6/890 Rifleman George Henry Smith

[Guest malmowers]

I've located information on my Gt. G.Father and would like help on reconciling the information and maybe some pointers on what else I can look for. His name was George Henry Smith, born and resided in Hackney, enlisted in Stratford into 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps. 'Soldiers Died in the Great War' also states that he died of wounds, France, 9/5/15. CWGC shows he is on the memorial in La Touret cemetary, which means he has no known grave, but if he died of wounds would he have been in hosiptal and have a known grave? Looked at the war diary for KRRC and find no mention of any OR being killed and can't locate a medal card for a George Smith of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Anyone got any pointers on what I can do from here to get any more information or verify the information I have?

[Stebie9173]

Here is his Medal Card:

Medal card of Smith, George

Corps Regiment No Rank

King's Royal Rifle Corps 6/890 Private

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...&resultcount=14

The search doesn't like "/" much so I just searched for Number 690 in with "Rifle" as Corps.

(This is of course the download page. You have to pay £3.50 to the National Archives to look at the PDF with the actual card which will also have 5 other men's cards on it)

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

The 9th May 1915 was the day of the battle of Aubers Ridge.

As far as i know, the 2nd battalion were involved in the battle that day. They were part of 2nd Brigade who also had the 1st Northamptons in the Brigade who were virtually wiped out. The 2nd KRRC would probably also have taken a lot of casualties, but I am no expert of the Regiment, so I'll check it out.

As for how he died of wounds and also has no known grave? Well, a possible explanation is that he died near the front line, and was buried in a battlefield grave which was subsequently lost in further fighting throughout the war.

If no-one else jumps in first I will have a look at a book on Aubers Ridge later.

Hope this helps,

Steve.

[Guest malmowers]

The 9th May 1915 was the day of the battle of Aubers Ridge.

As far as i know, the 2nd battalion were involved in the battle that day. They were part of 2nd Brigade who also had the 1st Northamptons in the Brigade who were virtually wiped out. The 2nd KRRC would probably also have taken a lot of casualties, but I am no expert of the Regiment, so I'll check it out.

As for how he died of wounds and also has no known grave? Well, a possible explanation is that he died near the front line, and was buried in a battlefield grave which was subsequently lost in further fighting throughout the war.

If no-one else jumps in first I will have a look at a book on Aubers Ridge later.

Hope this helps,

Steve.

Thanks for your help it is much appreciated - and so fast too.

[Stebie9173]

Got back to my books...

The 2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps were the support battalion behind the 1st Northamptonshire Regiment. I thought it may well have been them but I wasn't sure.

The 1/Northamptonshires and 2/KRRC were positioned on the extreme right of the attack at dawn on the 9th May 1915. Their starting position was just south of the Rue de Bois (Wood Road) that runs past Le Touret to the west to Neuve Chappelle on a west-northeast line, and just south of the village of Richebourg St Vaast . The direction of the attack was north-west to south-east. The job of 2/KRRC was to provide support to the assaulting Northamptonshire Regiment battalion, and to do so they lined up directly behind them. After the Northants had taken the German line the 2/KRRC was to occupy, fortify and hold an 800 yard defensive line, thus securing the right flank of the British attack. That was the plan.

The artillery barrage commenced at 5am, and the assaulting battalions crawled into no man's land soon after. At 5.25am, the assaulting battalions rose from their positions in the mud of no man's land and attacked. Behind them the supporting battalions, including 2/KRRC went over the top and followed on.

KRRC attacking formation by company was:

CA

DB

with C being the front-left company.

Ahead, the Northamptonshires were held up in front of unbroken barbed wire and badly cut up by machine-gun fire. The 2/KRRC met the same fate, held up under the sights of the machine-guns and were forced to retreat back to their front line trenches which B & D companies held whilst a second attack was attempted during the afternoon.

The casualties of the 2/KRRC were 4 officers killed, 2 missing. Other ranks casualties were 42 killed, 80 missing and 118 wounded.

The support battalions were lucky in a way, as they were able to extricate themselves from the battle. The assault battalions of the brigade were trapped in no man's land until nightfall. In the 1/Northamptons casualties were 8 officers killed, 9 wounded, 541 other ranks killed, wounded or missing; 2nd Royal Sussex to the left suffered 101 dead, 118 missing and 329 wounded.

The attack was described in the local press in Northamptonshire as the "Aubers Ridge Disaster". I can't disagree with the description.

Hope this helps,

Steve.