1st Battalion RWF 1917?

[Rups]

I came across this photograph of what I assume to be the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers taken in 1917 when my grandfather Geoffrey Compton-Smith was in command (seated in the middle without a hat). Does anybody have information as to when and where the photograph was taken please? There appears to be a bombed out house in the background and I thought it might be Arras?

[Rups]

Actually I have made a silly mistake - this is the 10th Battalion and he was in the 1st Battalion prior to this. 

[FROGSMILE]

I can’t help you with the movements of 10th RWF, but it’s a cracking photo and thank you for posting it.  I know of Compton Smith, who I think is mentioned in ‘The War the infantry knew’ by Captain Dunn.

In the photo Compton Smith is flanked by the Senior Major (RWF old school term for 2IC) on his right and the Adjutant on his left.  Adjacent to the Major is the RSM wearing closed collar officer style service dress and Sam Browne belt. Adjacent to the Adjutant is the RQMS wearing the pre-1918 badge of rank of plain crown (an insignia he had to share with the CSMs until 1918 returned his differential with a crown in wreath).  You can also see the Transport Section Sergeant marked out by his leather bandolier.  These type photos usually follow a particular protocol and this one is no different.

 

The battalion’s war diary should assist you with the location.

 

NB.  The photo appears to show the battalion’s entire Sergeants’ Mess together with the three principal officers from battalion HQ.  It is very evocative.  I am late 1 RWF and apart from the uniforms shown being for parade rather than in the field things were still done very similarly 60 years later.

Edited 25 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Rups]

That's all very interesting indeed and thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. I shall also look up the book you mention as I don't think I have come across that. 

[FROGSMILE]

On 26/01/2021 at 04:13, Rups said:

That's all very interesting indeed and thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. I shall also look up the book you mention as I don't think I have come across that. 

To be clear the book is entirely about the 2nd Battalion RWF:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Infantry-Knew-1914-1919-Chronicle/dp/0349106355/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=war+the+infantry+knew&qid=1612448898&s=books&sr=1-1 but I think he is mentioned in some respect unless I’m mixing it up with Siegfried Sassoon’s unexpurgated account of his time with 1st Battalion.  Either way it’s an excellent book and highly recommended.  The poor 1st Battalion was virtually wiped out within weeks of its arrival under the command of Lt Col Cadogan as you probably know. 

[Rups]

Many thanks for letting me know. I assume there isn't much in the book about my grandfather in that case? Perhaps it is not worth my while getting it. 

[FROGSMILE]

6 minutes ago, Rups said:

Many thanks for letting me know. I assume there isn't much in the book about my grandfather in that case? Perhaps it is not worth my while getting it. 

I suppose it depends on how interested you are in the RWF.  It’s certainly only a brief mention in either book, given the large number of officers and men to be covered over the course of the war, although his contribution was of course important given that he went on to command a war-raised Service Battalion of the regiment.  Have you read this one:  https://www.rwfmuseum.org.uk/shop/book-20.html  ?

Edited 25 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Rups]

Well I am getting more interested having transcribed my grandfathers letters from the trenches to his wife and various bits of diary he wrote, so I might look it up all the same. 

[FROGSMILE]

1 minute ago, Rups said:

Well I am getting more interested having transcribed my grandfathers letters from the trenches to his wife and various bits of diary he wrote, so I might look it up all the same. 

I can imagine how interesting that must be.  If you are willing to post them it would be nice to read some excerpts here in the forum.

 

The last link that I posted just above is also based on family letters, but of Lt Col Cadogan who commanded 1RWF until killed in 1914. 

[Rups]

Here is the only bit of his diary I have as yet been able to find. 

 

All Fools’ Day Diary 1917 (The Battle of Arras and 10th Brigade R.W.F. led by acting Lt. Col. Compton-Smith)

 

April 1st Sunday

Rose late. Have been at Berlencourt a month. During the morning the General came in. After lunch rode with him to visit Mairis commanding the Yorkshires, a mutual friend. A hailstorm en route, and horse very obstreperous, on the whole not very pleasant. Heard news in the evening from a friend on the Corps Staff. “Z” day probably the 7th, an ammunition dump gone up just outside. Later dined with Burnett of the Gordons. Walked back with me from Liencourt.

 

April 2nd

Out training all morning over practice trenches. A most bitter wind. Rather annoyed with A and B Companies; sent them out again during the afternoon, caught in blizzard. General Kentish, formerly commanding the Brigade, visited us at tea time, interviewed various old friends. Later went to a concert given by the Gordons, General Kentish spike and related some anecdotes, received with deafening cheers.

 

April 3rd

Orders to move a holiday for the men. Spent the morning absorbing a multitude of papers and preliminary instructions. In the afternoon attended a conference of commanding officers at Brigade Hqrs. Was most emphatic on certain points connected with the attack on the Harp. Farewell to General Kentish. In the evening General Porter comes to dinner.

 

April 4th

All officers meet Divisional Commander at Liencourt. A short speech “confident of success” and greatest admiration for the Divisional Commander as a soldier, but not much of a speaker. At 6pm Battalion parades to move to Wanquetin. Sorry to leave our comfortable village. I address the Battalion - a better speech that the Divisional Commander’s: — aim and scope of forthcoming operations, our splendid commanders, short sketch of their careers, Gen. Deverell and Gen. Porter, one can depend on them. A hard fight before us, but that enthusiasm that had carried Welshman so far in our country today would turn the scale. Disapprove of the senseless optimism that usually characterises military speeches. Marched to Wanquetin arriving about 9.30 pm. Went round billets and so to bed.

 

April 5th

Spent all morning and most of the afternoon over my operation orders. At tea time a visit from Wolfe Murray and Long who formerly commanded this Battalion. At 6 pm move cancelled 21 hours. Can hear but little of the bombardment. Wind the wrong way. Went for a walk in the evening. A glorious evening played Bridge after dinner. James returned today after a three month course in England. Rather uncomfortable during the night as all surplus kit has been dumped.

 

April 6th Good Friday

Rose late. Read and signed papers most of the morning. General Porter came in towards midday. Ready to move to Arras at 7 pm. Started away rather late owing to a block on the road.  Said goodbye to friends and well-wishers in the drizzling rain. Shortly after leaving Wanquetin Divisional Commander rode down our ranks and wished us good luck. Progress very slow, road blocked with traffic throughout, cold and pouring with rain though luckily moonlight. Some Hun shells fell near Dainville road crossing just before we arrived there but luckily did no harm to our guides who were waiting there. Arrived at our cellars in the Rue Ronville, Arras about 10 pm. Accommodation good.

 

April 7th

In the morning move up to forward headquarters in tunnel below Strafe Wood, after lunch had a conference of company commanders and went to forward line to observe Tilloy and Devil’s Wood, afterwards reconnoitred our assembly trenches. Not enough bridges.

 

April 8th Easter

Spend all morning reconnoitring, after lunch go down to Ronville cellars for a last interview with our company commanders. At 7 pm companies leave by the tunnel to go up to the assembly trench. At 11 pm I go round companies and wish them good luck A dark night, the roar of our shelling terrific. Some shells and a great deal of rifle and machine gun fire coming back from the Hun…not a pleasant evening. I learn that practically a whole platoon of ours has been wiped out from a chance shell that fell in the Rue Ronville just as they were assembling, the King’s Own have had two officers killed in the same way. Go round to Brigade Headquarters and am informed that Zero Hour is 5.30 am. Return to my headquarters and inform company commanders. Drink success to our attack. Run through all important points for the last time. Advise everyone to go to bed. Turn in myself.

 

April 9th

Rise at 5 am. Some tea and an egg. Go forward to O.P. in twenty street. Cold, dark and a drizzling rain. Our bombardment, which has lasted without a break for forty eight hours, slowly dies down as the zero hour approaches. Half a minute before zero hour, except for a solitary shell or two, everything is completely still. The whole Western horizon burst simultaneously into a flickering sheet of orange flame silhouetting in sharp outline, long before any sound has reached the ear, the roofs and ruins of the sorely tried city of Arras, and stretching far away northwards to Vimy. In an instant one is plunged into an unearthly atmosphere of noise, the most unspeakable din it is possible to imagine, the dreadful savage roar of thousands of guns with tens of thousands of gunners feeding them frantically for all they are worth. The earth literally rocks as mine after mine goes up under the German lines, rains of sparks and fire over Vimy, incredible explosions, vast fields of drifting smoke, rockets green, blue and red - of all colours from the horrified Hun, and under it all, but the fitful red light, one suddenly notices thousands of men advancing slowly steadily but with great difficulty over the shell torn ground, amidst the wreckage, and throng the tangled heaps of blasted barbed wire. The red light is considerable but so unnatural that one can hardly form a clear idea of what is actually going on. Sometimes a man is seen to lie down as if he were tired, and sometimes as one of the countless shells burst something loose like a bit of rag is thrown up into the air. Having seen my men off I return to my Headquarters and meet Colonel Burnett of the Gordons. An hour later we go up again to observe. It is now grey morning still drizzling, the infantry have gone on ahead. Two tanks, which have been hit or broken down of their own accord, are lying near the O.P.  The Barrage has moved right forward to Tilloy and the Harp. Carrying parties, and stretcher parties are moving backwards and forwards. It looks as if the battle has gone well, but no definite news as yet. Return to my Headquarters. News awaits me here. We have reached our objective, 9th Brigade has passed through and is attacking the second objective. I send my signalling officer forward to reconnoitre a forward headquarters leaving my adjutant behind to collect any reports that may arrive. There is still a certain amount of hostile shelling and a great deal of sniping. As I approach Devil’s Wood, it gets rather too warm and I send my orderlies away except one, and proceed.

The wood was badly broken up and difficult of passage. Wire had been entangled with the brushwood, and the ground was very much cut up with shell-holes. The Hun was putting shrapnel through it from the North West and 5.9’s were bursting on the South side, shrapnel bullets were whistling and rattling though the shattered trunks. We go along with considerable difficulty, and half way through I as hit by a shrapnel bullet in the arm. On taking off my coat however I found that it had not penetrated the arm but only bruised it badly. I eventually reached my front line of posts and found them all in position and very cheery. The firing was too hot to attempt to put up any wire. There were several very badly mangled Huns in the line we had taken up. I returned to the western edge of the wood and found that the signalling officer had not yet discovered me a headquarters so I procured one for myself in an old dugout in the German third line. The inside was badly smashed up when we arrived but we soon had it in working order. At about 10 am the Hun commenced to shell us with 8” crumps all round and about the door of my headquarters shaking us up severely, blowing in the trench in several places, killing and burying about half a dozen of my men. He continued this procedure until quite late in the evening, when, presumably as a result of the attack of the 37th Division, he withdrew his guns and finished his shelling of that spot for ever. At about midday I sent down for my adjutant who came up and I then went out to have another look at the situation. Getting too and from from the door of the dugout was exciting work, elsewhere the shelling had practically ceased; the day was gloriously fine, and it appeared that all the objectives had been taken. Battalions of pioneers were already at work repairing the Cambrai Road. Cavalry were moving up in the valley north of the road, and behind Telegraph Hill, lines upon lines of infantry marching steadily were moving over the crest to the assault of the Feuchy line. The spectacle was vast and impressive. I found my reserve companies and gave instructions as to their positions. I walked with my intelligence officer Daniell up to Tilloy. Practically all hostile shelling had now ceased except that the 8’s continued to drop near my headquarters and an occasional shell near the road. On returning to my headquarters a message awaited me to the effect that five German dugouts had already exploded from time mines left behind by the Hun, and that we occupied ours at our own risk. However we stayed where we were.

 

April 10th

Cold, rain and hail. Carried out a relief in the morning between my two companies in post in Devil’s  Wood, and reserve companies in the second and third German lines. While going on my rounds met Playfair the Brigade Major, we walked up to Tilloy together, no news yet of a relief. The A.D.C. Davies suddenly came up to us in haste and told us we were wanted at once at Bridge Headquarters. Feared the worst. On the way back met the Quarter master with letters. Arrived at Brigade Headquarters. Orders had just arrived that we were to advance then take up a position already occupied by the 111th Brigade, about 3 or 4 miles ahead between Monchy and Guemappe. Orders received seems very nebulous, no clear idea of the position of troops on our right and left. To be ready to move at 6.30 pm. Hastened back to Battalion and immediately had all bombs, ammunition e.t.c. brought up to strength. A miserable wet evening. At 6 pm orders received “Stand fast till further orders”, followed by instruction to be ready to move at dawn. Substituted one for two companies in Devil’s Wood so as to get as many men treated as possible and turned in at 11 pm.

 

April 11th

Woken up at 12.45 am . Orders had arrived for an immediate move forward. Neither Guemappe nor Wancourt occupied, and Monchy uncertain. We should certainly have to attack, but al details uncertain. Our position of assembly four miles distant. Order of march - to pass Tilloy cross roads at 4 am and follow the Suffolks and 76th Machine Gun Company. I immediately got my orders out, served out rum, and dumped Great coats. Companies were somewhat scattered, and it was a long business to get them to the starting point (Tilloy cross roads). There was thick snow on the ground, and the night was bitterly cold. We were rather late at the starting point, but neither the machine gun company nor the Suffolks had arrived. We waited for an hour and part of the Suffolks turned up. I told Col. Stubbs that I would march straight on to my position as I had to meet the General at Feuchy Chapel cross roads at 4.30 am. We started off passing Col. Herbert and the Northumberland Fusiliers en route. The morning fairly quiet, but there was some shelling ahead of us, and the Boche was sending up some Very lights. It was bright moonlight. I had some difficulty in finding my road as there were so many tracks across the snow. After we had gone a couple of miles we met Buchanon GS02 of the Division. We eventually reached our assembly position just as it got light. I was exceedingly glad to arrive as I feared that the Hun might discover and shell us badly. He sent over one or two 5.9’s but they all missed the road.

Having spread the Battalion out on our frontage I at once proceeded to Brigade Headquarters. The enemy had been shelling the cross roads badly, and the mangled remains of two men and several horses were lying across the road just in front of the Headquarters which were fortunately situated in a deep shell-proof dugout. The entrance, the steps, and the interior of the dugout were literally packed with men as well as officers who had come inside to avoid the shelling. I had some difficulty in getting up to where the general was standing. It was then about 5.30 am; he explained the scheme to me. We were to do a frontal attack on Guemappe; there was to be a bombardment of 3/4 hrs duration by field guns increasing in intensity as we entered the village. Zero hour was to be 6.30 am . Our troops were in Monchy. It was thought that Wancourt on our left was taken. Col. Stubbs, who had not yet received his orders, had not yet arrived. We waited for him till 6.15 am when it became necessary to postpone the zero hours, and the gunner went to warn the batteries. Col Stubbs eventually arrived and reported that there was very heavy shelling of his assembly position and over the whole of the crest of the ridge. Everything was at last settled. Zero hour 7 am. At 6.35 am I set out to explain the orders to the Battalion. There was some shelling of our position but not much. At 7.0 am I started the Battalion off and wished them good luck.

I returned to Brigade Headquarters with Quinn my adjutant, and leaving him and some orderlies there as a report centre - the cross roads being easy to find - I went forward to see how things were going. I first met Daniell the intelligence officer who told me that our men were already in Geumappe, this however I soon found to be a mistake, our men had only got as far as Les Fosses farm, and were held there by machine gun fire. I went a little further forward where I could view the whole position, and made my headquarters in an old trench connecting some shell holes. A Gunner Major was also using the trench as an O.P.  We came in for some severe shelling, and the cold was intense. The Hun put a heavy wall barrage just in front of Les Fosses farm and also fired salvos of shells into the buildings. From the ridge behind Guemappe, and from the direction of Wancourt, which now appears never to have been taken at all, he absolutely dominated the whole valley with his machine guns. Our bombardment was utterly ineffective. I afterwards learned that the guns that ought to have been supporting us had not arrived in their forward position by the time the attack started - a piece of execrable work somewhere. From the forward position I had now reached, I could see every inch of the battlefield; it was apparent to me that to attack Guemappe frontally, lying as it did at the lower end of the valley shaped like a shooting range with spurs on either side and a ridge behind, was not only complete folly, but should have been obvious to anyone who had taken the trouble to reconnoitre the ground beforehand - apparently no one had done so - a contravention of one of the first rules of tactics.

Our first attack was now completely broken. Half of it was brought up on the ridge on the right of the valley, and the other half, including the Welsh Fusiliers had taken a line in front and to the right of the farm of Les Fosses on the Cambrai Road about half a mile from the village of Guemappe. The shelling was heavy and increasing. Salvos of 4.2s were falling at regular intervals into the farm of Les Fosses. All I could do was to extricate the attack from a hopeless situation. I first sent off a complete statement of the situation with a marked map to Brigade. I then got into touch with the gunners to explain the situation , and endeavour to give them targets which might lessen the field gun and machine gun fire. I got them on to a house which was undoubtedly full of machine guns, and we also discovered a German Battery firing in the open on the ridge behind Guemappe.

The cavalry on our left, between us and Monchy, now began to behave in the most surprising manner, charging over the plain to the left and parallel with the Cambrai Road with the utmost dash and bravery beneath a perfect hail of shell fire. I saw many riderless horses coming back and eventually the cavalry came back too around the other side of Monchy in good order. “Magnifique mais pas la Guerre”.

I now determined to make an effort to reach my men in Les Fosses Farm and leaving the trench I was occupying  ran across to the Cambrai road narrowly missing a field gun shell as I did so. I ran along the road, and eventually, as it was a bit too hot, got off it into a little dip on the right hand side. It was the mistake of my life. The dip was marked down by the Hun machine gunners, the bullets were all around, and I had only just time to leap into a shallow shell hole. My intelligence officer and two men of another regiment who had accompanied me followed my example, getting a much deeper and better hole than I.

For half an hour I lay imprisoned in the shell hole. My slightest movement was answered with a shower of bullets which flicked bits out of the ground within an inch of my knee - the highest part of my body, and pieces of bark off a tree just above me while I lay and literally screwed myself into the ground in frantic efforts to get lower. The Hun also continued during all this time to put shrapnel over, from which my shell hole was of course no protection, and at length I decided that the only thing to do was to cut and run. This I did, signalling to my friends in the other shell hole as I passed them. They followed me and were all hit. I was the only one who got back scathe-less, though the Intelligence Officer was only very slightly wounded. The others were more or less severe. I think one of them afterwards died.

I got on to the road again and finding a dugout that was in use as a dressing station I went in and begged a cup of cocoa as I was feeling rather shaken up.

On reaching the trench where I had had my headquarters I found orders awaiting me. The Gordons who had hitherto been in Brigade reserve were to attack at 2.30pm with the King’s Own and Suffolks in support, and ourselves in reserve. It was then 2.25 pm. I hastily issued written orders to the Welsh Fusiliers to stand fast unless ordered to move. At 2.30 to the minute the Gordons left the Feuchy Chapelle line, and commenced their advance in small columns.

On the knowledge of the situation that I had there was about as much chance of their reaching their objective as of their reaching the moon, and I think they must have felt that too for they had seen what happened to our attack. Previous to this the Gordons had made two severe attacks in three days, and their ranks were much depleted, and it is impossible to imagine anything finer than the steadiness with which they advance to this very forlorn hope.

The Hun was not long in sizing up this fresh attack. In less than a minute down came his 5.9 barrage with a hoarse and horrible roar right in amongst their ranks. One of the great shells struck a platoon just in front of where I stood and sent the human remnants twisting and turning like torn rags sixty feet into the air. The thick, granular, black soot fo the bursting shells drove past our faces on the cold wind.

But they continued to advance wonderfully steadily, until they came to that place where the machine guns dominated the valley, and some went to the right, and some to the left, and the attack was broken up, and that was the end of that advance as it had been of all the others.

I now decided to go down to Brigade Headquarters as it was apparent that nobody yet quite realised the position. They were shelling that pretty heavily when I arrived, and the dugout was as crowded as ever. The Divisional Commander had arrived and was studying a map trying to puzzle out the situation, I gave him my appreciation of it, and he asked me how I advised the difficulty should be tackled. I told him the only thing to do would be to take the high ground round Wancourt first, or else to risk a night attack. I told him further that our troops were not fit for any further attacks. They had had very little sleep for three days, and had gone through great hardships. They should be relieved without fail that night. He said he would do his best. I then had a cup of tea and went to find the other Colonels if possible and compare notes.

Outside it was snowing hard and most bitterly cold. I eventually found Colonel Hunt of the King’s Own’s headquarters in a dugout in an evacuated German gun emplacement. I remained there with him for several hours until at length news came that we would be relieved as soon as possible by the West Yorkshires.

The relief was complete by about 1.0 am and most of my men, some of them half stupefied with cold and fatigue, were back at our old position behind Devils Wood by about 4.0 am.

Rose at 6.0 am and went round to see the men in their dugouts. Most of them still asleep, some stragglers still returning.

Relieved and marched back into billets in Arras to billets.

A concert given to the regiment by the Y.M.C.A. at the Salle Des Concerts. I made a short speech in praise of the magnificent work of the Battalion.

[FROGSMILE]

Thank you, that’s a highly evocative record of events and reveals something of the thoughtful personality of your grandfather.  It brings the situation alive when reading his account.

Edited 25 January , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[Rups]

Glad it was of interest and just such a shame his other diary reports haven't survived as far as I know. 

[FROGSMILE]

Just now, Rups said:

Glad it was of interest and just such a shame his other diary reports haven't survived as far as I know. 

Has the rest of his diary been lost then?  It seems odd that only the account for Arras has survived.

[Rups]

Well he didn't keep a continuous diary, but on occasions when he was involved in a battle or such like he would send back a record of it to his Father. 

[FROGSMILE]

30 minutes ago, Rups said:

Well he didn't keep a continuous diary, but on occasions when he was involved in a battle or such like he would send back a record of it to his Father. 

I see.  Well it’s still of interest and would make a useful excerpt for a book of consolidated experiences. Thank you again.

[clive_hughes]

Rups,

very interested indeed to read the diary account - can I ask, are the regimental Museum aware of its existence?

 

One of Compton-Smith's subalterns was Morgan Watcyn-Williams MC, who wrote a biographical account including his military service with 10th Bn. RWF during the same period in From Khaki To Cloth (Caernarvon, 1949).  He was a trainee Presbyterian minister from South Wales who joined up as an Infantry officer, and clearly thought well of his old CO.  After the war he was ordained, and died in 1938.  

 

Compton-Smith's sad end in Ireland is dealt with in detail in the recent publication by Lt.-Gen. Jonathon Riley and Lt.-Col. Peter Crocker, Regimental Records of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, Vol V Part One (November 1918-May 1940) (Helion & Co., Warwick, 2019). Annex H, Pages 620-631.  Chapter 8 deals with the 2nd Bn. RWF in Ireland 1919-22.  You will be aware of course that his portrait and his cigarette case are in the Regimental Museum in Caernarfon Castle.  

 

Clive Hughes

[Colin W Taylor]

Rups,

 

A personal account by Morgan Watcyn Williams (an officer with 10/RWF) called 'From Khaki to Cloth' mentions Compton-Smith:

 

'Early in November [1916] Lt Col G Compton-Smith took command of the 10th Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was a magnificent officer, tall and strong and sensitive, inclined to be impatient and not given to tolerating fools gladly. With that one weakness he was a rare ruler of men. He explained to us that while he expected orders to be obeyed instantly he regarded our brains as at least the equal of his own. Unlike may regular officers he was always willing to learn from his juniors and he believed thoroughly in pooling ideas. It fell to his immediate lot to supervise our attack on four lines of trenches and the village of Serre.'

 

A pretty capable commanding officer it would seem and one who was well-respected. I'm sure there are plenty of people on the forum who would be interested in reading his accounts of the war; either typed on here or written in a future book.

 

I'll see if there are any other mentions of him in Williams' account.

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Regards 

 

Colin

 

 

Clive - apologies, posts crossed.

Edited 25 January , 2021 by Colin W Taylor

[Rups]

Thanks very much for the interesting information. I haven't read Morgan Watcyn-Williams account and presumably it has quite a bit information on my grandfather? I will try and find a copy on line perhaps. I also haven't read the account written by Lt Gen Riley and Lt Col Croker so will dig those out as well. 

No I can send a copy to the RWF museum as I expect they would be interested. Yes I have seen the portrait (painted by my great aunt) and the cigarette case with his last letter to the regiment. I have his last letter to his wife and also one to General Strickland written moments before he was to be shot. 

[Rups]

Thank you Colin for looking up the description of my grandfather in the Morgan Watcyn-Williams book - absolutely fascinating! Are the other accounts of his actions in the book? I might try and get hold of a copy perhaps if so. 

[Colin W Taylor]

He gets a few other mentions up until he and Williams were wounded. There are copies on AbeBooks but if you have problems getting a copy I can look up a few pages.

[Rups]

I came across this photograph in Edward Hancock's book Bazentin Ridge. The caption reads 'Wounded being transported 14th July 1916. Probably 7th Division troops heading for the the Advance Dresing Station at Mounauban Quarry' .

My grandfather Geoffrey Compton-Smith was wounded in the thigh on that day at Bazentin Ridge and the wounded gentleman on the left hand stretcher bears a striking resemblance to him. Does anybody have any ideas on whether it could be him please? Unfortunately Edward Hancock is no longer alive and no sources for photographs are listed in his book that I can see. 

I came across this photograph in Edward Hancock's book Bazentin Ridge. The caption reads 'Wounded being transported 14th July 1916. Probably 7th Division troops heading for the the Advance Dresing Station at Mounauban Quarry' .

My grandfather Geoffrey Compton-Smith was wounded in the thigh on that day at Bazentin Ridge and the wounded gentleman on the left hand stretcher bears a striking resemblance to him. Does anybody have any ideas on whether it could be him please? Unfortunately Edward Hancock is no longer alive and no sources for photographs are listed in his book that I can see. 

[Rups]

Thanks Colin for your message - by co-incidence I have just posted another message about my grandfather getting wounded as you will see!

 

[Muerrisch]

RUPS thank you, an interesting group.

The four CSM WO IIs have found a rather good way of being instantly distinguished.  They are flanked by the CQMSs, of whom one appears to be missing.

The Bombing Sergeant and Band Sergeant can be distinguished. There is, seated at the CO's feet, a man without apparent ranking, and with possible medal ribbons. Pure speculation but he may be the CO's drummer/ bugler, his batman, his runner, or recently decorated and accorded a place of honour.

The well-fed RQMS appears to be a veteran of the Boer War.

[Rups]

Many thanks for enlightening me on that - it would be great to put some names to the faces one day!

[Muerrisch]

They look a battle-hardened, tough and disciplined team: its as fine a war-time group of RWF as I have ever seen.

 

I specialise on 2nd RWF: I will have a look for commonalities, as there was always mix and match between the battalions as you know.