Roy Evans Posted 30 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Damon, Glad to be of help. If you only do one thing besides visiting your GU's grave, make sure you go to the Last Post ceremony at the Menen Gate in Iper (Ypres) I promise you will never forget it. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Kennard Posted 31 August , 2006 Share Posted 31 August , 2006 Roy, I will certainly heed your advice, I booked the trip today and updated my father with all the information you and Doug had kindly supplied, suffice it to say he was overwhelmed. His father had always refused to talk about his brothers death? My dad also mentioned another uncle called Cyril Steedman who was in the Sussex Regiment who apparently died aged 17yrs! I'll start researching him next. We are both certainly looking forward to paying our respects and the research helps to put it all into perspective. I would like to try and locate the the 'Reninheist-Ouderom reserve line' where Percy Kennard fell but frankly am not sure to what this refers? Is it likely to have been a physical feature such as a trench or merely an expression denoting a pocket of land? Many thanks, Damon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 31 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2006 Damon, It sounds very much like a trench but I can't help further (yet). I'll look in a few books but am going away tomorrow for the weekend. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Kennard Posted 1 September , 2006 Share Posted 1 September , 2006 Thanks Roy, I have looked on a map and can locate Reningheist, nearby to the west is a place called Ouderdom so I am wondering whether 'Ouderom' is a typo within the war diary? It is pretty close to the cemetery so would seem right. A trench map confirming same would be good if you could assist. Thanks again, Damon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon6640 Posted 7 September , 2006 Share Posted 7 September , 2006 Roy, I am sure you have been inundated with requests following your kind offer of help, can I add a couple more please. They relate to two brothers from my village who are commemorated on the village's war memorial. The dates in question are 4th October 1917 for the 1st battalion. This relates to the date of death for a Lance Corporal 10782 Albert RUSSELL and 28th April 1917 for the 2nd battalion this relates to a Private 17100 Thomas RUSSELL. Any problems pleasesend me an e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 7 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 7 September , 2006 Thanks Roy, I have looked on a map and can locate Reningheist, nearby to the west is a place called Ouderdom so I am wondering whether 'Ouderom' is a typo within the war diary? It is pretty close to the cemetery so would seem right. A trench map confirming same would be good if you could assist. Thanks again, Damon Damon, Sorry but I don't have a trench map for that area. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 7 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 7 September , 2006 Roy, I am sure you have been inundated with requests following your kind offer of help, can I add a couple more please. They relate to two brothers from my village who are commemorated on the village's war memorial. The dates in question are 4th October 1917 for the 1st battalion. This relates to the date of death for a Lance Corporal 10782 Albert RUSSELL and 28th April 1917 for the 2nd battalion this relates to a Private 17100 Thomas RUSSELL. Any problems pleasesend me an e-mail. I have the diaries covering those dates. The 1st Batt'n entry for 4/10/17 has a three page narrative of the events, the 2nd Batt'n entry for 28/4/17 is less extensive but still interesting. I will scan and post them over the weekend. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon6640 Posted 7 September , 2006 Share Posted 7 September , 2006 I have the diaries covering those dates. The 1st Batt'n entry for 4/10/17 has a three page narrative of the events, the 2nd Batt'n entry for 28/4/17 is less extensive but still interesting. I will scan and post them over the weekend. Roy Roy, Many thanks Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Jon, Here is the entry for 2nd Batt'n 28/04/17 (Page 1 of 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Here is the entry for 2nd Batt'n 28/04/17 (Page 2 of 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Entry for 1st Batt'n 04/10/17 (Page 1 of 4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Entry for 1st Batt'n 04/10/17 (Page 2 of 4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Entry for 1st Batt'n 04/10/17 (Page 3 of 4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Entry for 1st Batt'n 04/10/17 (Page 4 of 4) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon6640 Posted 10 September , 2006 Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Roy, Many thanks - I owe you a few pints of Banks'! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2006 Roy, Many thanks - I owe you a few pints of Banks'! Jon Jon, I'll settle for just the one at the October meeting of the South Staffs Pals. B.T.W. I also have a copy of the Operation Orders for the battle 3rd - 6th October '17 which I'll bring to the meet. Also I've just realised, the meeting is one day before the anniversary of Thomas' death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 Roy Can you help please? Arthur Richard Anson Dickins was commissioned Second Lieutenant, 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment (Territorial Force) with effect from 10 October 1914. He crossed to France in February 1915. Not long afterwards he received a gun shot wound to the chest. (The bullet entered just under the left sterno-clavicular joint, and exited at the same place on the right side.) He was hospitalised for a month at a field ambulance before returning to duty in the trenches. Can you date these events for me ? Dickins was wounded for a second time in the head in the Battle of Hill 60 on 29 July 1915. (It was considered a severe wound – a glancing scalp wound two inches long over the upper occipital region. There was no loss of consciousness, however, and no sensory or motor disturbance. X-rays revealed no injury to bone.) He was evacuated to England through the port of Boulogne, aboard the Transport Anglia on 2 August 1915. A Medical Board assembled at Grantham, Northern Command on 8 December 1915 reported that he was “completely recovered.” Can you tell me when he rejoined his battalion at the front? He was wounded for a third time in the attack on Gommecourt Wood on 1 July 1916. (It was a severe wound. He was struck by an explosive bullet which entered the outer side of his left thigh at the junction of the lower and middle thirds and emerged on the front of the thigh in the same plane via a large and lacerated wound the size of the palm of a hand.) He was evacuated from Base Hospital, Le Havre, aboard the Oxfordshire on 3 July 1916, and did not rejoin the Battalion. Sorry this is such a long-winded request!! William [son of a Stafford] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 11 September , 2006 Share Posted 11 September , 2006 I have the war diaries for 9th Sherwood Foresters - they began July 1916 and i have to Nov 1918 at present. The diaries vanished after Gallipoli but I have various notes which can place the battalion from August 1914 to June 1916. My website www.ypressalient.co.uk does have diaries for October 1917 on it. Plus other odds and ends of diaries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 11 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 11 September , 2006 William, Your man gets only one mention in the 1/6th South Staffords war diary and that is that he was wounded in July 1916. I will scan and print the diary pages for July '16 (including the Operational Orders for 01/07/16) as soon as I get the time. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archer Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Many Thanks, Roy It's strange to think that he can get wounded twice, go away, come back, and still not attract the adjutant's attention. Stranger still when we read that Dickins was high-spirited: It is not perhaps invidious to single out, as a most remarkable and obviously irrepressible humourist at this time becoming thoroughly established, Lieut. [H V Mander], an officer whose career with the battalion was the longest and not the least glorious. … He was well backed by his peers and accomplices, Dickins, Graham, and Magrane … (The War History of the Sixth Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment (T.F.) (1924), pp. 64-65.) Ah well ... the joys of research. Thank you again William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stubriscoe Posted 10 October , 2006 Share Posted 10 October , 2006 Roy, please can you do a look-up on the 1/5th South Staffordshire war diary, for the dates 18th - 22nd April 1915. This was one of their stints in the trenches at Wulverghem. I am researching a relative (John James Norton (Jack). b cpy 1/6 SSR, entered F&F 5/3/15 Pte 2672 KIA Wulvergham 21/4/15, acting Lance Cpl, buried St. Quentin Caberet). Although he was in 1/6, they were at Bulford camp on 21/04, but..... in the 1/6 Diary for 21st "One company engaged in digging. Remainder of the battalion..." I assume that B cpy. was the one engaged in digging, and the 1/5 diary may mention sniper activity, shelling etc., which will give a bit more information on his death, or at least some background on activities on the 21st. Regards, Stuart (An exiled Wulfrunian) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2006 Stuart, I have some scanning to do for another member this evening, I'll scan your pages also. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2006 Stuart, Your pages of the 1/5th South Staffs war diary (1 of 2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2006 Stuart, Page 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Evans Posted 10 October , 2006 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2006 William, Your stuff on 1/6th South Staffords, (page 1 of 5) 29/07/15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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