A Good Mystery...Who was this Officer ? (Killed July 1, 1916)

[David_Bluestein]

Quite a challenge...

Could any members guess with any accuracy who this Officer was, depicted in the below first hand account of July 1, 1916:

Statement of Private George Morgan Ist Bradford Pals

'There was no lingering about when zero hour came. Our platoon officer blew his whistle and he was the first up the scaling ladder, with his revolver in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "Come on, boys," he said, and up he went. We went up after him one at a time. I never saw the officer again. His name is on the memorial to the missing which they built after the war at Thiepval. He was only young but he was a very brave man.'

I found this statement to be very moving, and would like to put a face to this Officer.

Any thoughts or opinion would be gratefully received.

Thanks

David

[mmm45]

Quite a challenge...

Could any members guess with any accuracy who this Officer was, depicted in the below first hand account of July 1, 1916:

Statement of Private George Morgan Ist Bradford Pals

'There was no lingering about when zero hour came. Our platoon officer blew his whistle and he was the first up the scaling ladder, with his revolver in one hand and a cigarette in the other. "Come on, boys," he said, and up he went. We went up after him one at a time. I never saw the officer again. His name is on the memorial to the missing which they built after the war at Thiepval. He was only young but he was a very brave man.'

I found this statement to be very moving, and would like to put a face to this Officer.

Any thoughts or opinion would be gratefully received.

Thanks

David

David

West Yorkshires

16th Battalion officers listed as KIA 1st July 1916

Capt Alan Clough,

2lt Charles S Hyde

2lt Sydney Barron Newlands

Capt Robert W H Pringle

Lt Cecil Talbot

Capt Donald Smith

2lt Ralph Stead

2lt Frank Symonds

2lt Tweedale (Att 13th Btn)

Lt Webster(Att 13th Btn)

I have a few notes on Hyde and Newlands as they were from Cleckheaton.

Source The Bradford Pals by Ralph Hudson.

George Morgan is listed in it as a cklerk before joining up.

Hope this narrows your list down.

Ady

[Tom Morgan]

Looking them up in CWGC and discounting the two officers who were attached to the 13th Battalion, they all have graves except for three:

Capt. Alan Clough, aged 21, who is commemorated at Thiepval

Capt. Donald Smith, aged 23, commemorated at Thiepval

and

Lieut. Cecil Talbot, who I can't find on CWGC as a West Yorks casualty.

All the others have known graves. The two officers attached to the 13th Bn are commemorated at Thiepval.

Tom

[mmm45]

Looking them up in CWGC and discounting the two officers who were attached to the 13th Battalion, they all have graves except for three:

Capt. Alan Clough, aged 21, who is commemorated at Thiepval

Capt. Donald Smith, aged 23, commemorated at Thiepval

and

Lieut. Cecil Talbot, who I can't find on CWGC as a West Yorks casualty.

All the others have known graves. The two officers attached to the 13th Bn are commemorated at Thiepval.

Tom

Dave

the guy in question was 2 lt FRANK SYMONDS 7 plt B coy theres an account in the Somme chapter of Bradford Pals p 35 "a debonair young man fresh out of public school sprang up over the parapet urging his men to follow, revolver in hand smoking a cigarette in the best traditions of a british officer

Regards

Ady

[Chris Noble]

Apologies, just caught the thread.

Tom.

Lieutenant Cecil Talbot Ransome, Adjutant to the Battalion.

Regards, Chris.

[sapper01]

Frank Symonds was an old boy of Thetford Grammar School

[sapper01]

There is an unknown 2Lt of the W Youks in Serre3, I think it may be Frank Symonds, does anyone know of another W Yorks 2Lt in either battalion that it could be?

If not, how woukd we go about influencing the CWGC to name him?

i lecture Thetford Grammar School on their annual trips to the Somme and we lay a wreath at that headstone...steve