David_Blanchard Posted 2 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2012 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment War Diary : Thanks to Llew 7/5/18 CHALONS VERGEUR. 1.00am. Enemy commenced heavy bombardment with gas and high explosive on D Camp. The Battalion fell in at 12.45pm and moved to dugouts and shelters in vicinity of camp as soon as bombardment commenced. A Company under Captain SCOTT M.C. had -?- move up to the TENAILLE DE GUISE east of CORMICY on the night of the 26th and arrived in position at midnight. 3.00am Gas shelling ceased but concentrations of gas did not clear until 5.00am. 4.00am TENAILLE DE GUISE heavily bombarded until 5.00am. 7.30am. B Company (Captain SCHOLES) moved forward to Brigade HQ in BOIS-DE-LA-MONTAGNE and proceeded thence to TRENCH DE ESTERNEY with right on OUVRAGE-DU-NORD and left on HIRSCH WOOD. 9.00am. D Company and Battalion HQ moved forward to Brigade HQ. A Company heavily attacked in TENAILLE DE GUISE but attack was beaten off by rifle and machine gun fire. 11.30am. C Company (Lt. STEVENS) moved forward and rejoined remainder of Battalion in vicinity of 110th Brigade HQ in BOIS-DE-MONTAGNE. 12.00 noon. TRENAILLE DE GUISE again heavily attacked. Enemy were repulsed frontally but succeeded in attacking posts on the right and left flanks which eventually forced the remnants of A Company under Lt. VERNALL to withdraw to TRENCH de ESTERNEY in front of CAUROY-CORMICY ROAD. 2.00pm. Battalion HQ moved to the TUILLERIE. D Company moved up to position near BOYAN DE GUISE extending right and left in front of CAUROY-CORMICY ROAD. Touch was gained with B Company on right but touch could not be obtained with A Company on left. Consequently there was a gap of over 1000 yards on the left. 2.30pm. C Company ordered forward to fill gap between A and D Companies keeping 1 platoon in reserve at Battalion HQ. Touch was obtained with D Company on right and 1 platoon deducted to form a defensive flank facing CORMICY. Repeated attempts were made to establish touch with troops holding CORMICY. 4.00pm. Enemy attacked the TRENCH DU ESTERNEY from HIRSCH to CAUROY. Attack was brought to a standstill by rifle and machine gun fire from about 150 yards from ESTERNEY. 5.00pm. Under cover of dead ground the enemy succeeded in establishing a footing in HIRSCH WOOD on the right flank of D Company. He attacked repeatedly from this direction between 5.00 and 7.00pm but was repulsed each time with heavy losses. 7.00pm. Reinforced by Trench Mortars, enemy proceeded in breaking the line of the right flank of D Company. Blocks were immediately established in the trenches and the enemy held up -?-. 7.30pm. Enemy threatening the left flank of C Company from direction of CORMICY. 8.00pm. Enemy working round the left rear of C Company and firing into them from -?-. Owing to situation on right flank of D Company. B Company formed a defensive flank along the BOYAN DU CHATILLON. 10.00pm. Enemy continued to work round flanks of B and D Companies in small parties under cover of darkness. Orders received from Brigade (GC 547 attached) to withdraw to the line ST. AUBOEUF-ROUCY RIDGE covered by rear guard. Withdrawal to commence at 10.00pm. 11.00pm. Companies ordered to withdraw and assemble at old Battalion HQ in BOIS MONTAGNE, C and D Companies had considerable difficulty in extricating themselves but managed to withdraw fighting a rear guard action. Casualty information from the 31st May entry in the 6th Battalion diary, Casualties for the period May 1st to May 31st 1918:- Officers Lt. Col E. S. CHANCE killed in action, Lt. A. H PICKARD, Lt. G. B. E. -?-, 2nd Lt. W. R. EVERITT, 2nd Lt. C. PEGG, 2nd Lt. A. A. SCALES wounded in action, Captain F. SCOTT M.C., Lt. W. T. STEVENS, 2nd Lt. A. J. CLARK, 2nd Lt. C. N. MARTIN, 2nd Lt. W. A. BAGULEY, missing. Other ranks 21 killed, 99 wounded, 1 gassed, 154 missing, 3 missing believed wounded. Total 11 officers and 278 other ranks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 2 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2012 Private Charles Edward Freeman 2nd Batt Devonshire reg - number 74039 - T/44485 (secondary number on his MIC) He was captured in the Devons famous battle at Bois De Buttes. Information on the above from this post: Thanks to Tim Wright Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 2 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2012 A related thread on the 5th Battery, 45th Brigade RFA (8th Division) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 4 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 November , 2012 3rd Worcestershire Regiment on the Aisne: Book published in 2009: A Young Man's War Alec Ward William Leslie Ward joined the army in 1917. He was just eighteen. The following year he was sent to France. The Spring 1918 German offensive was in progress. Before long he joined the 3rd Worcester Regiment and was involved as a Lewis gunner at Kemmel. The unit then moved south to recuperate, but after a surprise German attack became involved in the 3rd Battle of the Aisne. It was there, near Concevreux, that on 27th May William Leslie was put out of action by a bullet wound in the leg and eventually made it home to 'Blighty'. The focus of A Young Man's War are the letters that William Leslie sent home during his short time in France. There is also a chapter about the causes of the First World War, the conditions of trench warfare and the impact of the war on life at home. Appendices include more detail about the 3rd Battle of the Aisne, a crucial battle in the Great War. This book is a story of the life of just one ordinary man but it helps us to remember the enormous sacrifices made by all those young men who fought on our behalf. http://www.medlarpre..._Alec-Ward.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigelcave Posted 4 November , 2012 Share Posted 4 November , 2012 Hi David: Tried to pm you, but your box seems to be full. Could you either do some emptying or pm me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 4 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 4 November , 2012 Interesting Memorial in the Leeds Corn Exchange commemorating Colonel J A R Thompson CO of the 5th Bn Yorkshire Regiment http://www.yorkshire...r-memorial.html Colonel Thompson 's name salso appears on the Sledmere Memorial in East Yorkshire; http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/html-files/sledmere-cross-1.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 7 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 7 November , 2012 On 2nd April 2010 "SonofOliver" posted the following: "Hallo David, I'm new to the Forum, having stumbled across it while researching the history of my father, Lieut. (and, it seems, temporarily Captain) in the 5th battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. He was awarded the Military Cross for 'defending a bridgehead near Concevreux on May 27 1918' and gallantry leading his men in retreat May 27-30. I have the original handwritten 'recommendation' and the subsequent Gazette entry. Other than that, I know very little about him (he died in 1942 when I was 4 years old). If you have information about the role of the 5th Battalion you could share, please do so. And if you'd like to see the documents above, perhaps you could point me as to how to include a .jpg file in a message. I'll try sending it as an Attachment. Was it common practice to award a temporary promotion such as he seems to have been, maybe because of losses in the officer ranks?" I cannot get in touch with SonofOliver through the Forum's messenger, so in order to trace him, could anyone try and help solve the puzzle of which officer of the 5th Northumberlands won the MC on the Aisne for the defence of Concevreux on May 27? Regards David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodie31 Posted 29 November , 2012 Share Posted 29 November , 2012 If you're in the UK, you might want to check out CAB 45/114-115 at the National Archives. Its a collection of comments that participants made on Edmonds' chapter in the Official History. Some are just minor suggestions but there are also a number of diary and letter extracts included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 29 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2012 Hello Bodie, Thanks for your post. I actually have most of the reports from CAb if people are interested. What is your interest in the Aisne Battle? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodie31 Posted 29 November , 2012 Share Posted 29 November , 2012 I'm doing some research on the 1914 aisne battle for a masters thesis. I was hoping that cab 45 would have comments for volume 1 of the official history but I quickly realized it was all from 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 29 November , 2012 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2012 Just had a brief look at the French War diary site on the Aisne Battle- a little confusing but I see the War Diary for the 22nd Regiment is there which could be useful David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Link to a large trench map of the Craonne Sector of the Aisne battlefield from a french website: http://www.memoiredeshommes.sga.defense.gouv.fr/jmo/img-server/26_N_470_001/SHDGR__GR_26_N_470__001__0047__T.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 31 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2012 Link to another trench map of the area near La Ville aux Bois- Bois des Buttes http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/922/23bcp28817centremarceau.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blencathra Posted 6 January , 2013 Share Posted 6 January , 2013 Hi David, and thanks for pointing me towards this thread. I think it will take me a good while to read through all these facinating posts! As promised, please find attached an image of my wifes grandfather, Walter John Smith. The family has always known this picture as "The last leave" as it is believed to have been taken Feb/March 1918 and Walter died from wounds on May 29th. The family has known very little of Walters last days for the last 95 years but in the last few weeks i have been able to "fill in" quite a few blanks with the help of the internet and some very kind, well informed people including yourself. Walter was serving with the Army Veterinary Corps as a horseman attached to 94th Brigade - Royal Field Artillery (I have yet to establish if he would have been with the 94th from his arrival in France in 1915 or if he would have had other attachments leading up to them) and as such, was part of the 21st Division postioned in the area of the Aisne at the end of May 1918. The Brigade war diaries show the 94th camped 1mile south of Bouvancourt from the 18th May. At 01:00 on the 27th, the German bombardment began. The 94th returned fire until around 11:30 at which point the batteries were forced to retreat to a ridge near St Auboeuf. The last battery withdrew by about 15:00 and all batteries were in action at the new position by 18:00. They were then further withdrawn at 20:30 to new positions near Trigny where they spent the night. At some point during this day, Walter sustained injuries during an enemy air raid. He died two days later and is buried in Coulommiers Communial Cemetery. I am now completely hooked by his story and by a battle that i'm sorry to say i hadn't heard of. Are there detailed maps of the time available that i could use to try and accurately track the route of the 94th Brigade that day (The war diary refers to "21 DA order C2 Soissons map")? Thanks again for your help, Stef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 6 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2013 Hello Stef, Thanks for contributing to the thread. Just wondered, have you been over to the battlefield to take the photograph of your wife's relatives grave? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blencathra Posted 6 January , 2013 Share Posted 6 January , 2013 Haven't been over there yet, i got the photo from "The War Graves Photographic Project". We hope to visit the area maybe later this year once i have read a bit more about the battle and have a better idea of the geography so that we can trace his route from the 27th May and visit the cemetery. Do you know if there would be any records that may show what hospital he may have been in between the 27th and 29th or is it more likely to have been a chaotic field hospital "churning" their way through a mass of casualties? Stef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 6 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2013 A Map of the Aisne showing stages of retreat- not great but it gives you an idea of the tremendous advance of the German Army from 27th May to the 1st June 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 6 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2013 He may have been moved straight to Coulommiers, by transport, which was a French hospital centre during the First World War.(ref; CWGC) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 14 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2013 I met Frank Deane, 1/6 Durham Light Infantry, in 2001, the last veteran-as far as I am aware on the British side- of the Aisne battle of 1918. He was born in 1899 and sadly passed away in 2002, aged 103. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 14 January , 2013 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2013 A photograph of Frank Deane, from the Great War, appears in Richard Van Emden's book, "Prisoners of the Kaiser" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 23 March , 2013 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2013 To those who may follow this thread, and others, I am visiting the Aisne just after Easter and if anyone has requests for photographs please post below. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 23 March , 2013 Author Share Posted 23 March , 2013 Lieutenant Norman Speedy below right, Yorkshire Regiment attached to 1st East Yorkshire captured on the Aisne 27th May 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony osborne Posted 24 March , 2013 Share Posted 24 March , 2013 Some amazing information on this thread - got lots of reading to do! Believe my G. G. Uncle Pte 33298 Thomas William Wells may well have been serving with the 6th Leicesters at the time. Thanks all for sharing. Ant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Blanchard Posted 6 June , 2013 Author Share Posted 6 June , 2013 This recent forum thread provides information on places to stay near the Aisne/Chemin des Dames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Toy Posted 6 June , 2013 Share Posted 6 June , 2013 Brilliant thread ! David, when you quote the casualty figures: 8th Division casualties Officers Other Ranks Total Source* 23rd Brigade 2nd Devonshire 29 552 581 2nd West Yorkshire 22 555 577 2nd Middlesex 27 578 605 Am I right in assuming for example with the 2nd Devonshires, 29 Killed, 552 Wounded, and 581 Missing or PoW's ? Also, the 'Last Stand' painting is superb - wish I owned the original ! You say on the caption "26-27th May 1918, 5th Batteries gun position was overrun by German Infantry" I thought perhaps wrongly, that the major offensive didn't start until 27 May opening with an enemy bombardment at 01.00hrs ? Regards Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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