George Meers Watson MGC(Infantry)

[Richard Symmonds]

I’m trying to get information relating to my great uncle George Meers Watson with a view to visiting the spot/area he died in France. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[DavidOwen]

Welcome to the forum.

It would help the members if you shared what information you already have about him. That way there is no duplication of effort or confusion.

Good luck with your research.

[Michelle Young]

He’s on the Arras Memorial 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/776208/george-meers-watson/

War diary here, free after free registration 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354919

[Michelle Young]

Frustratingly, despite the war diary as being indexed from March 1918, it actually starts in June. 

[kenf48]

Some interesting aspects to his service.  

The MGC Medal Roll shows 241503 (struck through) then 5035 Yorkshire Regiment. The first number was allocated to the 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment on the renumbering of the TF in March 1917.  Near number sampling indicates Pte 5033/ 241422 Altringham was embodied to the 2/4 in Middlesbrough on the 13 September 1915 and transferred to the 2/5 on the 19th November 1915 before being posted to the BEF and the 1/4 on the 19 March 1917. 

Pte Meerson was transferred to the 5th Battalion MGC Grantham on 14th October 1917.  Probably in a draft to France on the 11th February and to the Base Depot at Camiers joining the 56th Battalion probably a couple of weeks later.

He does therefore appear to have originally enlisted in the TF under age, he could legitimately enlist for home service age seventeen but not go on active service overseas until age nineteen so it would appear he made a false statement as to age. A war gratuity of £11. 10shillings was paid to his father.

As to his location when he was killed we can't be certain as the MG Battalion was a Divisional resource. That said the Division held a relatively short frontage when their position attacked by the Germans on the 28th March.  The 168 Infantry Brigade War Diary has detailed after action reports. The German objective was perceived to be the taking of Vimy Ridge in order to complete an envelopment and the capture of Arras.The Brigade diary describes the action as "operations at Oppy" and the location of that Brigade was detailed on the Map Maroeuil 1/20000 I can't find a copy of that however this map is from 02/1918 and indicates the position of the Brigade http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A69398/-/collection

@WhiteStarLine or @Howard may be able to pinpoint it for you.

In general terms the British Divisional defensive strategy called for a Forward Zone or Blue Line lightly held with machine guns who would break up any frontal attack. Behind them was the Battle Zone or Red Line which is where the enemy would be fought and defeated, and finally a support zone or Brown Line which was seldom completed.  That was the theory but in practice it was seldom as clear cut. Nevertheless you can see the MGC or 'Suicide Club' were in harm's way and very exposed.  The attack began with a heavy artillery bombardment and extensive use of gas. Although the 169 Brigade account suggests most of the bombardment fell on the Red and Brown Line

The 56 Divisional HQ diary has a similar account https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4556086 and gives clues to the positioning of the MG teams though we don't know which Company of 56th Battalion, or which team, he was in. 

of specific interest is this paragraph:-

Image from TNA via Ancestry

This refers to guns, as each gun had a team of at least six, that's a high number of casualties.

Four of these are interred at Orchard Dump Cemetery which apparently has a large number of unknowns https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/27000/orchard-dump-cemetery-arleux-en-gohelle/

[RaySearching]

From my notes

WATSON GEORGE MEERS

Private GEORGE MEERS WATSON
123141 56th Bn Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)    (previously Pte 3879 Yorkshire Regiment)
George was killed in action aged 19 on the 28th March 1918 as the Allied lines were overrun during the German Spring Offensive
He was the son of Zephaniah a steel works labourer and Mary Susanna Watson  of 16 Park Street Middlesbrough

George can be found on the 1911 census residing with his parents and siblings at 5 Sutherland Street Middlesbrough a schoolboy aged 12

The register of soldiers’ effects list his father Zephaniah as the legatee of his effects

The claimant of a dependant’s pension is listed as Mrs Mary Susanna Watson (mother) of 16 Park Street Middlesbrough

Born and enlisted Middlesbrough   (Photo Northern Echo)

ARRAS MEMORIAL                        (Middlesbrough war memorial)  

 

Ray

[kenf48]

5 hours ago, RaySearching said:

(previously Pte 3879 Yorkshire Regiment)

Saw that on SDGW,  it's intriguing. 3 Yorkshire numbers (including the renumbering)the 4th (TF) were in Middlesborough was this another attempt to enlist  or transfer(?)

[Richard Symmonds]

6 hours ago, RaySearching said:

From my notes

WATSON GEORGE MEERS

Private GEORGE MEERS WATSON
123141 56th Bn Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)    (previously Pte 3879 Yorkshire Regiment)
George was killed in action aged 19 on the 28th March 1918 as the Allied lines were overrun during the German Spring Offensive
He was the son of Zephaniah a steel works labourer and Mary Susanna Watson  of 16 Park Street Middlesbrough

George can be found on the 1911 census residing with his parents and siblings at 5 Sutherland Street Middlesbrough a schoolboy aged 12

The register of soldiers’ effects list his father Zephaniah as the legatee of his effects

The claimant of a dependant’s pension is listed as Mrs Mary Susanna Watson (mother) of 16 Park Street Middlesbrough

Born and enlisted Middlesbrough   (Photo Northern Echo)

ARRAS MEMORIAL                        (Middlesbrough war memorial)  

 

Ray

Thanks for that Ray. Is there any forum that I might look at that would help me to work out where he met his death, as I am feeling like I need to visit the site/area.

[Michelle Young]

Ken had given you details about where the MCG were further up the thread. 

[Richard Symmonds]

1 minute ago, Michelle Young said:

Ken had given you details about where the MCG were further up the thread. 

Thanks Michelle….new to the site, just feeling my way around 😂

16 hours ago, kenf48 said:

Some interesting aspects to his service.  

The MGC Medal Roll shows 241503 (struck through) then 5035 Yorkshire Regiment. The first number was allocated to the 5th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment on the renumbering of the TF in March 1917.  Near number sampling indicates Pte 5033/ 241422 Altringham was embodied to the 2/4 in Middlesbrough on the 15 September 1915 and transferred to the 2/5 on the 19th November 1915 before being posted to the BEF and the 1/4 on the 19 March 1917. 

Pte Meerson was transferred to the 5th Battalion MGC Grantham on 14th October 1917.  Probably in a draft to France on the 11th February and to the Base Depot at Camiers joining the 56th Battalion probably a couple of weeks later.

He does therefore appear to have originally enlisted in the TF under age, he could legitimately enlist for home service age seventeen but not go on active service overseas until age nineteen so it would appear he made a false statement as to age. A war gratuity of £11. 10shillings was paid to his father.

As to his location when he was killed we can't be certain as the MG Battalion was a Divisional resource. That said the Division held a relatively short frontage when their position attacked by the Germans on the 28th March.  The 168 Infantry Brigade War Diary has detailed after action reports. The German objective was perceived to be the taking of Vimy Ridge in order to complete an envelopment and the capture of Arras.The Brigade diary describes the action as "operations at Oppy" and the location of that Brigade was detailed on the Map Maroeuil 1/20000 I can't find a copy of that however this map is from 02/1918 and indicates the position of the Brigade http://digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca/islandora/object/macrepo%3A69398/-/collection

@WhiteStarLine or @Howard may be able to pinpoint it for you.

In general terms the British Divisional defensive strategy called for a Forward Zone or Blue Line lightly held with machine guns who would break up any frontal attack. Behind them was the Battle Zone or Red Line which is where the enemy would be fought and defeated, and finally a support zone or Brown Line which was seldom completed.  That was the theory but in practice it was seldom as clear cut. Nevertheless you can see the MGC or 'Suicide Club' were in harm's way and very exposed.  The attack began with a heavy artillery bombardment and extensive use of gas. Although the 169 Brigade account suggests most of the bombardment fell on the Red and Brown Line

The 56 Divisional HQ diary has a similar account https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4556086 and gives clues to the positioning of the MG teams though we don't know which Company of 56th Battalion, or which team, he was in. 

of specific interest is this paragraph:-

Image from TNA via Ancestry

This refers to guns, as each gun had a team of at least six, that's a high number of casualties.

Four of these are interred at Orchard Dump Cemetery which apparently has a large number of unknowns https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/27000/orchard-dump-cemetery-arleux-en-gohelle/

Cheers Ken. That’s a lot of info. I’ll have to give it a good dose of looking at 👍🏾

[RaySearching]

2 hours ago, kenf48 said:

Saw that on SDGW,  it's intriguing. 3 Yorkshire numbers (including the renumbering)the 4th (TF) were in Middlesborough was this another attempt to enlist  or transfer(?)

 

Ken I believe that George originally enlisted into the 4th Bn Yorks 

the service number 3879 being a 4th bn Yorks  number, as 4th bn star medal roll shows

possibly transferred  to the 5th Bn Yorks at a later date

4th Bn Yorks star medal roll  3879 absent  so he did not go to France with the 4th Bn Yorks

 

star roll 4th Bn   from Bill Danbys 4th Yorks website

 

Ray

 

[Richard Symmonds]

29 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

 

Ken I believe that George originally enlisted into the 4th Bn Yorks 

the service number 3879 being a 4th bn Yorks  number, as 4th bn star medal roll shows

possibly transferred  to the 5th Bn Yorks at a later date

4th Bn Yorks star medal roll  3879 absent  so he did not go to France with the 4th Bn Yorks

 

star roll 4th Bn   from Bill Danbys 4th Yorks website

 

Ray

 

Hi Ray, I have seen Sue Picken’s posts and she eludes to the fact that he might have joined up under age and sent to France but then sent back to England when his mum found out (white feathered).

[RaySearching]

13 minutes ago, Richard Symmonds said:

Hi Ray, I have seen Sue Picken’s posts and she eludes to the fact that he might have joined up under age and sent to France but then sent back to England when his mum found out (white feathered).

Richard

Link to the Sue Pickens posts please

[kenf48]

This map in the 56th Division war diary courtesy of TNA via Ancestry shows the Divisional Boundary you will have to drill deeper to locate the Machine Guns who were allocated one Company to each Brigade (following the reorganisation there was a tendency for the original Companies to adhere to their previous Brigade) and more were located at Point de Jour strongpoint. As previously noted we don't know which Company he was in. 

 

[Richard Symmonds]

50 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

Richard

Link to the Sue Pickens posts please

 

[RaySearching]

Thanks Richard 

although I did a search on the forum and found the post in question earlier 

Ray

[Richard Symmonds]

4 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

Thanks Richard 

although I did a search on the forum and found the post in question earlier 

Ray

👍🏾

[Sue Picken]

hi all, please see my reply to Richard Symmonds with my summary that i left at the Arras memorial included. I had an expert researcher help me out with some details a few years ago and this was a result of his work and my own research. Let me know if i got anything wrong please? Thanks. What an immense sacrifice was mde by all these young men. I hope we never forget or lose sight of that sacrifice. and thank  you to all you good people who help us in our research, its much appreciated.

Hi Ritchie,

thats interesting. I can attach the card that I printed off and took to the memorial in Arras. I doubt it is still there as i think the CWWGC have to clear them sometimes.  The memorial is interesting though its just his name - i think its Bay 3 but i could be wrong. Its very high up. There are other machine gunners in the graveyard there who look like they might have been fighting at the same time. My mum visited there too. Id be interested to know how and through who we are related! My mum talked about him a lot though she never knew him of course. But her mum, my nana, his sister, had been very close to him and also talked about how it affected her mother, Susannah and Zepaniah.

I did quite a lot of research and my husband and I think we found the field where he probably died. I have a book that also details the German offensive the ultimately failed. Its called "Somewhere on the Western front - Arras 1914 to 1918. "

We think the site of the action he fought in is near Naval Trench cemetery north of Arras near a village called Gavrelle. We went there in 2018 near the anniversary of his death  This is a google link to the spot. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zs7SeQigJrN6wjec7

We hoped to go in April but have had to postpone due to illness. I do hope you make it.

Kind regards Sue Kellaway (nee Picken)

PS I cant attach the document. Sorry.  but i have copied the text over:

  

Rank: Private  

Service No:123141 

Date of Death: 28/03/1918  Age: 19 

Regiment/Service: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)  56th Bn.  

Panel Reference Bay 10.   ARRAS MEMORIAL 

 

Additional Information: 

Son of Zephaniah and M. S. Watson, of 16, Park St., Middlesbrough. 

George Meers Watson was the youngest son of Zephaniah Watson and Mary Susannah Watson (nee Ling). He was brought up in Sutherland Street in the famous Cannon Street area of Middlesbrough and later moved to Park Street. He first joined up to fight at the start of the Great War aged just 15.   When two women in a local park had seen the young George, who looked much older, and put a white feather on him, he decided to enlist.  He was allowed to join up by a recruiting sergeant who, when George told him his true age is alleged to have said “Take a walk round the building and come back in, and tell me you are 17”. He did, and was shipped to France, where on finding out his true age, his commanding officer sent him back to England. 

George signed up again when he actually turned 17. He trained in England as a private and was moved to the newly reorganised Machine Gun Corps, by then attached to separate battalions, in his case the 56th.  We are not sure where he fought prior to the Battle of Arras but it was clearly not his first taste of battlefield ‘action’. Who knows what horrors he witnessed or what friends he made?  However we do have one small clue to the living conditions he experienced on the Western Front because when he  went home on leave at one point to Middlesbrough his mother, Mary Susannah burnt his louse-ridden uniform.  

The final attack by the Germans in spring 1918 was a last ditch attempt to gain ground – they nearly succeeded. There was a huge push as part of the Operation Michael Offensive to capture Arras – the first Battle of Arras which started on 21st March 1918. The brave efforts of men and boys like George meant they did not succeed.  They held out and the key strategic town of Arras did not fall.  

Protecting retreating troops from an attack, George died when his machine gun position took a direct hit from a German artillery shell.  This was witnessed by one of his friends who later came home to reassure his mother that his death had been instant.  

His mother was first sent a photo of a grave with a wooden cross and his name on it. We know that his grave, like many others, was lost in later fighting.  His name is now commemorated on the Arras memorial along with almost 35,000 others with no known grave. 

Back home his father, Zephaniah Watson, who worked as a general labourer in the Middlesbrough steel works, was reputed to have had a full head of black hair that turned white almost overnight on hearing of George’s death. His mother, Mary Susannah  kept a copy of the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ near her for the rest of her life. She always lamented in particular the loss of George’s grave - though the family could never have afforded to travel to France to see it, it would have been a comfort to know that he had an identified  final resting place.  

George’s family - sisters, Lillian, Hettie, Liz, and Elsie May (my grandmother), his brother William and parents Zephaniah and Mary Susannah - never forgot George. Elsie May always talked about George to her own children and made sure his sacrifice was never forgotten.  In turn my mother, Lillian Myra,  is still very attached to George’s memory and keeps a copy of the photo (above) in a prominent place where she often looks at it, and clearly recalls the family memories of him, despite her own age (92 in 2014) and the inevitable loss of recall of less important things.   

In more recent times the current generations of the family have been able to visit the Arras memorial and other parts of both the Somme and Flanders battlefields on the Western Front. In part to learn more about what happened there but also to pay their respects to George and his many comrade, and their foes,  who never came home. 

So, Great Uncle George, thank you to you and your generation for all you did – we will never forget.  

From Lillian Myra Olah, niece of George Meers Watson; and Sue Kellaway,  Bernadette Reasoner, Diane Scott, Colin Picken, Terry Picken, great nieces and nephews of George Meers Watson, July 2014.  

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow 
Between the crosses, row on row, 
That mark our place; and in the sky 
The larks, still bravely singing, fly 
Scarce heard amid the guns below. 

We are the Dead. Short days ago 
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, 
Loved and were loved, and now we lie 
In Flanders fields. 

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw 
The torch; be yours to hold it high. 
If ye break faith with us who die 
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 
In Flanders fields. 

 

 

[kenf48]

8 hours ago, Sue Picken said:

Let me know if i got anything wrong please?

His earlier service is a bit of a puzzle. SDGW shows he was previously 3879 Yorkshire Regiment

@RaySearching notes this was in a number series allocated to the 4th Battalion.

3879 was allocated to a Pte Pinchbeck 3/4th Yorkshire Regiment who enlisted and was embodied on the 17th May 1915 at Middlesborough.  He was posted on active service overseas and to the 1/4th Yorkshire Regiment on the 11th March 1916. Ironically he was also subsequently posted to the MGC.

 

As he did not go overseas until 1916 he would not appear on the 15 Star Roll and it appears neither did Pte Watson.  This begs the question where did this number come from and was it ever allocated to Pte Watson?

In 2018 on the original post cited above  Craig @ss002d6252

 who is  the expert did the gratuity calculation and  placed his enlistment as 29th August 1915, noting 5033 enlisted 13 September 1915. I originally made it the 13th September 1915 but we can say with a high degree of certainty that number was allocated in September 1915.

Apart from SDGW, 5035 is the only Yorkshire Regiment number we can verify for Pte Watson in the extant Army records.  (MGC Medal Roll).

It tends to discredit the white feather story, the evidence is most young men enlisted to escape the drudgery of their industrial existence. In any event he did not serve overseas in any previous enlistment or with the regimental number 3879. So I guess we can park that in the absence of any evidence.

As previously noted Pte. Altrincham transferred to the 5th Battalion and was allocated a six digit number into series allocated to that Battalion in March 1917 when the TF was renumbered.  Pte Watson was allocated 241503. This is struck through on the MGC Roll indicating he was posted to a theatre of war prior to the renumbering with the number 5035 which has been added alongside it.  We do not know, but it is likely at some point he was serving in the 5th Battalion, i.e. when the TF was renumbered.  He may have gone to France in the same draft as 5033 to the 1/4th but we can’t be certain.  In fact the 3879 number may have originally been a 5th Battalion number but we simply do not know.  There is no doubt he went to France and was posted to a TF Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment with the number 5035.  It is not clear but it was probably at this point his true age was discovered and he was sent home, this is sometimes recorded in war diaries. I haven't looked.  We do know he must have been serving with a home battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment when posted to the MGC.

We know, as previously posted that he was posted to the 5th Battalion MGC on the 14th October 1917.  He was therefore in the UK on that date.  We don’t know when he was reposted to the BEF but we do know that during the winter of 1917 - 18 men were held back in the UK necessitating a restructuring of the BEF and alongside that a reorganisation of the MGC. Others who were posted to the Corps at the same time as Pte Watson were posted to the BEF and the Base Depot at Camiers in January 1918 and posted in the field to bring the MG Battalions which comprised the Brigade and Divisional Companies up to strength.  Conventionally the Companies within the Battalion were named A to D. We do not know which Company he was posted to.

I have previously detailed the action on the 28th March and posted war diary sources.  The map from the Divisional diary posted above clearly shows the extent of the Divisional Boundary North to South and the defensive lines in accordance with the BEF Divisional plan. Most, but not all, the machine gun teams would have been posted to the strong points marked on the Blue line. The Red line is also shown, as is the Brown line. I shrunk the map to fit on the GWF page. Here is a section of it full size:-

 

 

 

The 56th Divisional diary indicates where th majority of the MG Teams were deployed. 

Operation Order dated 19 March 1918

This was amended  on the 22 March:-

The after action report notes their losses and confirms most of those were sustained by artillery fire.  The Brigade diaries indicate the actions around the respective strongpoints or "Posts"

As a matter of interest  the Operation Order contained the following injunction:-

During the course of the battle it was noted the Battalions (to which the MG Companies had been attached) as above were located at:-

All images from war diary 56th Division Headquarters TNA via Ancestry as cited above 

In addition 6 Macine Guns were deployed to Point du Jour  following the intervention of the Corps Commander during the battle.

As we don't know which team or which Company of the  56th Battalion Pte Watson was attached to it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy where he fell but we can say how many of the machine guns were knocked out by the German artillery (as previously posted).  We can say he fell on the 56th Divisional front and further research in the absence of the 56th Battalion War Diary but in the Brigade diaries may indicate where the machine guns were deployed.

I don't know if TrenchMapper has this map @Howard?

 

[Sue Picken]

thanks for your very detailed and helpful research and comments. The map and your comments indicate that when we thought the Naval trench cemetery was close to where he was killedwe were probably roughly right if not very exact.

a couple of further comments - the white feather story is almost certianly true- the family members who repeated this to me were sure it was not just a made up story but had happened as my great grandma actually wrote to the authorities to get his release and this was not something poor working class people did easily.

The other report also carried down through the family was that he had a grave at one point - a simple wooden cross above a mound of earth.  His friends who returned said he and the MG crew he was with had been subject to a direct hit and they could not understand how there was anything to bury. The family were then very upset and said they had been lied ot because there was then later no grave. My mother still bristled about that a year or so before she died. I tried to explain that the front moved and he may have had a grave with some remains in it that then later got bombed.

thanks again.

[kenf48]

10 hours ago, Sue Picken said:

- the white feather story is almost certianly true

It may or may not be true it is documented under age soldiers enlisted due to pressure from young women but the project was being heavily criticised by 1915 due to many misplaced attempts to encourage men to enlist. Hence the introduction of the Silver War Badge. What is also not in doubt is that parents wrote to the War Office to claim under age soldiers with mixed results.  Family stories are not easily dismissed but 'certainly true'  over 100 years later, in the absence of corroborative evidence may be misleading.

What is not in doubt is that Pte Watson enlisted under age in September 1915. Whether or not this was his first attempt to enlist is 'not proven' but the war gratuity would indicate the Army reckoned his enlistment to date from 15th September 1915.

Similarly we cannot say where he fell as we have no evidence where he was serving when he was killed. 

The CWGC list fourteen men from the 56th Battalion MGC who died on the 28th March 1918.  Four are listed as 56th Company which is a common error on CWGC.  (Companies did not exist in March 1918). 

2/Lieut Collins was in ‘B’Company and is interred in Roclincourt Military Cemetery

He is buried with a number of other casualties from 56th Division, including one from 169 BrIgade T.M.B. It begs the question was he Pte Watson's officer and can we place him in 169 Brigade.

Pte Walter Garnett 45501 was originally buried at Sheet 51b H.5.b.2.8. It is noted a cross was placed on his grave by Battalion ‘Batt’ and this is how he was identified.

Similarly, Pte 84472 W Neave was recovered from 51 b. H.6.C.4.0. Again his grave marked by a Battalion Cross which identified him.

Both men exhumed and reburied at Orchard Dump Cemetery on 4th August 1920

Pte 9005 Green was buried at Sheet 51b H.6.c.1.0.  Again the concentration report states “Batt C” and identification by Cross.  Interestingly the concentration sheet  also identifies 86528 Marshall  notes the Cross but then the entry is struck through and replaced by U.B.S. or Unknown British soldier. Both bodies reburied at Orchard Dump  on the 18 March 1920

Finally, Pte 36528 Marshall  had no cross and was  identified by his identity disc  Pte  36528 Marshall was buried at Sheet 51b C. 25. a. 8.1. and reburied at Orchard Dump on 7 February 1920

No cross and identified by his identity disc  Pte  36528 Marshall was buried at Sheet 51b C. 25. a. 8.1.

The remainder have no known grave and are commemorated on the Arras Memorial with Pte Watson. It does seem likely any unknowns recovered from these grave sites were finally interred at Orchard Dump Cemetery and I suspect that my be where Pte Watson lies among the four fifths of unknowns buried there, though there is no evidence to support that his body was ever exhumed and reburied.  It does appear the 56th Battalion MGC did bury their dead and erect crosses the majority of which appear to have been lost due to the fortunes of war.

Concentration Maps are on Trench Mapper in fact the Arras concentration map is on the front page but perhaps @WhiteStarLine can help - thanks again Bill