37th Brigade Sniping Coy

[Andrew Marshall]

Can anyone tell me anymore information about Sniping Companies?

How long would a man be posted to such a company?

How was the company deployed - at Battalion level or Brigade, acting upon intelligence from the Battalions? or were they more autonomous?

Did they work in smaller sections within their own Battalions?

I have the M.M. to 560 Pte. George Eckett 6th Bn. Royal West Kent Regt.

He went to France on 01/06/15

26/09/15 tonsilitis

28/09/15 to No. 6 Am Train (?)

06/10/15 to duty

30/10/15 rejoined battalion

03/02/16 Att. 33rd Div.

10/02/16 rejoined battalion

10/12/16 tonsilities (again)

15/12/16 rejoined battalion

15/05/17 J.U.O. Adm. (at least that is what I think the first letter is the other two are definately U.O. - anyone help me out with what this could be)

24/05/17 rejoined Bn. "C" coy

02/06/17 awarded Military Medal

06/06/17 Att 3rd. A. (?) Sharpshooters School

19/06/17 rejoined battalion

20/06/17 Att 37 Bde. Sniping Coy

03/08/17 Wounded in Action

04/08/17 S.W. Face Adm.

25/08/17 From 4 C.C. joined

03/09/17 rejoined battalion

10/09/17 Att 37 Bde Sniping coy

30/11/17 Missing

01/02/18 P.O.W. - Munster (along with plenty of others from German counter attack at Cambrai)

03/12/18 Repatriated - Dover.

The brackets are my imput/queries.

I can so far find only one mention of the 37th Sniping Coy from Historical Record of the Buffs 1914 -1919 by R. S. H. Moody

Page 259

11th July 1917

(summarised)

The enemy attacked Tool Trench at 5.a.m. after an exceptionally heavy bombardment of guns of all sorts and sizes, smoke and liquid fire being also used. The Germans penetrated and occupied shell holes in rear or on our side. 2nd Lieut. Stevens, who was holding a post near by, at once realized the situation and organized and carried our a counter-attack along Long Trench, and almost at the same time L.Corpl. Edgington and two men, who were all on duty with the 37th Brigade Sniping Company, seeing that the attack was serious, at once dashed up to ascertain the true situation. These three went up Long Trench for three or four hundred yards till they reached the point where the break through had occured. Here, of course, they came across a lot of Germans who hurled bombs at them. The corporal, however, was a good and resolute (p. 260)

Buff soldier, and he, posting one of his men in an advantageous position in the trench, with the other commenced to erect a block or stop in the work. He was soon joined by 2nd Lieut. Stevens and another man, and between them they consolidated the block and opened fire at close range on a number of the enemy.

So if you have anymore information, please let me know.

Regards

Andrew

[Paul Reed]

Sniping units seemed to work at Bde, or divisional level - and it seemed to vary from division to division.

I cam across the papers of the 48th (South Midland) Division snipers which were formed from the 1/5th Royal Sussex (Cinque Ports) which I put into an article which was published in the WFA journal Stand To! some years ago; I think their index is on line to check which one? (Thanks to Chris, no doubt!!) The article was entitled 'Langhams Scout'; the unit was named after the officer that commanded/formed them.

[Simon Furnell]

I am a little bit interested in the role of the sniper during WW1,having had a Great-Uncle who was a Sniper with the 8th West Yorks.

I have always been interested in the role of the sniper,having been taught to shoot by my Grandad who completed a Sniping course during WW2.

As far as i know,my Great Uncle was a Battalion Sniper working within the West Yorks,although how he worked i am not entirely sure of.

He operated in no mans land,i know from my Grandad,and could spend a whole day hunting Germans.

I seem to remember a reference,in Martin Middlebrooks book The Kaisers Battle,to a group of Snipers that were in the frontline on the 21st of March 1918.

It seems that they used special ammunition,a type of armor piercing round,that had a name.It seems that these rounds were very powerfull,sometimes killing,or wounding,a couple of of men at a time.

I can't actually find the reference at the moment,but i will have a look again.

I will keep an eye on this thread as i would like to learn more about the Snipers role.

Regards.

Simon Furnell.

[paul guthrie]

I realize this is only marginally responsive but on a headstone of Trooper W A Baker 9th Australian Light Horse at Embakartion Pier Cemetery, Anzac:

Brother Bill A Sniping Fell

We Miss Him Still

We Ever Will

Same place:

Trooper C R S Johnson 2d ALH

NEVER MIND ME BOYS

SAVE SERJEANT DEATON

The first should have been all caps also

[Bob Coulson]

Some excellent info to be found in "Sniping in France" by Major H Hesketh-Pritchard.

I think it is available from Pen & Sword.

[jim_davies]

Simon,

The ammo mentioned in "kaisers's battle" was K.A.P.-Kynoch Armour Piercing, and the chap that mentioned it was with the 1st Leicesters.

Jim

[Andrew Marshall]

Thanks to all who have posted replies and I shall endeavour to purchase a copy of the book Sniping in France

Regards

Andrew

[Simon Furnell]

Jim.

Thanks for saving me some reading time.

I have only got 3 books on the go at the moment.

Regards.

Simon.

[Annette Burgoyne]

I have found that snipers were run at a Battalion level. 2nd Lt. R.A.M., Lutener was the 6th K.S.L.I.'s Sniping Officer, and had organized and trained the Battalions snipers to a very high standard. His work was brought to the notice of Lord Cravan, XIV Corps, who ordered the other units of the Corps to work on the lines adopted by him. It is ironic that he was killed by a German sniper. Finding that one of his best sniper was unable to account for a German sniper, who had shot three men, he took his place and was shot through the head as he opened the shutter in the shield. I would say this German sniper would have been a very excellent shot, as the space to shoot through in those shields was not very big.

Annette

[Andrew Marshall]

Annette

Thank you for that snippet, where did it come from?

Indeed the German sniper must have been a very good shot!

Regards

Andrew

[Annette Burgoyne]

Hi Andrew

The info. about 2nd Lt. R.A.M., Lutener, came from the Shropshires Regt. History edited by W de B. Wood. The 6th K.S.L.I.'s War Diary only records that 2nd Lutener was killed, it also only records that one other rank was killed and makes no mention of other casualies ?, the other two men shot by the German sniper may have been from another unit, such as R.E. or the Regt. History as not got all its facts correct ?, which does happen.

Regards

Annette

[Tom Morgan]

15/05/17 J.U.O. Adm. (at least that is what I think the first letter is the other two are definately U.O. - anyone help me out with what this could be)

I would say this entry almost certainly refers to the soldier being admitted to hospital with Pyrrhexia of Unknown Origin - PUO. Could the "J" be a "P"?

Pyrrhexia of Unknown Origin meant a high temperature with (as yet) no known cause.

[Andrew Marshall]

Tom

Thanks for that and yes it could be a P. These service records can be really hard to distinquish with such flourishing handwriting, but then again thats what make it fun!

Regards

Andrew