2/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion

[Guest reidmartyn]

Pvte David Reid (TF/1026), G Company. Secondary Rgmt 7th Bn The Buffs (East Kent). Died 17/08/1916. Buried Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard. Death certificate listed as Royal West Kent Regmt? Trying to find where he died, and with whom he was serving as various web sites unclear. Can anyone help.

[Steven Broomfield]

Welcome aboard, Martyn, and good luck with your researches. Just to start, the 7th Buffs were part of the 18th (Eastern) Division, and at the time Pte Reid died, they were in the line at Armentieres, resting between bouts on the Somme.

I'd guess that he joined the Kent Cyclists initially but was transferred out when reinforcements were required for units in action on the Somme. The 18th Div had lost quite a few men in July, so it is possible he was transferred at that time. Just a guess - others will no doubt come in with much more information.

Steven

[Blueblood]

Martyn

Try this website: http://www.erquinghem-lys.com/

There is an email address/Contact page on it somewhere I think right at the top of the front page and part of the website is in English so hopefully you should get a reply.

The 'L'Histoire' button has a drop down where you can click on the 'Les Cimetieres Militaires' and find the Erquinghem-Lys cemetery on it.

Good Luck with your research

Blueblood

[Barnsey]

Martyn,

Try Googling the Buffs. There are a couple of sites for them & one chap in particular - Mick - is a mine of info on the Buffs. Also try searching this forum, I seem to remember asking about Cyclists & the 8th Buffs. I'd like to help further but my research on the Buffs doesn't go much past the battle of Loos.

[Michael]

Martyn

The Battalion were in the front line about 1 mile SSE of Bois Grenier. This is indicated on the thick blue line of the attached map.

At 10am on the 17th August the enemy shelled the White City end of Queer Street with 5 rounds of 10.5cm shells. Our trench mortars fired a few rounds and the enemy retaliated by shelling Queer Street again with 12 x 15cm shells and 2 rifle grenades at about 7.15pm. This was followed at midnight by more rifle grenades and 9 light trench mortars.

The problem you have is that SDGW states that he died of wounds. The 7th Buffs had been in action on 1st July and had taken a lot of casualties. Their period of rest in the north was very much like the 17th August whith sporadic shelling every day. The War Diary makes no record of casualties. Therefore without seeing his service record I cannot tell you when he received his fatal injury (or why he was attached to the Battalion). I would hazard a guess that because he is buried near Armentieres, it would have been sometime since they first went into trenches in the area on 9th August.

Have you tried searching for his records at Kew?

Mick Mills

PS I can't add the trench map so I'll email it to you

[Guest reidmartyn]

Many thanks, very useful. Next step Kew although living up north not easy to get there!

thanks again. One final question why would the death certificate list him as Royal West Kent?

Martyn

Martyn

The Battalion were in the front line about 1 mile SSE of Bois Grenier. This is indicated on the thick blue line of the attached map.

At 10am on the 17th August the enemy shelled the White City end of Queer Street with 5 rounds of 10.5cm shells. Our trench mortars fired a few rounds and the enemy retaliated by shelling Queer Street again with 12 x 15cm shells and 2 rifle grenades at about 7.15pm. This was followed at midnight by more rifle grenades and 9 light trench mortars.

The problem you have is that SDGW states that he died of wounds. The 7th Buffs had been in action on 1st July and had taken a lot of casualties. Their period of rest in the north was very much like the 17th August whith sporadic shelling every day. The War Diary makes no record of casualties. Therefore without seeing his service record I cannot tell you when he received his fatal injury (or why he was attached to the Battalion). I would hazard a guess that because he is buried near Armentieres, it would have been sometime since they first went into trenches in the area on 9th August.

Have you tried searching for his records at Kew?

Mick Mills

PS I can't add the trench map so I'll email it to you