Hood Battalion 63rd(Royal naval Division) 24/3/1918

[timjoh]

I am researching a member of my family,John Mangan, who was killed in action on the 24/3/1918 whilst serving with the Hood battallion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Can anyone help with any information on what the battallion was doing at that time?

[horatio2]

I am researching a member of my family,John Mangan, who was killed in action on the 24/3/1918 whilst serving with the Hood battallion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Can anyone help with any information on what the battallion was doing at that time?

The whole of the RND was is the process of withdrawing from the Flesquieres salient in the face of the German assault which began on 21 March 1918. The tactical, fighting withdrawal was extremely well handled by the RND but was very complex as battalions leap-frogged over each other and the Army divisions to right and left fell back with even greater speed. There is a good description of this period in Douglas Jerrold's "The Royal Naval Division".

John Mangan was reported "Missing, assumed KIA" but was later reported DOW whilst POW.

[michaeldr]

Mark,

You may find some of the info here of interest

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...d+Battalion+RND

I go along with H2 in recommending Jerrold's RND history

but add that Len Sellers' book is 'Hood' specific and therefore well worth keeping a look out for

regards

Michael

[willy]

Mark, my grandfather was kia 13 4 18, and was a "steady" as well, he was reported missing, then sub Lt Brackenridge, reported him kia.

He was originally buried in an isolated grave 3 miles north of Albert, he was exhumed 28 1 20 and re buried Lonsdale Cemetary, no1 Authille wood.

I will see what i have and post the results later.

will

[horatio2]

Of course, by 13 April 1918 the RND had withdrawn across the River Ancre and AB Snelling was killed while the Hoods were in the new front line at Mesnil.

[willy]

Correct.

[hbrackenridge]

Will,

I came across your post while searching for information about my husband's grandfather, Lieutenant Alexander Brackenridge. Do you know ANYTHING else about Lt Brackenridge?! Here is a copy of what I posted on the Forum today, which gives you more detail about what we have learned regarding his military service:

I am searching for any information regarding my husband's grandfather, Lieutenant Alexander Brackenridge, who served in the 63rd RND, first in the Nelson Battalion -- located in Flesquieres, a small village south of Cambrai -- from December 15, 1917, until he was transferred to the Hood Battalion.

Here are just some of the questions we have:

1. Did he participate in the action at Welsh Ridge?

2. What's the best explanation of how the German advance in "Operation Michael" (March - April 1918) was stopped?

3. We know: that on September 5, 1918, Alexander Brackenridge was promoted to Acting Lieutenant and given command of a company; that on September 26, the Hood division prepared itself for an attack to secure the crossing of the Canal du Nord, which started the next day and was successful; that the division continued eastward to Anneux and was sent further east to La Folie Wood; that based upon his efforts on September 29, 1918, near Cambrai, he was awarded his first MC; and that, during the capture of Niergnies on October 8, 1918, he earned his second medal (the bar to the MC)...We have the "Statement of Service" for both medals and an account from the Times of London for the assault on Niergnies, but how do we find out more of the details of these specific campaigns (1. the Folie Wood, west of the Escaut Canal, south of Cambrai and 2. Niergnies?)

4. My father-in-law, A Bruce Brackenridge, has just returned from a trip where he re-traced his father's steps and has researched everything he can find, including copies of Alexander Brackenridge's records as an officer from the Military Archives and the daily War Diary of the Hood Battalion for September and October, 1918 -- which, unfortunately, was not very legible...Is there anything else we can discover??!!

THANKS! Heidi Brackenridge

[R Dunbar]

On 23/02/2007 at 22:29, timjoh said:

I am researching a member of my family,John Mangan, who was killed in action on the 24/3/1918 whilst serving with the Hood battallion of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Can anyone help with any information on what the battallion was doing at that time?

 

I see you posted your request more than 11 years ago! I don't expect a reply, but, here's hoping.

 

My 2nd cousin, Frederick Charles Kilory, was also killed in action on 24/3/1918 whilst serving with the Hood battalion, Royal Naval Division. I was curious to know if you discovered any information about their predicament on the 24th? I read elsewhere on the forum their section of the line had been subject to nine days of mustard gas attack, ending on March 21st. What happened after remains rather opaque.

[horatio2]

I'm afraid the original poster is one of several forum members of the 'post and run' variety. He last visited the forum one month after his original post in 2007 and never acknowledged the information given to him. I think you are correct not to expect a reply from him.

That said, the replies posted for him apply equally to John Mangan. Able Seaman Mangan rejoined Hood Battalion (he had been away sick for a month) just in time for the German assault on 21 March. You are probably aware that he was reported missing, assumed killed in action, later reported died of wounds whilst a POW.

There are three POW documents for him on the ICRC POW website under three references: PA28077; PA32871 and PA32897.

Edited 11 November , 2018 by horatio2

[R Dunbar]

Thank you for the response, horatio2.

 

Yes, I've now worked my way through the information provided kindly by other contributors. It's certainly given me lots of leads.

 

Any additional information I discover regarding the events of March 24th and the Royal Naval Division I will share here, it might help others in the future.

 

 

[Old Owl]

I read this with interest because the husband of one of my maternal grandmother's sisters was reported missing on 24th March, 1918, whilst serving with the Hood Bn 63rd R.N.D.

 

R/4661 Edwin Houldsworth, A.B., R.N.V.R., had joined his unit in France on 24th November, 1917, and had suffered from trench fever for a period during the early part of 1918. He rejoined his unit on 9th March, 1918, and was first reported as 'missing' on 24th March.  On the 16th November,1918, he was eventually accepted by the authorities as having been 'killed in action' on 24th March,1918, and as such is commemorated by name on the Arras Memorial. Age 28.

 

Edwin had originally enlisted on 10th December, 1915, but was moved that same day to the Army Reserve, the reason for this is unclear but it seems that eventually he was mobilised on the 2nd July,1917, and sent to Blandford where he was deemed fit for service with the RNVR.

 

His wife, my great auntie Janet, never accepted the fact that he had been killed and continually thought and prayed that he would turn up one day--of course he never did and she eventually died of a broken heart in the 1960's.  They had married in Skipton Parish Church on 14th February, 1914.

 

Exactly how Edwin died is unclear, but in the confusion which surrounded the battlefield during those dark days, I suppose that we will never have a definitive answer to that question.

 

RIP Edwin