7th Btt. Royal Fusiliers

[Jerrymurland]

Anyone have this battalion in their 'favourites'? Looking for battalion actions up to September 1916.

Jerry

[John Holmes]

Hi Jerry,

the 7th Royal Fusiliers landed at Le Havre on the 24th July 1916 and on the 27th joined the 190th Brigade at Barlin south of Bethune where the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was assembling and training. On the 30th July the division relieved the 47th Division in the Souchez sector and settled into trench routine then on the 16th September the 37th Division relieved it.

[Jerrymurland]

Charlie died on 18.11.1916 of wounds at Rouen. I am wondering if his demise was through random shelling of the battalion lines or in a specific trench raid or action.

Jerry

[John Holmes]

Jerry,

the division was relieved by the 37th Division by the 16th November and had moved back to the Fienvillers area by the 18th. The 7th Royal Fusiliers must be somewhere around there in billets reorganising, sorry I cannot tell you where.

Regards John.

[massie]

They were involved in a big attack on the 13th and 14th, with 4 officers and 37OR killed, 12 officers and 331ORs wounded, gassed or missing. Their first major losses. My grandfather was there. I have the battalion diary with a report of the attack, so if you have any questions drop me a line. I'm just about to go on holiday for a couple of weeks so apologies if I take a while getting back though!

Regards

Massie

Charlie died on 18.11.1916 of wounds at Rouen. I am wondering if his demise was through random shelling of the battalion lines or in a specific trench raid or action.

Jerry

[Jerrymurland]

Wouldn't mind a copy of the war diary for that attack Massie, sounds like the action that got Charlie!

Jerry

[massie]

Hi Jerry

The substance of the report is below. The 'Place' is recorded as Hamel.

12th Nov - Y day. The day ‘fully occupied in drawing war stores & issuing same‘. Bttn marched to Engelbelmer woth platoons at 200 yard intervals. The night was moonlight & not very cold. The Bttn proceeded to the assembly point with 22 officers & 629 ORs. Hot tea was brought up in cookers to Hamel & issued at 11pm. Hot soup & rum were issued at 5.00am. Great coats were taken off & stacked in section bundles at 5am.

Z day was Nov 13th. From the report Appendix - times start in am.

5.45 Barrage commenced, the Bttn moved up into the 1st & 2nd line trenches

6.25 the Bttn advanced on the German 1st line

7.15 confusion in No mans land owing to fog

7.20 OC Right Co personally reported seriously wounded and exhausted that he had entered 1st line German trench with men of his own Co and men collected in No mans Land, that the trench was strongly held by the enemy and 'great confusion appeared to prevail' and a counter attack appeared probable

7.40 Report from Lieut Fish said his Co had reached 1st objective & he was wounded in foot, Adj Capt Ford went to investigate & found situation satisfactory & 2 centre Co.s under Capts Forster & Clarke consolidating in German 1st line

8.50 OCs right & left Co’s reported they were holding the German 1st line with about 150 men, the enemy holding the trench on their left

9.30 Brigade orders Bttn to push forward & occupy trench on extreme right & then spread NW

10.30 Capt Forster reported capture of 1 officer 50 men & 1 machine gun, & requested stretcher bearers & Lewis gun ammo & bombs

11.40 detail party under Sergt Bright ordered to hold enemy’s strong point while remainder of Capt Forster’s party went on with him to Green Line

12.30 4 officer reinforcements arrive

2.00 (pm)2nd Lieut Downing arrived Bd HQ (Capt having being killed with undispatched report timed 9am) & reported left Co held up with heavy casualties after 3 attempts to enter 1st German trench & remainder, about 25 strong, were occupying shellholes in front of the German 1st line wire. He was instructed to withdraw them at 1st opportunity.

2.30 subaltern officer dispatched to collect stragglers of various units & Lewis guns in our 1st line trench, and to hold trench. At the same time Capt Goddard sent to take over from Sergt Bright, taking carrying party with bombs with him.

4.20 request from Capt Goddard for Very pistols & lights, bombs & ammo for Lewis guns, request time 3.35pm

5.00 2nd Lieut Downing reported he had withdrawn his men without casualties & left them under Lieut Randall in our 1st line trench. 2nd Lieut Brown ordered to reorganise the 25 men & proceed to reinforce Capt Goddard against the German strong point

7.20 Capt Forster directed to withdraw from the Green Line & rejoin Capt Goddard with view to taking enemy strong point that night, and it was suggested that the best way to achieve this appeared to be bombing towards it from original 1st & 2nd German lines

9.37 report received from Capt Forster timed 3.37pm reporting his arrival at Green Line

10.00pm order regarding taking enemy strong point cancelled as Bttn moving forwards

Nov 14th

2.00am Lieut Randall ordered to withdraw Lewis gunners & men to Divisional Advanced Dump, also Capts Goddard & Forster. On arrival at dump they drew bombs, ammo, water & rations & reorganised Bttn

5.30 Bttn formed in 2 waves in support behind right Co HAC

6.00 attack opened & Capt Goddard reported they had taken Red Line with little opposition mostly from enemy machine guns on the left. Large number of German prisoners taken. He then consolidated the right flank to the river bank NE of Beaucourt

7.15pm Brigade order stated Bttn would be withdrawn at 4am Nov 15th & occupy the original 1st & 2nd line trenches, which was achieved.

They then went to shelters on the 16th on the Engelbelmer-Martinsart road. The Bttn had to wait until dark before the shelters were pitched.

The 17th was spent clearing the battlefield. The 18th they went to billets in Beauval, and the first draft of 47 OR arrived.

The officers killed are named, but not OR. Which was helpful for me because I have my grandfather’s pay book signed by his Co. officers (it looks as if his Co was involved from the officers involved, though whether he was in the fighting I guess I‘ll never know. He always claimed not to have been in the front line, but that might have been to avoid talking about it, who knows?) , would the names be helpful to you?

Regards

[Jerrymurland]

Thanks mate, much obliged. No need for names.

Jerry