9th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment

[ypres1418]

hi all,

has anyone got any info on the 9th Bn for 1918,

A good friend of mine last night let me see his collection of his Grandfathers medals,

2nd Lt Percy Vinall Pullinger MC

I have been able to find his Gazette dated 13th September but unable to locate the diary on the NA site,

his MIC doesn't mention the MC, he started off in the Royal Irish Fusiliers as a L/Cpl and we have his 15 star and one of the others and a territoril medal, I'm hopless on medals, sorry,

any info would be very much appreciated.

as a side line he has his great grandfathers Crimean medals with Alma, Inkermann and Sebastepol bars and the Turkish medal

His Grandfathers medals as above and his fathers medals from WW2.

Thanks everyone,

Mandy

[Alan Seymour]

I was just having a browse through the Forum pages for the first time for a long time and noticed your query of the 4th August reference 2Lt P. V. Pullinger, 9th Royal Sussex.

I've found no mentioned of this officer in the 1918 War Diary for the 9th Bn. Royal Sussex from September back to the beginning of June, but at the end of May is the following note under:

"Honours and Awards":

The undermentioned have been awarded decorations for gallantry and devotion to duty during the German Offensive on the Somme. listed along with five other officers under Military Cross is 2. Lieut. P. V. Pullinger.

Therefore his MC was won at some stage between 21.3.18 - 28.3.18 after which the battalion had received orders to withdraw to Brigade Support. There is no mention of his name during this period but listed amongst a statement of Casualties (amounting to some ten attached pages at the end of the month of March), is listed: Wounded in Action, 2/Lieut. P. V. Pullinger, 27.3.18.

Looking back to the 27th, (this may have been the day of, "his gallantry and devotion to duty"?), the following is listed:

The enemy attacked at about 10 a.m. and succeeded in entering a system of trenches on our right and bombed down the trenches held by "A" Coy and 73rd L.T.M.B. He was repeatedly driven back by bayonet charges down the Trench but we were unable to eject him entirely as there were no bombs available. Finally a block was formed and some very good work was done by "A" Coy Lewis Guns in holding this block. Bombs arrived about 5 p.m. after which there was little difficulty in holding the enemy.

[ypres1418]

Alan,

Just got back from holiday, so I'm sorry if you thought i was being rude in not answering sooner,

Many thanks for the info and i will pass it on in the next week when i see him,

thanks again,

Mandy

[Stebie9173]

To help with pinning down the action this is his citation:

Gazette of 13-9-1918 as Mandy has already stated.

T./2nd Lt. Percy Vinall Pullinger, R. Suss.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He put up a, magnificent resistance to heavy enemy attacks, and when surrounded

cut his way through and withdrew his men, fighting, in good order. He displayed fine courage and initiative.

A pretty good match, but I imagine a lot of this was happening on the 27th....

If it helps T/2nd Lt. William Tysoe of the 7th Bedfords won a DSO on the 25th April 1918 (last officer left, referred to in both War Diary and Citation) which is gazetted in the same issue as Percy Pullingers...

Steve.

[ypres1418]

Thanks Steve,

Will add this to the items i already have.

Mandy

[Stebie9173]

Also in same issue 2nd Lt. Ernest James Scott, 7th Beds, MC which is a better match, whose award of the MC was mentioned on the same date as Tysoe's (28-5-18) in the War Diary.

There is also this one from 2nd Bedfords:

Lt. (A./Capt.) Frank Alan Sloan, (2nd) Bedf. R.

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During the night this officer took up his company to counter-attack the enemy, who had got a footing in the position. He first of all led a small patrol to find out the strength and exact position of the enemy, and then returned and organised his company for the attack, which was successful in driving the enemy out of the greater part of the position. He- was badly wounded the next evening.

Lt. Sloan was wounded 22-3-1918. Therefore date of action was 21-3-1918 which gives a wide spread for the dates of actions for MCs in that Gazette.

The Issue of the Gazette is a huge one - 200+ pages and seems to cover most of March and April 1918.

27th March 1918 is certainly possible...

Steve.

[ypres1418]

Thanks Steve,

All info greatly appreciated.

Mandy