G A Dale Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt.)

[Guest David Walker]

Detailed below is information relating to my great uncle who died in the First World War:

Casualty Details

Name: DALE

Initials: G A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regt.)

Unit Text: 2nd/5th Bn.

Age: 20

Date of Death: 31/03/1918

Service No: 204540

Additional information: Son of the late Alfred and Mary Jane Dale, of York.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: P. IX. G. 6A.

Cemetery: ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN

We visited his grave last year - quite a moving experience to say the least.

Does anyone have any information on where he may have died?

Thanks.

David

[doogal]

Hi David,

I've been research the action he may have been invloved in for a while now. I have quite a bit of info, and there is also some good detail on this forum.

My Gt Grandfather was in the 2/5th and was KIA on the 27th March 1918. I have trench maps, and have plotted where many of the bodies for the 2/5th were recovered from in 1919, and also the positions duringthe battle, which really picked up for them on about the 26th March - I can't be sure, but I think your gt uncle may have died of wounds, as the cemetery is quite a long way from the battlefield - it is possible he may have been wounded before this particualr engagement, but I doubt it - do you have any other info at all? anecdotal or otherwise?

Will be glad to help.

regards

doogal

Edited 16 December , 2005 by doogal

[doogal]

Just checked - yes he died of wounds, which means he was out of the front line before he died.

The 2/5th were in the line at Gavrelle until about the 20th (I'll have to check this), before being moved down to the line near Gommecourt and Pusieux.

The took part in covering the retreat of the British Army in the face of the Spring Offensive of March 21st 1918, and went into the line again, on about the 24th/25th, pulled back some way as part of the 62nd division, before finaly taking a position between Bucquoy and Puiseux for five days, holding the German advance between the dates of the 26th March and the 31st March, before coming out of the line.

About 50 kia and 120 wounded according to the war diary (I have the proper details at home, so take all these details as approximate for the moment)

I would think that your gt uncle will have been wounded at some time between the 25th and the 29th March, though it is possible that he could have been injured whilst at Gavrelle or on the journey south towards Bucquoy.

doogal

Edited 16 December , 2005 by doogal

[doogal]

He will most likely have been at one of the following hospitals when he died. Unfortunately, there are no remaining Admission register books for these establishments. The hospital list is taken from the main website.

If his service records remain at the National Archive, this may give full details (it may also tell very little) - have you searched for them yet?

Hospitals at Rouen:

No 1 Stationary

Le Mans Sep 14 - Oct 14; Rouen Oct 14 -

No 2 British Red Cross

Rouen Sep 14 - Dec 18?

No 3 Stationary

Rouen Feb 15 - Mar 19; Rotterdam Apr 19 onward

No 5 General

Rouen Aug 14 - Sep 14 and Feb 15 - Mar 19; Angiens Sep 14 - Feb 15

No 6 General

Rouen Nov 14 - Apr 19

No 8 General

Rouen Aug 14 - May 19

No 10 General

St Nazaire Sep 14 - Oct 14; Rouen Oct 14 - May 19

No 11 Stationary

Rouen Oct 14 - Mar 19; Duren Mar 19 onward

No 25 Stationary

Rouen Mar 15 - May 19