Corporal" (The story of the 2nd Battalion London Irish Rifles in the First World War) Ernest May, ISBN 0 85307 117 9, Johnson London 1972. 

It would be worthwhile for  the OP to download a copy of the 2/18th War Diary, from the National Archive website for the extract for October 1916 mentioned at the end of the piece and this would, of course, cover the whole of the period that the 2/18th were in the Neuville St Vaast sector from July to October.

Rifleman Vaz had been in the line for nearly three months when he was killed so not exactly a new boy. There is no mention of snipers in this extract,.

 

"After a night in the Rest Camp at Harfleur we proceeded via St Pol, Petit Houvin, Averdoignt to Acq, about five miles behind the line at Neuville St Vaast, and entered the line on the night of 1st July for a tour of instruction with the 51st Highland Division. The first move in to the line was I think the most unpleasant of all our moves in and out while in France. At dawn that day the great Battle of the Somme had started some thirty miles to the South of us, and Brother Boche was very much on his toes that night. We lost 35 moving up - fortunately only one, Rifleman Lochner, killed. (Rifleman Lochner is buried in Ecoivres Cemetery).

 

After six days learning the elementary facts of trench life from the Argyll &  Sutherland Highlanders, who were very good to us, we moved out for a week and then took over that part of the line on July 14th. We spent four months in this sector. eighteen days "in" and six days "out", resting in the wood behind the ruined tower at Mont St. Eloi...We and the 2/20th battalion were responsible for the Left sub sector while the 2/17th and 2/19th took care of the Right sub sector.

 

The ground between our front line and the German front line...marked by a continuous line of mine craters. 

Starting on the left, Broadmarsh Crater is a bout 300 yards away on ground slightly higher than ours, and is at the foot of Vimy Ridge which rose sharply behind it.

Then will be seen Durand Crater, Duffield, the Grange Group, and Tidza - the biggest of those blown during our occupation of this sector, the Birkin Group, Common, Vernon and Devon Craters. At this point our responsibility ceased, and passed to the 2/17th and 2/19th Battalions.

...the German front line and our own were both between thirty and fifty yards from the lips of the Craters and that "saps" lead lead out to the Craters on which both sides maintained posts.

 

On these Crater posts men spoke in whispers. "Duckboards" on the on the floor of the sap would be covered with several thicknesses of empty sandbags, so that men could move a bout without being heard.

If anything was seen or heard to indicate that an enemy post, perhaps fifteen or twenty yards away, was occupied, hand grenades would be tossed in to it. And any carelessness on one of our posts would invite and receive the same attention.

To some extent both friend and foe followed a policy of "live and let live" on these Crater posts, and cursed the man on either side who, by disposition or by carelessness, stirred things up. 

 

Life on a Crater post had one thing in its favour - it was always so close to an enemy post that it was free from bombardment bt trench mortars or artillery - unless all the enemy posts had been evacuated temporarily. But the many disadvantages are self evident.

 

One period "in" was very like another. Some periods were lucky and casualties light while others were unlucky and casualties high. This did not depend entirely on the amount of stuff thrown at us but to a large extent on luck, The difference between a shell landing in a trench or one landing a yard away meant the difference between half a dozen casualties or none at all.

 

The general directive of the Divisional Commander was that we would, by active patrolling and and trench raids, dominate no-man's-land and instil in the enemy a sense of his inferiority. But one essential training for battle is "battle". We were new boys and had much to learn. If the Germans had any new boys in France in 1916 they were not in the Vimy Sector. However, we were learning fast and long before we left this Sector we had no sense of inferiority or of having been dominated - but it is fair to say that the German gave no sign of suffering from these feelings himself!

 

There were three factors of an unpleasant nature in this Sector.

First, it was at the foot of Vimy Ridge and the whole Sector and all the ground for some miles behind us was under direct observation from this German-held height.

Next, this sector was the point of greatest mining activity in the who;e of France and some idea of this may be gathered from the enormous mine craters...

Finally, there was the Minnie - and the first two unpleasant features paled into insignificance by comparison. Minnie lived in the village of Thelus, only a hundred yeards or so behind the enemy line. She flung a mortar shell which looked about the size of a dustbin and held 360 lbs of high explosive - making a hole almost big enough for a double decker bus. It seemed to take about two minutes to prepare her for firing, and her idea of a pleasant way to spend the afternoon was to drop one on our front line every two minutes for an hour or so. "Minnie" sentries with whistles were always on duty looking up in to the air over Thelus - the whistle being the warning that one was in the air. Everybody would look up and wait for it to pass the top of its arc and start to come down, as only then could one guess where it would fall. One then of course would run away from the point of impact. To run before it has started to fall meant one was just as likely to run in to it as away from it.

Nothing seemed to worry her. One time when she had been particularly vicious we called for massive help from the back. The Field Artillery having made no impression at all on previous "straffs", the Heavies from way back laid on a concentration of fire for over an hour - real big stuff which seemed to shake the foundations of the earth. All on the ruins of this small village of Thelus, some 200 yards away where we knew for certain that Minnie had her habitat. A few minutes after the heavy shelling stopped Minnie flung over just one - apparently to let us know she was all right...

 

Parties were at work all around the clock trying to keep pace with Minnie's destruction, but there were times when it just couldn't be done. We always tried at the ned of each tour to hand over to the 2/20th with the area in no worse a state than we had received it from them, and I'm sure they tried to do the same for us. It was not always possible. 

To attempt to cover the four months in detail would be impossible after so many years and the sameness of one period of eighteen days with another would make it pointless anyway. I therefore think that a day to day account of our last tour, from 5th to 24th October and taken from the War Diary, will provide some idea of what one trench tour meant. For obvious reasons the War Dairy does not make use of ten words if two will serve. The year of course, is 1916",

 

 

[Neil S]

In one of the grave registration documents (on the CWGC website) he is mentioned as killed in action in the battle of the Somme. It was mentioned that most of the casualties suffered by the 2/18th in France were because of trench raids and mortars (Minenwerfers). Would it be safe to say that more casualties would have been incurred in a trench raid and that his death would have been due to mortar fire?

[Guest]

No.  The stock of History is fixed- it's up to you to support  what you say-and the evidence is not there for trench raids (in either direction) or of minnerwerfers.

 

a) Trench raids-  by the British-would pretty much invariably in the War Diary -and very often with the detailed plans tagged on at the end of that month of the War Diary.   German trench raid,again,would almost invariably be recorded in the War Diary.

b)  If there were  sustained casualties  from shelling or minnenwerfer,again, it would be a matter of record in the War Diary

 

Now, let's see what the War Diary actually says for 13th September 1916:

 

 

(With Thanks to The National Archives. Used as "fair use")

 

      There is no mention at all  either side of 13th of any activity out of the ordinary.  I have put up 12th September as well-as it mentions 2 wounded rather than sick (If any GWF colleague wants to have a guess at the word after wounded on 12th September then give it a go)  Wastage casualties seem the most likely.  

 

     I make 2 further observations:

1)  There are sustained War Diary entries in September 1916 for actions by the battalion snipers-  One thing for sure with sniping-it invites retaliation by  German snipers to do the same. 

2)  It may be worthwhile having a little look at the other 2/18th  London Irish casualty of the same date (in Grave Registration on CWGC) and see if there is anything about him,say,in digitised newspapers as to his fate- His name was Bertram Durance and he too is listed as "Killed in Action". I cannot see anything on British Newpaper Archive online about his fate.

[clk]

Hi,

 

22 minutes ago, voltaire60 said:

If any GWF colleague wants to have a guess at the word after wounded on 12th September then give it a go

 

 

I think that it reads as 'sick 1'.

 

Regards

Chris

[corisande]

35 minutes ago, voltaire60 said:

I have put up 12th September as well-as it mentions 2 wounded rather than sick (If any GWF colleague wants to have a guess at the word after wounded on 12th September then give it a go)

 

I think it is "Other ranks wounded 2, sick 1"

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, clk said:

Hi,

 

 

 

I think that it reads as 'sick 1'.

 

Regards

Chris

 

 Thanks Chris- and Corisande.  Eyes still a bit dodgy after cataract op.!!     I suspect the 2 wounded are Vas and Durance  as the 13th does not cover it.  "Wounded" when it is more than one person suggests ordnance of some sort.   Snipers are not paid to miss,But whether it was the actions of the King's Enemies or  "home-grown" is beyond reasonable solution.

 

Edited 13 October , 2020 by Guest

[Neil S]

Considering the correspondence from his commanding officer about him dying at his post is it more likely that he was killed by a sniper? Wouldn't that be reflected in the war diary though? I have gone through the war diary for September, 1916, and the details of how soldiers were wounded or killed hasn't really been mentioned.

[Neil S]

I have looked for anything on Rifleman Durrance but couldn't locate anything.

[Guest]

44 minutes ago, Neil S said:

I have looked for anything on Rifleman Durrance but couldn't locate anything.

 

   Its DuRance-one R.  Not DuRRance.