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Remembered Today:

London Regiment 30th div, 2/17th Bn.


noe

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I wondered if anyone can help, I know you've all been asked this about a thousand times before, but I'm trying to track down my grandad's movements during thr great war, and there are a lot of blank spaces. He served in the Lond. R. 30th Div. 2/17th Bn. He started of in Eygpt as seen in the photo below, but got sent to france in June 1918 I think ? If anyone else has researched the 30th div and knows anything, it would great. Ive found him(Henry janes noe 570968) in the London Gazette, but that's as far as Ive got. Maybe someone knows of the war diarys of this division. I know he was at a place called Helchin on 24/24th october 1918.

Many thanks

Mark

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His London Gazette entry:

570968 Sjt. H. Noe, 2/17th Bn, Lond. R. (Bow, E.). 12th March 1919, Page 3387

And here's the citation - published London Gazette 2 December 1919 Page 14867

570968 Sjt. H. Noe, 2/17th Bn., Lond. R. (Bow, E.).

For most conspicuous gallantry. On the night of the 24th/25th October, 1918, near Helchin, he was in command of his platoon forming part of a fighting patrol. When fired on by a machine gun at close range He led a party which rushed it, capturing the gun and three prisoners. Later, when patrol was counter-attacked he showed great disregard of danger, and by his ability and leadership enabled his men to withdraw without losing a single man.

So the Helchin link is established?

Here's the entry for 2/17 London from the main site:

2/17th (County of London) Battalion TF (Poplar and Stepney Rifles)

Formed in London in September 1914. By January 1915, in 2/5th (180th) London Brigade, 2/2nd London (60th) Division. 27 May 1918 : left the Division and moved to France, joining 89th Brigade, 30th Division on 30 June 1918.

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so he must of gone to Egypt in June 1917( that would explain the photo) then moved to france in May 1918, to where he earnt his DCM at Helchin.

I would love to find the war diarys for his regiment.

Here's a later photo of him, not too sure where this one was took ?

post-1-1057610395.jpg

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Having never heard of Helchin, I looked it up. I think this is the place. Now spelled Helkijn, in Flemish. Click here for map

The Battalion War Diary for the period from June 1918 to September 1919 is in the Public Record Office, in WO95/2336

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thanks very much for all your help, I think I shall venture down to the PRO to find out more.

The link for the map isn't working, i'll try again later.

Mark

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I have a copy of the 30th Div history which was specially compiled for this period - drop me an email if you would like details from it.

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Mislaid your email address, so am posting this on the forum.

The following is from Anon. A Brief History of the 30th Division: From Its Reconstitution in July 1918 to the Armistice 11th November 1918 (War Narratives Publishing Coy, London, 1919)

A further patrol of two Platoons of the Londons, under Second Lieutenant J.T.Fearon, again crossed [the Scheldt river near Helchin] on the 24th [October]. After making a difficult reconnaissance and capturing four prisoners and a machine gun by a rush led by Sergeant Noe, they were counter-attacked by superior numbers. Helped, however, by the Lewis gunners, not least by Rifleman D.Blackburn, they returned successfully to the other bank under heavy machine gun and artillery fire from the enemy, who was by this time fully awake and nervous of bigger things.

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Thank you Paul, I found it really interesting as I keep finding somthing new about my grandad. Things none of the family ever knew about, especialy my dad as his dad never spoke about the war. I never knew him has he died before I was born, but its good to find out what my family was envolved in. Were did you obtain this iformation on the 30th div ?

Many thanks

Mark

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These details come from the book mentioned, which was published in 1919 and so far has been reprinted. I have a copy in my archives.

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