4th and 5th Battalions, Yorkshire Regiment

[mgbarrett1]

Thank you very much Bob, I wonder if its the same man?

Roger.

jon

Thanks for the information well done and thanks again

MGB

[Ian 0001]

Jon,

My Grandfather, George William Wiles, was a private in 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment and was captured on the 27th May 1918 at Chemin des Dames. He was blown out of a trench, wounded in both heels, shot through the left ear at point-blank range and stopped another bullet in the back. When captured he was at a dressing station waiting for a Hospital train to take him back to 'Blighty'. He wrote a description of the events of the 27th May 1918 as he saw them for the family. He desribed seeing the acting Adjutant, Mr Webb, seriously wounded by a rifle bullet so must have been near him during the morning.

Whilst I don't suppose there is any mention of him in the Battalion diary, and I don't know what company he was in, I would be interested to learn the diary's description of the events of the 27th May. He also mentioned that they had gone through 'hell' in March and April. Where were the Battalion then?

On a related topic, he didn't qualify for the 1914-15 Star. We have no record of when and where he enlisted. Do you have any idea how I might find this out?

Regards

Ian

[Bob Coulson]

Ian,

4th Yorkshires fought from 22nd to 31st March on the retreat during the German Spring Offensive incurring close to 200 casualties.

After this they recieved reinforcements totalling 22 officers and 802 other ranks.

On April 10th they were called into the Battles of the Lys and were holding the line west of the river at Sailly sur Lys, in these actions they incurred close to 250 casualties.

Re Chemin des Dames,

On May 26th the battalion were in reserve at Beaurieux and moved up in support positions around Craonelle and La Hutte.

On May 27th an intensive enemy artillery barrage opened up in the early hours of the morning followed by an infantry attack which had broken through by 10-00am and many troops were surrounded.

The few men left who were able to effect a retreat fell back and made a stand on the hills to the south of Maizy.

Many were killed but the missing total was very high with 23 officers and 566 other ranks missing.

To quote from Green Howards in the Great War,

"The battalion may be said to have practically ceased to exist"

Hope this helps,

Bob.

[Ian 0001]

Ian,

4th Yorkshires fought from 22nd to 31st March on the retreat during the German Spring Offensive incurring close to 200 casualties.

After this they recieved reinforcements totalling 22 officers and 802 other ranks.

On April 10th they were called into the Battles of the Lys and were holding the line west of the river at Sailly sur Lys, in these actions they incurred close to 250 casualties.

Re Chemin des Dames,

On May 26th the battalion were in reserve at Beaurieux and moved up in support positions around Craonelle and La Hutte.

On May 27th an intensive enemy artillery barrage opened up in the early hours of the morning followed by an infantry attack which had broken through by 10-00am and many troops were surrounded.

The few men left who were able to effect a retreat fell back and made a stand on the hills to the south of Maizy.

Many were killed but the missing total was very high with 23 officers and 566 other ranks missing.

To quote from Green Howards in the Great War,

"The battalion may be said to have practically ceased to exist"

Hope this helps,

Bob.

Bob,

Thanks very much. (Managed to get to the Green Howards Museum in Richmond earlier this week. Expecting great things, but it's closed for refurbishment until Easter 2007! Helpful lady in the shop did tell me that the Green Howards do have some WW1 enlistment records, but they're not complete. Records can't be accessed until Easter 2007!).

Regards Ian

[Tony Lund]

I am also interested in the 27th May 1918 but in the 5th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment.

Fred Hardy, a Private (38236), was reported missing on May 27th 1918. A few months after being captured he died in a German Prisoner of War Camp.

I would be very interested in information concerning that date if it is possible. I see from the above post what happened to the 4th Battalion on that date and I know they were in the same brigade, but a war diary entry is always useful.

Thanks,

Tony.

[Bob Coulson]

Tony,

5th Yorkshires were on the Craonne Plateau in the front line with the 4th East Yorkshires.

Line was 2600 yards long running from Chevreux to Piste D'Orleans.

Enemy bombardment began at 1-00am with all calibre of shell falling and causing heavy casualties in the forward posts.

By 6-30am attacks on the left and right had left the battalion enveloped, Col Thomson reported that

"HQ coy was fighting round his command post and appeared surrounded".

Withdrawal was ordered at 7-00am but this was too late for the 5th battalion.

Amazingly only 9 other ranks were actually reported killed but 25 officers and 638 nco's and men were missing.

Bob.

[Tony Lund]

Thanks Bob, a lot of prisoners taken then.

Thanks again,

Tony.

[David_Blanchard]

Hello Tony,

Just picked up your post:

Try the link below to a forum Thread on the Aisne Battle of 1918:

Click Here

If I can help with any further questions you have send me an e mail:

blanchie@btinternet.com

Regards

David

[Hopkins1418]

Hi

I was hoping you might be able to help me with a one Cornelius Marlow. An old sweat hed surved in the Boer war. As far as I can see he was a Sgt in 1914 an was a wo11 by the end. I know he was the first sgt of the pioneers within the battalion but seems wasnt tranffered out of the battalion when pionner battalions were formed later. Im hoping there might be some references to him in the diaries you have, specifically Im trying to pin down which company he was in.

any help at all would be much appreciated.

cheers

Will

[Jon Haslock]

Hi

I was hoping you might be able to help me with a one Cornelius Marlow. An old sweat hed surved in the Boer war. As far as I can see he was a Sgt in 1914 an was a wo11 by the end. I know he was the first sgt of the pioneers within the battalion but seems wasnt tranffered out of the battalion when pionner battalions were formed later. Im hoping there might be some references to him in the diaries you have, specifically Im trying to pin down which company he was in.

any help at all would be much appreciated.

cheers

Will

Hi. Was he 4th or 5th Battalion?

[Hopkins1418]

Hi

Sorry he was in the 5th battalion.

Cornelius Felix Marlow

service Numbers 37 / 57 / 240002

cheers

will

[Guest]

I have photocopies of the war diaries for the 4th and 5th battalions, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards). If anyone needs any info, I'll happily share it.

Jon.

Jon

My Great Grandfather John Cook Service No 3496 was in 5th Bn, and was killed on the 15th Sept 1916 in between Martinpuich and High Wood and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

We do not know much about him at all other than was living in Staithes and signed up in Whitby and is on the memorial at Staithes too (as is one of his sons who was killed in WW2 flying in Coastal command, but that is another story)

If there are any references to him or of the 5th Bn part on the 15/9/1916 then I would be greatful for any leads or alternatively I woud love to piece together his last two weeks in France just to get a feel for where he was.

Any suggestions of other sources on the 5th would be very welcome.

Thanks

Glenn Cook

[Bob Coulson]

Glenn,

5th Yorkshires arrived by train in Doullens on August 11th and then marched to Beanville moving on via Flesselles and Mollieres-au-Bois to Millencourt where they spent the remainder of August in preparations for their involvement in the Somme offensive.

On September 9th the battalion moved from Millencourt to Lozenge Wood and on the 10th to positions in Pioneer and Swansea trenches their CO Lt Col Mortimer was killed by a shell on the way up to the line the news of which was said to have spurred the men on at 6-30am on the 15th as they advanced between High Wood and Martinpuich.

The battalion’s objectives were taken and held but under heavy fire the battalion being relieved in the early hours of September 19th.

Hope this is of some help.

Bob.

[peterinkent]

Hello Jon

Can you give me some idea of what the 5th Bn were up to around the period of the 16th Febuary 1916.

I am interested in 1144 Corporal Herbert Colley noted as died 16 Feb 1916 by the CWGC. I am guessing he is a pre war TF man who served with the bn 2nd Ypres.

thanks Peter

[Bob Coulson]

Peter,

5th Yorkshires were in and out of the line in the Sanctuary Wood/The Bluff area in Jan/Feb 1916.

On February 16th although the battalion was not directly involved their bombers were employed carrying bombs to the front line during a "determined German attack on The Bluff."

I would say that Herbert Colley was KIA during this supporting action.

Bob.

[Guest]

Hi,

I was wondering how to find out when a man joined the front line with the 5th btn,

The first wave fought at Ypres and the 2nd wave that went out again in the Somme My grandfather Service No 3496 John Cook was with the guys who enlisted at Whitby but I do not know whether he was in the action at Ypres covered by the book Baptism of Fire.

If anyone can tel me where I can look to find out whn he embarked for France it would be apreciated.

Thanks

Glenn

[Bob Coulson]

Glenn,

You need his Medal Index Card for when he first landed in F/F, available from the NA for £3-50 to download or Ancestry.

Bob.

[Bob Coulson]

Checked Ancestry for you but his card is not available yet, looks like you will need to download from the NA.

Bob.

[kelly]

On ‎03‎/‎01‎/‎2006 at 23:51, Jon Haslock said:

I have photocopies of the war diaries for the 4th and 5th battalions, Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards). If anyone needs any info, I'll happily share it.

Jon.

Afternoon John

 

Do you still have the diary for the 5th for April to October 1915

 

Regards

[Neil S]

Would appreciate any information on L/Cpl. Victor Charles Lansdowne. 

 

LANCE CORPORAL V C LANSDOWNE

Service Number: 13163

East Yorkshire Regiment

8th Bn.

Died 23 March 1916

[clk]

Hi Neil,

 

Victor Charles Lansdowne

 

Ancestry links:

Medal Index Card

Medal Rolls

Service papers

SDGW

Soldiers Effects

1911 Census

Probable Birth Registration

 

Other Links:

Will

Overview of the 8/East Yorks

War Diary of 8/East Yorks

Wary Diary of 8 Infantry Brigade HQ for March 1916

War Diary of 3 Division HQ for March 1916

CWGC (+ how to read map references)

Grave Images

Service papers (FMP)

 

Regards

Chris

 

Edited 20 October , 2020 by clk
hyperlink added

[Neil S]

On 17/10/2020 at 00:18, clk said:

Hi Neil,

 

Victor Charles Lansdowne

 

Ancestry links:

Medal Index Card

Medal Rolls

Service papers

SDGW

Soldiers Effects

1911 Census

Probable Birth Registration

 

Other Links:

Will

Overview of the 8/East Yorks

War Diary of 8/East Yorks

Wary Diary of 8 Infantry Brigade HQ for March 1916

War Diary of 3 Division HQ for March 1916

CWGC (+ how to read map references)

Grave Images

Service papers (FMP)

 

Regards

Chris

 

 

Thank you very much. Would you happen to have the war diary for March, 1916?

[clk]

Hi Neil,

 

If you register with the National Archives (see here), you can download them free of charge by clicking on the links in my earlier post.

 

Regards

Chris

[Neil S]

6 minutes ago, clk said:

Hi Neil,

 

If you register with the National Archives (see here), you can download them free of charge by clicking on the links in my earlier post.

 

Regards

Chris

 

Thanks Chris.

[Topter]

On 17/01/2007 at 21:29, Hopkins1418 said:

Hi

I was hoping you might be able to help me with a one Cornelius Marlow. An old sweat hed surved in the Boer war. As far as I can see he was a Sgt in 1914 an was a wo11 by the end. I know he was the first sgt of the pioneers within the battalion but seems wasnt tranffered out of the battalion when pionner battalions were formed later. Im hoping there might be some references to him in the diaries you have, specifically Im trying to pin down which company he was in.

any help at all would be much appreciated.

cheers

Will

Hi Will, 

I was researching my GtGdad, the same Cornelius Marlow. His daughter Mary (Mollie) was my Nana. I wondered if you had any documentation relating to any service he might have completed in the Boer war? I wasn't aware of any service in that campaign, so would be very interested to learn of anything you might have. 

I'm not sure if I can offer you much in return, though I do have a few photographs of him. 

Eitherway, if you see this please do get in touch. 

Mike Pilgrim