Trones Wood disappearance

[Ryan1997]

Hi All,

 

 

Hoping someone can help me. 

I am due to head to the Somme battlefields in February.

On this trip I plan to head to Trones Wood.

I am following the story below:

 

“On the night of October 3rd, the 7th Middlesex was relieved by the 8th Middlesex, and went back for a short rest to Trones Wood, in order that it might be ready to attack on the 5th. That night there occurred a mysterious incident of which the explanation remained unknown for many months afterwards. No. 6 Post was relieved in due course by the 8th Middlesex, and 2nd Lieut. Prockter, after formally handing over, marched out with his garrison, which belonged to the Hornsey company, to rejoin their battalion. From that moment the entire party disappeared, and they were never heard of again, until many months afterwards an explanation was received from one of them, then a prisoner of war in Germany. Apparently 2nd Lieut. Prockter and his men lost their way in the dark, wandered round in a circle, and finally walked into the German trenches. Surrounded by the enemy they refused to surrender and it was not until 2nd Lieut. Prockter and 12 of his men had been killed that the remaining five, all wounded, were taken prisoners. These were the first men of the 7th Middlesex who were ever taken prisoner in the war. The Hornsey men had shown themselves worthy sons of the Middlesex Regiment and to bear the proud name of the “ Die Hards.”

 

I was hoping to find the location of No.6 post to take some photographs but cannot find it on any trench maps.

 

Would No.6 post likely have been marked on a trench map? 

Or, is there any other form/type of document that I could find that denotes positions in this area.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Ryan. 

[Howard]

The 167 Brigade War Diary gives their line dated 2nd Oct 1916 as map references. You can plot those in TrenchMapper.
The ones most relevant to Trônes Wood are from 57c.T.13.d.8.4 (Ginchy), along the railway through Trônes Wood to 57c.S.29.c.5.9 in Bernafay Wood.

Although numbered posts are not shown, you can get some idea from the order to establish 4 posts 700 yards "in front". Like a lot of Great War records, a bit vague but may help.

Howard

Handwritten text from page 69 of WO-95-2946-2 courtesy of TNA

Book quote The Die Hards in the Great War by Everard Wyrall

Map TrenchMapper

 

Edited 6 January by Howard

[KIRKY]

Checking concentration burial for Prockter there was a mass grave with him on road to Transloy quite a distance from Trones? Perhaps taken prisoner and died near there with his comrades?

Tony

[brianmorris547]

Ryan

The War Diary of 56 Div Commander Royal Engineers (WO 95/2939) has a Report on the Work done by the RE and Pioneers with the September 1916 papers. They would have built the Strong Points (SPs) after the unsuccessful attack described in the report.

It gives the map references of Strong Points etc constructed by the Field Companies. It refers to the Edinburgh Field Co constructing No 1 Post on the night of 22 to 23/09 and No 3 Post the following night. It also refers to Strong Points Nos 3 and 2 (which I think must be the posts). No mention of No 6 Post but it must be in there somewhere. A process of elimination for you. 

There is not much detail in the WDs of the Field Cos or the Pioneer Bn (5 Cheshire).

Brian

EDIT: I have just read the October 1916 WD of 7 Middlesex and the attached Operational Orders by Major King.

2/Lt Prockter was C Company and he was to establish his forward post just south of the Sunken Road about N 34 b 4 8. Para 8 of the Op Order states that two Cos of Pioneers and one Co RE will assist.

This image is from the WD of the Edinburgh Field Company RE. It records that they were working near a post south of the Sunken Road at N 34 b 6 6.

TNA WO 95/2942 via Ancestry 

 

Edited 6 January by brianmorris547
additional info

[Howard]

Tried to delete whole post! Failed.

Howard

 

 

Edited 6 January by Howard
Tried to delete whole post!

[brianmorris547]

The Operational Order agrees with the Regimental history. There are any number of maps in the WD of 56 Div HQ General Staff.

This one is dated 25/09, there are others dated 03/10 but the September map shows Guillemont. N 34 is just north of Lesboeufs.

Image TNA WO 95/2932 via Ancestry.

Brian

[Ryan1997]

Thanks for this! 

[brianmorris547]

Ryan

As far as I can make out N 34 b 6 6 should be on the high ground which can be seen from the D 474 road between Lesboeufs and Le Transloy, on the left before going under the A1. You should be able to see what you want from the road without having to ask permission to go onto the farmland.

Brian 

[brianmorris547]

A better map from the September 1916 WD of 1 Indian Cavalry Div HQ General Staff.

TNA WO 95/1167 via Ancestry

Brian

[Ryan1997]

Hi Brian,

 

brilliant. Thanks for this and your help! 
Very much appreciated! 
 

Ryan. 

[jay dubaya]

“On the night of October 3rd, the 7th Middlesex was relieved by the 8th Middlesex, and went back for a short rest to Trones Wood, in order that it might be ready to attack on the 5th. That night there occurred a mysterious incident of which the explanation remained unknown for many months afterwards. No. 6 Post was relieved in due course by the 8th Middlesex, and 2nd Lieut. Prockter, after formally handing over, marched out with his garrison, which belonged to the Hornsey company, to rejoin their battalion. From that moment the entire party disappeared, and they were never heard of again, until many months afterwards an explanation was received from one of them, then a prisoner of war in Germany. Apparently, 2nd Lieut Prockter and his men lost their way in the dark, wandered round in a circle, and finally walked into the German trenches. Surrounded by the enemy they refused to surrender and it was not until 2nd Lieut Prockter and 12 of his men had been killed that the remaining five, all wounded, were taken prisoners.”

The 167th Inf Bde war diary records five posts at N.28.c.6.0 - N.28.d.0.0 – N.34.b.2.7 – N.34.b.2.4 – N.34.b.3.0 had been joined to form a defensive line on the night of 1/2nd October and were held by the 1/7th Middlesex. The operational orders state – 1/7th Middlesex, ‘B’ Coy was 20 men strong and ‘C’ Coy of a similar number. A Lewis Gun detachment will accompany each of the four patrols whilst two snipers will also accompany ‘B’ and ‘C’ Coys.  After moving west, up the sunken road ‘B’ Coy to establish post at N.34.b.0.9, ‘C’ Coy to establish a post to the south of sunken road at N.34.b.4.8, ‘D’ Coy’s post 200 yards south (likely the post at N.34.b.6.6) of ‘C’ Coy and ‘A’ Coy to establish a post 200 yards south of ‘D’ Coy at N.34.b.5.2. On our right the 1st Londons will form three similar posts, their left post being about N.34.d.6.4. The posts on brigade front will be numbered right to left, were around 200 yards west of the defensive line and within 100 yards of Spectrum Trench.

All but two of the reliefs were completed at midnight 3rd October, the battalion marching back to Trones Wood. The battalion war diary states the CO and Adjutant remained in the trenches at Les Boeufs until 6pm on 4th October when the final two reliefs were completed. Lt Prockter and 15 men garrison of Post No.6 are also reported missing on this day.

It is difficult to ascertain the exact number of others who were killed alongside Lt Prockter in the missing patrol from No.6 Post. Prockter is recorded on the CWGC database as having being killed on 3rd October (SDGW records KiA), although the original date recorded on the GRRF was 2nd October.

Four men taken prisoner from this patrol (three are named on Prockters ICRC index card), all are listed as ‘C’ Coy, 1/7th Middlesex, taken PoW at Les Boeufs on 3rd October 1916.

*2799 Pte FC Trevallion ( died of meningitis 2nd October 1918, buried Cologne Southern Cemetery)

4067 Pte CE Bush 

4104 Pte WH Goldsmith 

6115 Pte J Parker

Looking at the battalion deaths in France between 2/4th October 1916 the CWGC database produces 20 men. The Soldiers Effects Register shows five men recorded missing, died on or since 2nd October 1916.

201037 Pte AG Mercy

201400 Pte FJ Fitt

202066 Pte FO Rice

*200403 Pte G Peck

*2817 Pte E Willis

And five men recorded as missing, died on or since 4th October.

202129 Pte C Jackson

201045 Pte J Jauncey

6266 Pte T Emmett (De Ruvigny records him missing whilst with a working party)

*201580 L/Sgt HS Andrews

*201718 L/Sgt E Middleton (buried Guards Cemetery, exhumation N.28.d.3.7)

With the exception of two who died of wounds at medical facilities the remaining eight men were all reported killed in action. 2nd October, five on 3rd October and two on 4th October.

4313 Pte WT Dalton, 2nd October (buried Guards Cemetery, exhumation N.34.b.5)

Lt F Prockter, 3rd October  (buried London Cemetery, exhumation N.34.b.55.80)

2627 GE Holmes, 3rd October  

*3155 Pte EWH Lynn  3rd October  (buried Guards Cemetery, exhumation N.34.b.2.3)

9525 Pte WE Claxton, 3rd October  

5546 Pte JRA Cross, 3rd October  

*2781 Pte WRW Titley 4th October

2291 Pte GJWK Allen (recorded as ‘D’ Coy), 4th October

Considering the battalion were at rest at Trones Wood on the 4/5th October another eight men are recorded as having died on 5th, one having died of wounds at a medical facility the remaining seven recorded as having been KiA.

4139 Pte GM Faulkner (buried Guards Cemetery, exhumation N.33. Although all other documents state KiA 5th October the date on the cross which marked his grave was 3/10/16, the GRRF was typed up as 2/10/16 later amended back to 3rd).

*2778 Pte G Clements (buried Delville Wood Cemetery, exhumation T.19.a)

5702 Pte FG Pearce

6096 Pte WJ Rowley

*3442 Pte WC Boltwood (buried Guards Cemetery, exhumation N.34.b.2.3)

5640 Pte JH Briar

200680 Pte SJ Cooper (CWGC record him as 1/5th Bn Middlesex, this is incorrect and appears to be a typo on the database.

It would be nice to confirm the names of those killed alongside Lt Prockter. The exhumation location suggests he was discovered buried in Spectrum Trench, a 100 yards east of No.6 Post. His remains were found buried one foot beneath the remains of an unknown Dukes soldier in an unmarked grave. The only other name from the above casualties whose remains were discovered on German held ground (at time of death) was L/Sgt Middleton (around 900 yards north of No.6 Post). This suggests those recorded missing on 4th October were indeed part of Lt Prockter’s patrol and I’m sure the patrol would have included NCOs. The remains of Privates Boltwood, Dalton and Lynn were discovered within British held ground and Clements was buried some distance away at Guillemont.

 

Those names which appear with an * have a Hornsey connection.

[Ryan1997]

Jay, thanks for that! 
Great effort for gathering that together and posting, really appreciated. 

I am in contact with Pte J Jauncey’s relative and hoping to take some photographs of the ground for him.

 

Thanks again,

Ryan.