Second Lieutenant Richard Reeve Emmens - Trench Mortar Battery

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Forum, I'm researching a Second Lieutenant Richard Reeve Emmens who started WW1 as a Private soldier in the ASC, commissioned into the 7/Royal Sussex in September 1915, and was KIA on 4 September 1916.  At the time of his death he was in charge of an unspecified trench mortar battery. Writing to his mother Jessie in Birmingham, his Commanding Officer wrote: "Your son volunteered to reconnoitre a dangerous trench with another officer, and so met his death. He was one of the bravest men I have met" (This I found on a WW1 Luton website). He is buried in CATERPILLAR VALLEY CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL.  I'm struggling to find any online records which can signpost me to his unit at the time of his death, and thereby war diary, where and what he was doing, etc.  CATERPILLER VALLEY CEMETERY has a lot of fallen from 1st Brigade, 1 Division for 3-4 September, so I've had a speculative go at finding the 1st TM Bty war diary, without success.  Would anyone with greater skills and knowledge be able to help please? Many thanks in advance,  Fi

[Ollie77]

Hi,

 

I'm not sure if you are still researching this man but I have photograph of him in my collection which might be of intrest to you.

Regards 

ollie

[FROGSMILE]

On 03/01/2022 at 14:46, Fi Shepherd said:

Hi Forum, I'm researching a Second Lieutenant Richard Reeve Emmens who started WW1 as a Private soldier in the ASC, commissioned into the 7/Royal Sussex in September 1915, and was KIA on 4 September 1916.  At the time of his death he was in charge of an unspecified trench mortar battery. Writing to his mother Jessie in Birmingham, his Commanding Officer wrote: "Your son volunteered to reconnoitre a dangerous trench with another officer, and so met his death. He was one of the bravest men I have met" (This I found on a WW1 Luton website). He is buried in CATERPILLAR VALLEY CEMETERY, LONGUEVAL.  I'm struggling to find any online records which can signpost me to his unit at the time of his death, and thereby war diary, where and what he was doing, etc.  CATERPILLER VALLEY CEMETERY has a lot of fallen from 1st Brigade, 1 Division for 3-4 September, so I've had a speculative go at finding the 1st TM Bty war diary, without success.  Would anyone with greater skills and knowledge be able to help please? Many thanks in advance,  Fi

Have you looked here Fi?  https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/trenchmortarbatteries.php
Not free I’m afraid.

[ianjonesncl]

On 03/01/2022 at 14:46, Fi Shepherd said:

1st TM Bty war diary,

According to the Long Long Trail the 7th Royal Sussex were part of 36th Brigade in the 12th Division.

Royal Sussex Regiment - The Long, Long Trail (longlongtrail.co.uk)

Does this point towards the 36th Brigade Trench Mortar Battery (see LLT) ?

12th (Eastern) Division - The Long, Long Trail (longlongtrail.co.uk)

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Ollie - this is incredible.  Yes, I am still researching him, and so to be sent a photo of him is a real thrill.  Thank you very much - the information on the back matches what I know of him and is super-helpful also.  You've made my day!  Best wishes,  Fi

[Ollie77]

I'm glad to be of assistance 😁

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Ian, thanks for the link - I've just reacquainted myself with where I got to on this.  Yes, I found the same LLT sites and derived the same conclusion that 7/Sussex was in 36x and 12xx. But 36TM doesn't make sense - the whole division was in the lines 25km North at Arras at this time, and a check of those war diaries suggests no casualties for the period in question.  Which leaves me confused as to what Emmens was doing so far to the South, and how he ended up in a 'front line' cemetery near Longueval! Many thanks for posting though - really helpful to double check my logic thus far, and please do challenge me if you can see an error in my thinking.  Best wishes,  Fi

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Frogsmile - thanks for the link.  Have just subscribed.  I just googled Emmens' name again to see if anything popped up that didn't 18 months ago.  Excitingly it did: 

73rd LIGHT TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY (somme-roll-of-honour.com)

Quite how he ended up with them is a mystery, but hopefully this war diary will at least shed light on what he was up to.  They were in Delville Wood at the time, which makes perfect sense given his burial site.

Huge thank you to Ollie, Ian and Frogsmile for reinvigorating this thread - am made up to have learnt more...and to have a way forward to learn more still.

Best wishes

Fi

[judith m]

Richard Emmens was my husband’s Uncle and I have some memorabilia of him if anyone is interested.

[Ollie77]

1 hour ago, judith m said:

Richard Emmens was my husband’s Uncle and I have some memorabilia of him if anyone is interested.

That's awesome. I definitely would! I still have the photo on display in my collection 

[judith m]

Hi Ollie 

I have his silver wrist tag sent home after he died also his last letter to his youngest sister and brother ( my father in law) and some family photos.  How come you have Dick’s photo?  We visited Caterpillar Valley Cemetery a most moving experience.  Such a waste of lives which sadly still carries on. 

[Ollie77]

Wow that's incredible. Very special artifacts to have. That's nice to here you got the chance to visit his resting place. What a brave soul. I purchased it online a few years ago. I presume you are looking to keep the items within the family? I'd love to see some photos if possible 

[Ollie77]

Here is a part of my collection. 

I have a couple ID bracelets that are probably similar to Dicks?

[judith m]

Oh my goodness you really are a collector!  What a fantastic archive.  Well done.  

Yes you’re correct the bracelets are similar.   I was told the men were issued with leather tags with string, which would have rotted in the mud.    If you could afford to you could buy the silver option.  I don’t know if this is correct.   Quite crudely engraved so Dick might have done that himself?   

I’m unsure how to send a photo on this site not being that computer literate.  Will have to ask a grandchild!  Will try as you would be amused by the letter.  He was a dispatch rider and illustrated it with a picture of him on his bike!   Am on holiday at the moment and returning home next week.  Watch this space!!!
 

 

 

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Judith, I am also very interested as I’m the custodian of his death plaque, having purchased it a few years ago. I collect them, research them (Richard was quite a tricky case!) and then go to visit them - walking in their footsteps so to speak. I’ve yet to do that last part for Richard, but he is on my list for when I’m next out. Ollie very kindly shared a photo of him, which was incredible to see. So yes, any more you could share would be wonderful! 
Best,

Fi 

Ollie, hello again and huge compliments on your collection. I could get lost for days admiring it! 

[Ollie77]

That does sound most  . I would certainly love to see the items you have whenever you are back home. I feel as though the artifacts would best belong all in the hands of one person. Judith are you planning on keeping the items in the family? If not I would glady purchase them and take great care but on the other hand if not I'd also happily send you the original photo.

 

Yes, every man and officer was issued a pair of pressed fibre discs from I belive late 1915 or early 1916 through to the end of the war which were worn around the neck on a piece of twine. Men like to privately purchase bracelets made of metals as they believed if they died out in the mud and weren't immediately removed (as many werent) that the discs would rot away and they would become unknown. This is quite true as bodies that are found to this day sometimes only have the ID bracelet, no tags.

 

Thank you both for the compliments 🙏

 

Kind regards 

Ollie

[Pikeypi]

Hi there, I've just been speaking to my mother (Judith) and she showed me this thread.  Such lovely news.  I've uploaded the letter to my Grandfather (Francis), from Dick.  This is all so fascinating.  My husband went to his grave in 2018.  I'm hoping to go one day.  This is wonderful to find out all this and see this amazing collection of memorabillia.  Thanks so much for sharing and your interest in his story.

[Pikeypi]

Some more pics from my husband's trip to Caterpillar Cemetery.

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Pikeypi,

Thanks so much for sharing your photos - lovely that your husband made it to Richard’s grave. The letter is terrific, what lovely drawings, and a great artefact to remember him by. I messaged separately about death plaques - here is a photograph of Richard’s. Hope you manage to get across to see him. Thank you again for sharing your stories and knowledge about him.

Best,

Fi

[judith m]

Richard’s silver identity bracelet. 

[judith m]

Hi Fi,

My son has just been over for Mothering Sunday and photographed the bracelet.  I tried to find the link you sent about Dick being buried elsewhere and moved to C V Cemetery and also about being shot by a sniper to show him. Where did you find out about that and where did you find his death plaque?   Please could you resend.  Will now try and find my father in law’s box of photos.   Amazing all these links to the past and thank you for sharing with us.

Best wishes  Judith 

 

 

 

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Judith,  Happy Mothers Day!  And thank you for the picture of the identity bracelet, gosh.  Here's a summary of what I have managed to piece together on Richard - partly through online research, partly through this forum, and also from a trip to the National Archive at Kew, where I read his service records:

This has been a real mystery to research! Second Lieutenant Richard Reeve Emmens, 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, was killed in action on the Somme on September 4th, 1916. He was aged 23. Born in Birmingham, the public school boy was engaged for 12 months before the war as a chartered accountant with Mr Thomas Keens, Secretary of the Luton Chamber of Commerce. He is included on the Luton Roll of Honour with an address at Cardiff Road, Luton. Richard Emmens joined the Motor Transport Section of the Army Service Corps, and since September 1914 had been on continuous active service in France. He received his commission 19th September 1915 and received his second start in August 1916 as a 7th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment officer, attached to 3rd Trench Mortar Battery. But, at the time he was killed his service records imply (but not categorically) that he was attached to Y1 Trench Mortar Battery (part of 1 Division); equally a roll of honour online names him under 73 Light Trench Mortar Battery (part of 24th Division) when KIA. The former was engaged at High Wood, the latter in Delville Wood. Writing to his mother Jessie in Birmingham, his Commanding Officer wrote: "Your son volunteered to reconnoitre a dangerous trench with another officer, and so met his death. He was one of the bravest men I have met." Having obtained his Service Records from the National Archive at Kew, a memo contained within details a report made from 2nd Lieutenant A Pringle Livingstone RFA, OC Y1 Trench Mortar Battery (to which Emmens was potentially attached) to Captain Sparrow, 1st Divisional Trench Mortars: "During the High Wood action of 3rd September 1916 Lieut Emmens was on duty in the Front Line. About 5pm he accompanied an officer of the Battalion holding the line into an advanced trench, in order to reconnoitre it. He was never seen alive again. Later the infantry officer was found dead, and it is reported by his Regiment that a "strange officer" belonging to the Sussex Regiment was found near him shot through the neck. And also from another source that "a trench mortar officer was found near him shot through the neck". On these 2 facts the evidence lies." It it likely (but not definite) that the infantry regiment was 1/Black Watch, as they led the attack in this sector, so it would make sense for them to make the recce. Separately, a graves registration report (near Thistle Dump, Bazentin) exists for Emmens, but no burial report, which caused significant delay in confirming Emmens' death. A member of the Great War Forum posted a photo of Emmens in response to a thread I placed seeking help locating the war diary for the (as then) unknown TM unit. The reverse of the photo contains the following information: "Richard Reeve Dick Emmens. Killed 1916.  Royal Sussex Regt. Shot in action, probably by a sniper. Buried at Besanscon. Father buried at Abingdon." Can't find Besanscon on the map - presumably either a typo or a tiny place near Bazentin. It is close to Caterpillar Valley, as Emmens' remains were concentrated here after the war.  It is a mystery as to why Emmens was attached to either Y1 trench mortar battery or 73rd light trench mortar battery in High Wood/Delville Wood at this time, as this was part of either 1 Division (Y1 TMB) or 73rd Brigade, 24 Division (73 TMB), when he as a soldier derived from a totally different division (7 Sussex / 36 Brigade / 12 Division) - and these units were in the lines at Agny near Arras, some 25km to the North. Given the witnesses report refers to High Wood activity, it is probable that Emmens was attached to Y1 battery or 1TM, but cannot be confirmed.  The hazy nature of his attachment will not have helped with running to ground his confirmed death. FirstWorldWar.com notes that: (3 Sep) Western Front Somme front, Ginchy and all Guillemont, with many prisoners, captured by British. Le Forest village, east of Maurepas, Clery-sur-Somme and German trenches taken by French. Thirteen airships raided English eastern counties, one brought down at Cuffley, Essex. British defeat Prussian Guard attack at Thiepval; (4 Sep) Western Front Somme front: French offensive continues, Barleux to south of Chaulnes, many prisoners taken. French take village of Chilly. 

[Fi Shepherd]

Hi Judith,

Here are a few of the records I gathered on Richard.  Most come from his service records - you will see that the fact that he was operating away from his own unit on temporary attachment elsewhere caused all sorts of confusion as to the manner of his death, and where he was buried.  It took some while for the official records to come clear - which of course was required for probate etc.  Best, Fi

[judith m]

Well I can’t thank you enough for posting all that information  and have forwarded it to my four children.  I do appreciate your time and help. Should you find anything else when you are next in France would love to hear. 
best wishes 

judith kerr

[judith m]

Oh my goodness our messages must have crossed!  I have just finished reading all the correspondence between Jessie Kerr and the War Office etc.  Fantastic that you have sourced all this and that it was archived for posterity.  So very interesting.   My husband would really have enjoyed being involved in this research.  Thank you so much

judith