10th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment (Grimsby Chums)

[smiths565]

Hello everybody.

I am trying to find out what action a member of the 10th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment (Grimsby Chums) was killed in on the 27th August 1917. Can anybody help ?

With no ties to the Grimsby area, I think he was one of a number of re-inforcements after 1916. he was just 19 years old. His service number was 41281, does this confirm my theory?

Thanks in advance

Robert.

[Terry_Reeves]

Robert

Your are on the right track. My grandfather enlisted in the 1/7th Worcesters in 1915. He was badly gassed at the end of July 1916 and was transferred to 10th Lincs a couple of months later as a casualty replacement.

Terry Reeves

[Steve Bramley]

Hello Robert,

The Chums along with the 11th Suffolks and 16th Royal Scots (of the 101st Brigade) made an attack on Ruby Farm on the 26th August 1917 which continued into the next day. Casualties for the Chums were 53 killed, 158 wounded and 13 missing. Isuspect your man lost his life during this action. There is a very detailed description of the action in Peter Bryant's book, 'Grimsby Chums' published by Humberside Leisure Services in 1990. ISBN 0-904451-46-1.

If you would like any further information (i.e. A photocopy of the relevant section of the book, please let me know.)

Regards,

Steve.

P.S. I suspect that your theory is correct. Fellow forum members Chris and Jim Davies have looked into the 4**** Lincs service numbers and hopefully will see this post and be able to help further.

[smiths565]

Hello Steve,

Thats brilliant - exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks for the reply and the excellent information.

Thanks also to Terry.

Regards

Robert.

[smiths565]

Oh, I forgot to say. My man was service no. 41281, was 19 and in the 10th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment, killed on the 27th August 1917. Buried at Hargicourt.

A Sunderland lad, Service No. 41282, aged 19, 10th Bn. Lincolnshire Regiment, killed on the 27th August 1917 also Buried at Hargicourt.

These two could have been pals, who enlisted together, or became friends, having enlisted at the same time. Stuck together when they were sent to re-inforce the ranks of the Grimsby Chums - who know's. My imagination sometimes runs riot.

[Steve Bramley]

Hi Robert,

I am researching the 5th battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. I have an (incomplete) database of men who served. I have not fully researched the 4**** numbered men so far. Of those that I have in the db, many appear to be transfers i.e.

41274 J.T. Gilmore (1/5th Lincs) k.i.a. 22.09.18 Beaconsfield, Bucks formerly R.A.S.C.

These men's numbers range from 40000 to 49000 and are from all over the country, many are very young with the average age looking like 19, so many may have been conscripts. Previous regiments are varied (for those which I have details) but several were recorded as in the Lincolns training reserve battalion. A few however are older men. I guess that these numbers may have been allocated at a Lincolns training camp mixed with conscripts and previously wounded men who were ready to 'go-back' all were issued with new numbers and transferred to Lincs battalions that needed them. I'm guessing!

There were a few other North East lads among the group:

41396 R.S. Cockburn of Sunderland (2/5th Lincs)

41414 J.Moffatt of Gateshead (2/5th)

41420 F.C. Robinson of Sunderland (3/5th)

all k.i.a.

Although my listing is very much incomplete, the names seem to appear in alphabetical order which says to me that a large group of men were brought together at the the same time.

Out of interest what were your 'Chums' names?

I have e-mailed Jim Davies to remind me what he knows about the 40000 numbers,

Steve.

P.S. Hargicourt was about a mile from Ruby Farm, jsut inside the British front-line.

[Steve Bramley]

Robert,

I'm having an educated/wild guess here, but i suspect that all the men were from the 13th training Reserve battalion, Lincolnshire regiment. This battalion was the reserve battalion for the Lincolnshire Territorials (if I'm not mistaken??). Have a look on the CWGC site for this man, who was originally in the 1/5th battalion:

241659 (Formerly 5045) Private Charles Vernon Boulton

enlisted: Grimsby.

Wounded during a trench raid in the shoulder and arms during on 18.10.1916, while with A company 1/5th Lincolns.

Do you see the connection?

Steve

[smiths565]

Thanks for the reply Steve.

The man I'm interested in is

Benjamin Beard, service no. 41281

and the one I found whilst researching is

James Henry Byers service no. 41282

so as you say the names seem to appear in alphabetical order. I think you're right.

I had already looked at 241659 (Formerly 5045) Private Charles Vernon Boulton

I have since found reference to the following information

Pte B. Beard 9396

B Comp. Hut 3

13 Training Reserve

Brocton Camp (I think it says Brocton, could quite easily be Procton)

Nr Stafford

it then has the word killed parallel with a line that crosses through the above information. I think this is my man.

However as a final twist the medal cards say ....

Medal card of Beard, Benjamin

Corps Regiment No Rank

13th Training Reserve Battalion 9396 Private

Lincolnshire Regiment 43287 Private

confusing or what?

I still think its the same Benjamin Beard.

regards

Robert.

[Steve Bramley]

Hi Robert,

Byers MIC:

13th Training Reserve Battalion 9276 Private

Lincolnshire Regiment 41282 Private

Almost certain that the two pieces of info' you have for Beard relate to the same man.

Byers, Beard and Boulton are all buried in consecutive graves in Hargicourt.

I think all three were at probably at Brocton Camp? Could brocton have been the training reserve for the 46th (TF) Division (of which the Staffs TF were also part)?

I would also guess that all three were killed or at least found together?

Do you think, possibly a case of an old hand 'coaching' two youngsters?

Steve.

[smiths565]

I would also guess that all three were killed or at least found together?

Do you think, possibly a case of an old hand 'coaching' two youngsters?

Could well be, I researched another incident where a barn took a direct hit from an 8 inch shell which killed 12 and wounded 16. The 12 are all buried side by side at Pont Du Hem.

Thanks for all the help Steve - I hope you can also use Benjamin Beards details if you ever research the other Lincolnshire regiment battalions.

Regards

Robert.

[jim_davies]

Been following this thread and hoped I would be able to help. I don't have my notes to hand concerning the 40000 lincs service number range, but know that the range was first used in July/Aug/Sep 1916 for former TF men from a variety of regts transferred to the Lincs. The transfers seem to by divided by battalion, and as noticed earlier in the thread followed a a-z numbering.

Sorry I couldn't be of any real help.

jim

[smiths565]

Hello again.

I had a quick look for information about Brocton camp and found this site

http://www.brocton.org.uk/

which says

"During the Great War, 1914-1919, Cannock Chase hosted two military camps - Rugeley and Brocton. The Brocton camp, being the larger of the two, could accommodate in excess of 20,000 soldiers. "

I think the size of this camp suggests it was a general training camp used by many different regiments, even divisions.