K.S.L.I. lads killed on 30/7/16

[Annette Burgoyne]

I have a small puzzle to solve.

Soldiers Died records four men of the 7th K.S.L.I., killed in action on the 30th July 1916. They are -

22011 Pte. Brick, Leonard. Born Highley. Enlisted Bridgnorth.

11790 Pte. Poulter, Campbell. Born and enlisted Wellington, Shropshire.

22235 Pte. Ryder, John Charles. Born Wem. Enlisted Shrewsbury.

18666 Pte. Blaise, Walter. Born Market Drayton. Enlisted Shrewsbury.

The C.W.G.C. records that three of them are on the Thiepval Memorial and also that they were of the 7th K.S.L.I. So far I have failed to find the four man, Pte. Blaise, in the C.W.G.C. records.

The puzzle is that the 7th King’s Shropshire Light Infantry were in billets around Meaulte and the Regimental History makes no mention of any incidence taking place on this day (I do not have the Battalion’s War Diary at hand to cheque this). Now I know Regimental Histories do have a lot of omissions, so does anyone know if the Meaulte area was shelled on the 30th July 1916 ?

Another possibility is that they were attached to another unit, as I have the Medal Roll entry for Pte. Poulter, which records that he served in the 6th K.S.L.I. and that he was attached to the 19th Kings Liverpool Regiment. There is no mention of him being in the 7th K.S.L.I. ? could they all have been attached to the 19/K.L.R. ?, this battalion was in action on the 30th of July near Guillemont, suffering around 182 killed according to Soldiers Died.

Any help gratefully received

Annette

[CROONAERT]

Annette.

I know it doesn't help much ,but there is no particular reference to this being the case in the Kings Regt's history for this date.

Dave.

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Dave

Regt. Histories do tend to leave a lot out. There were a lot of Hereford Regt. chaps attached to different K.S.L.I. battalions but the Regt. History does not mention this fact nor do the War Diaries, according to SD serveral men from Hereford Regt. were attached to 6th Batt. when killed but the 6th's War Diary makes no mention of them ?

Thanks

Annette

[Paul Reed]

I have found a similar case with the Royal Sussex; there are about 30+ men who died in the late summer of 1916 who are all listed in SWD and CWGC as 2nd Bn Royal Sussex Regiment - they all have the regiment's badge on their stone. I have medals to two of them, who died in August 1916, when the battalion was on the Somme... but they and the others are all buried at Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois Grenier, and some other cemeteries near Armentieres.

It was only after some research I found that they had all been posted to the 8th East Surreys to replace losses on 1st July 1916, and which unit was in the line at Bois Grenier at this time.

There is no mention of this in any official medal roll or casualty list - except the regiments own 2nd Bn record book, which makes mention of this draft.

I wonder if it is something similar in your case?

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Paul

Yes, I think this may very well be the case. Pte. Poulter's Medal Roll entry points in that direction. The four K.S.L.I. lads may have only joined the K.L.R. ( if this is the case) the day before the attack, so when killed they were still in the records as K.S.L.I., and so recorded in SD & C.W.G.C. records ? There is a chap only nine number away from Pte. Poulter's Regt. No. who is actually record as being killed with the 19/K.L.R. at a much later date, so he may well have been with the four who were killed but was lucky and survived (well for one year longer) and so was officially transfarred to the K.L.R. ?

All I need now is a little proof.

Thanks

Annette