Howe Battalion

[draperju]

I am interested in the whereabouts of the Howe Battalion between the 20th August and the 30th August 1916.

Best wishes

[Hambo]

According to the divisional history, not very much was happening at all. they were part of 188th Brigade which appears to have arrived at the front line on the 30th of July with the 189th, the 190th arriving later.

The sector held was between Lens and Vimy Ridge, through the ruins of two mining towns of Calonne and Angres and thence southward to the Souchez River. They relieved the 47th Division.

"The life of the Division in the new sector was almost uniformly without incident of individual importance"

They left the area on the 16th of September handing over to 37th Division. There was a raid by the Ansons on the 10th of September but nothing else gets a mention. Someone may have access to the war diary

Hope this of some use, but it does sound like "All quiet on the Western Front"

Hambo

[michaeldr]

In 2000, David Cornelius published an account of war service in the Howe written by his father, Frederick Cornelius; the book was called ‘Path of Duty.’ [iSBN 0-9538653-0-4]

At about the time which you are interested in Frederick Cornelius puts the Howe ‘in the trenches to the right of Bully Grenay.’ He mentions this town/village (?) as the place where they left their full packs as they entered the trenches with ‘fighting order equipment.’ He also refers to Bully Grenay as their ‘reserve line’

As Hambo has pointed out, this was considered a quiet time/sector

however that did not mean no casualties; as Frederick Cornelius put it after one incident “Later it was learned that four men of the Howe battalion were killed and 22 wounded. ‘Not a bad cop for Jerry, the bleeder’ was Bob’s summary ‘and in a quiet sector too. ‘Opes I don’t strike a noisy one.’”

The diagrammatic map below is part of one which appears in Capt. Roy Swales’ book on another RND battalion, ‘Nelson at War 1914-1918’ [iSBN 1 84468 018 5]

See here for a list of docs at Kew which might help with more exact details

http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=28865

Regards

Michael D.R.

[draperju]

Thank you for your replies, which are very useful to my research.

Michaeldr.

Could you give more details on the published of a Path of Duty.

Does it mention the date on which these soldiers of the Howe Battalion died. The man I am interested in is ABS Lious Charlton died 29th August 1916.

[Guest Galatea]

It would be very unlikely that an AB would be mentioned in books or diaries unless he was specially noted for bravery. The service record of your man should be here:

http://www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov....&accessmethod=6

This is the sub-section for Tyne division men. However as he was with the Howe Bn RND his details may be at the Fleet Air Arm museum in Yeovilton.

Good luck,

Davie.

[michaeldr]

Could you give more details on the published of a Path of Duty.

Draperju,

I’ve sent you a PM on this

Best regards

Michael D.R.