The Queens and the Devons

[Martin Perry]

I'm currently trying to plan a surprise trip for my 80 year old father to retrace some of the footsteps of both of my Grandparents. I have got the war medal information for both, their service numbers and an idea of the regiments that they were in (one in the Devons - my mothers father; and I believe my fathers father was in the Queens West Surrey regiment)

From my research so far, I think that Grandad Perry was in the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division as part of the BEF (he has the 1914 Star with Bar); and Grandad Bryan was in 2nd Battalion Devons, (he received a Gallant Conduct Parchment Certificate for action 23rd March - 1st April 1918.

I really know very little else, in terms of where either of them were during the 4 years of the war, and would be very grateful if anyone was able to help at all please? I am going to the NA tomorrow to try and obtain some more info, but is there something I should I be concentrating on?

Thank you in much anticipation!!

Martin

[Old Tom]

Hello,

I know of one easily found site on the Somme relative to the Devons. On 1 July the 8th and 9th Devons attacked from the high ground just south of the D 938 road from Albert to Maricourt. If my memory is correct a cemetery is on the S side of that road between the turnings to Mametz and Carnoy. It is called the Devonshire Cemetery and has a stone enscribed 'The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still'. A couple of years ago it was being reburbished.

Old Tom

[Neil Mackenzie]

Martin.

See the main site for an overview of what each of the Battalions did during the war.

This page is particularly useful.

2nd Devonshires were in 23 Brigade (part of 8th Division) and they attacked up Mash Valley towards Ovillers on the first day of the Somme and suffered very heavy casualties. Was your Grandfather in the unit at this stage of the war?

Good luck with the research.

Neil

[Martin Perry]

Neil

A great link - thank you. My grandfather appears (I have discovered TODAY from my mum!) to have received a medal for voluntary services overseas prior (?) to Sept 1914. From your link, it seems that his Battalion came back form Egypt and was attached to the 2nd Devons on 1st Oct - could this be why he received the territorial volunteer medal?

Thanks again

Martin

[Martin Perry]

Hello,

I know of one easily found site on the Somme relative to the Devons. On 1 July the 8th and 9th Devons attacked from the high ground just south of the D 938 road from Albert to Maricourt. If my memory is correct a cemetery is on the S side of that road between the turnings to Mametz and Carnoy. It is called the Devonshire Cemetery and has a stone enscribed 'The Devonshires held this trench, they hold it still'. A couple of years ago it was being reburbished.

Old Tom

[Martin Perry]

Tom

Thank you for your info - I'm not sure where the 2nd Bn were at this time, but I'm hoping to find out more tomorrow.

Kind regards

Martin

[Petroc]

Hi,

Regarding the 2nd Devons, try to get hold of W.J.P.Aggett's 'Bloody Eleventh' history of the regiment, which can be purchased from the regimental museum of the Devon and Dorsets online. The 1918 dates you refer to are well covered, as they are in R.Colwill's memoirs 'Through Hell to Victory' and Atkinson's 'History of the Devonshire Regiment 1914-1918', both recently republished by the Naval and Military Press. The old archives of the Devons (Wyvern Barracks, Exeter) hold some stuff on the 1918 events, and staff are always helpful, which are also covered in an earlier thread on this forum. And, I think, the Imperial War Museum has recorded interviews (some available for download) with Captain U.B.Burke MC, the battalion's Adjutant at the time of the 1918 fighting on the Aisne. Good luck!