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Remembered Today:

2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment in World War One


mac

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NEW BOOK BY THE RGBWLI REGIMENTAL MUSEUM SALISBURY

Too late for Christmas, but hot off the press is this second book by Ian Cull. The 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment in World War One. It follows on from the well received volume on the 1st Battalion, published last year by this Museum. This time Tempus Publishing have published the book in association with the Museum.

The book covers the period from 1911 - 1919, starting in India, and follows the Battalions fortunes on the Western Front, ending with the Battalion's return to Reading. It contains over 120 pages of main body text, images and maps, plus 8 appendices and a comprehensive index.

The appendices include: Selected Biographies, The Battalion's earlier history, Visiting the battlefields today, Commanding Officers, Fatal casualties, Honours and Awards, The Roll of Honour and The Dehli Durbar Medal recipients.

To order your copy today go to the Regimental Books section in our on-line shop at www.thewardrobe.org.uk

Ian Cull is a member of the WFA Thames Valley Branch

post-1559-1135596599.jpg

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All credit to this superb museum for doing - frankly - a bloody excellent job!

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All credit to this superb museum for doing - frankly - a bloody excellent job!

Steven

Thanks for that old chap....Many thanks for the review of the Photographic book on the Royal Berkshires, that was the first effort. A mirror copy covering the Wiltshire Regiment 1914-1959 is now with the publishers and should be out by February (Fingers crossed)

Cheers

MAC

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Nice to see this is out Mac - thanks for flagging it up here.

Greetings Paul....Hope the new year goes well, keep up the good work

Cheers

MAC

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Steven

Thanks for that old chap....Many thanks for the review of the Photographic book on the Royal Berkshires, that was the first effort. A mirror copy covering the Wiltshire Regiment 1914-1959 is now with the publishers and should be out by February (Fingers crossed)

Cheers

MAC

No problem - meant every word of it. Keep up the good work.

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  • 8 years later...
QUOTE (Paul Reed @ Dec 27 2005, 10:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Nice to see this is out Mac - thanks for flagging it up here.

Greetings Paul....Hope the new year goes well, keep up the good work

Cheers

MAC

Hi I have a doctor's memoirs of while he was with the 2nd Royal Berks but finding it difficult to match up the dates. I think there are mistakes as is often the case with memory. I've bought the war diary but still finding it difficult to match up and was wondering if you or Ian Cull would be interested in helping?

regards

Lina

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Lina

Let us know what your questions are and I will see if I can assist, Ian CULL has moved on to other things so send me your questions etc and I will see if I can plug the gaps.

Cheers

MAC

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Lina

Let us know what your questions are and I will see if I can assist, Ian CULL has moved on to other things so send me your questions etc and I will see if I can plug the gaps.

Cheers

MAC

thanks very much MAC

can you tell me any more about the South African Rhodes scholar 'Lewis'?

apparently the adjutant, Lt Battye, left for the Flying Corps - do you know anything more about him? his father worked at Windsor Castle.

there was an OR named Johns who went to sleep on sentry duty and was arrested and going to be shot (but wasn't) do you know more about him?

there was a nice young lad aged 20 named Alan who was killed from a rich family, his father worked at the War Office (I assume this was Alan Bowles?)

now down to clarifying dates...

My Dr Nye mentions half-way thru his recount the 2nd battle of Ypres (which according to my googling was Jan-Apr 1915) but he didnt join the regt until 2 June 1915. He said the Bn was ordered to attack at dawn, No Mans Land was a morass, boggy etc, there were appalling losses - which battle do you think he was referring to?

Then he talks about being on the Somme. His Bde was to make a frontal assault as a diversion from the main attack at dawn on the 5th day (after 4 days of bombardment). The Berks were chopped to pieces. He talks about the CO Hunt who appears to have been less than exemplary.

Dr Nye mentions their first gas attack on 16 Apr 1915 (date must be wrong because he didn't arrive in Europe till 17 Apr and I hardly think he was inducted into the RAMC, underwent training etc in one day). He said "I'll never forget it. The germans delib selected a section of the line held by French colonial troops", he also mentions Canadians plugging the gaps. he was with his regt behind the lines near Armentieres. So what date was the gas attack really?

He said that about a year later, on the Somme, he was gassed in an attack delivered by artillery shells containing di-bromoxylene and phosgene and he was evacuated to hospital. When would that have been?

sorry - hope this hasnt been too much but his story was very interesting (he wasnt very complimentary about the people in the unit I'm afraid)

regards

Lina

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Lt Cyril Wynward Battye was originally with the 1st/4th he joined the 2nd 22/5/15, was wounded 31/7/16 was kia 13/3/16 This is not reported in the 2nd War Diary so quite likely he went to RFC. His address was 19 Castle Yard Windsor

no info on Johns

The Bowles you refer to was Lt Alan John Bowles who was killed 10/4/1916 -

I think the battle must have been Bois Grenier 24th Sept 1915 although none of the reports mention boggy ground but several mentions of ditches so again quite likely

The Somme attack was at Ovillers on 1st July

no info on gas attacks

It sounds like you have some interesting material - is it possible to send a copy to Mac McIntyre at The Wardrobe, The Close, Salisbury or you can send him a personal message and arrange it between yourselves. We would certainly like to follow up on some of the stories

regards

John

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Lt Cyril Wynward Battye was originally with the 1st/4th he joined the 2nd 22/5/15, was wounded 31/7/16 was kia 13/3/16 This is not reported in the 2nd War Diary so quite likely he went to RFC. His address was 19 Castle Yard Windsor

no info on Johns

The Bowles you refer to was Lt Alan John Bowles who was killed 10/4/1916 -

I think the battle must have been Bois Grenier 24th Sept 1915 although none of the reports mention boggy ground but several mentions of ditches so again quite likely

The Somme attack was at Ovillers on 1st July

no info on gas attacks

It sounds like you have some interesting material - is it possible to send a copy to Mac McIntyre at The Wardrobe, The Close, Salisbury or you can send him a personal message and arrange it between yourselves. We would certainly like to follow up on some of the stories

regards

John

thanks so much John! I'm currently preparing the book for publication and will ask the family whether the material relevant to your regiment can be used on your website. I'd at least like to post a link and his photo. I appreciate your help and will get back to you. With 100 bio's, I think I'll need another beer or two.

regards

Lina in Australia

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