Lt Col E T Sandys 2nd Middlesex Regt

[Beau Geste]

Thanks Harry for bringing this to my attention.

No person who gave their life during the conflict or because of it should ever be forgotten and by posting here we will remember. It is also nice that you have written an account of him from (not only published works) but your own view. It is a very sad story indeed.

The torment that each and every one of those brave individuals went through is unimaginable.

So, I thank you ..

and feel the greatest compassion for this poor tormented soul.

Susan.

You're welcome Susan.

harry

[Beau Geste]

It’s true but it’s sometimes difficult to accept the fact that ‘fear’ and ‘courage’ are the two sides of a coin that was common currency during WW1 and never more so than on the morning of July 1st 1916. We talk about someone being ‘brave’ and if we are not careful we interpret this as meaning he or she was not afraid. In reality though one cannot be courageous, cannot act bravely, unless fear exists as well. In other words, courage is the ability to overcome the debilitating influence of fear.

The complexity of this concept makes it difficult, even impossible, to generalise. To argue that Lt Col Edwin Sandys was a courageous man is easier to substantiate than to argue that because he committed suicide in a London Hotel in July 1916 he was a coward, or he lacked courage. Was the coroner suggesting that when he decided that Colonel Sandys was “temporarily insane” or ‘mad’ (according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary they mean the same thing) when he pulled the trigger.

I personally cannot accept this view The evidence suggests quite the reverse, that he was a man of great courage and an able leader who was determined to do his duty alongside his soldiers. He had been injured five times prior to the 1st July attack and had been admitted to the hospital in Hennencourt on June 17th where he spent just four days before rejoining his unit. He was also an exceptional human being , respected and at the same time loved by the men he commanded. It is my belief that these two highly laudable qualities interacted in a perverse way and destroyed him.

There is no way we can look back over nine decades and describe, with any degree of certainty, what he felt and when the doubts began to intrude into his consciousness. All we know is that in the long days and nights that preceded the 0730 attack, he was able to observe the results of the shelling and came to the conclusion that the claims made for it were wrong and tragically so. He believed, quite rightly, that the barrage had left the German wire largely uncut and that the German defenders were still very much alive and active despite the damage done to their trench systems.

I believe that during this time Sandys’ concern was primarily for the men under his command. rather than his own survival. I’m not saying he wasn’t afraid. It might sound somewhat melodramatic, but the relationship of a commanding officer like Sandys and his men is not too dissimilar to that which exists between a parent and his/her children. His sole concern was to try to protect them. That is why he voiced his fears to those who could perhaps , had they agreed with him, set the wheels in motion to change things.

The rest is history as they say. He was ignored. He did his duty as an officer in a time of war and for him, there was no option but to pay the awful price.

As the anonymous writer who left that laminated script inside the Register in Ovillers Military Cemetery last November put it: “….a person can die of a broken heart” . It’s my belief that that is what killed Sandys.

Postscript: On the 6th September 1916 Lt Col Edwin Thomas Falkiner attempted suicide in The Cavendish Hotel in London. He died a few days later. In a letter to a fellow officer, Sandys had written “ I have come to London to take my life. I have never had a moment’s peace since 1st July”. Nine days after he died he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

On the 15th a couple of friends and I will do back to The Somme. We will find the time to stand, as we always do, on the Aveluy – La Boiselle road and look down Mash Valley towards Ovillers. Our thought will be on the men who gave their lives there, including Lt Col Edwin Sandys DSO Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment.

God bless them all.

.

[Guest mruk]

WOUNDED COLONEL'S SUICIDE

GRIEF FOR BATTALION'S LOSSES

An inquest was held at Westminster yesterday on the body of LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EDWIN THOMAS FALKNER SANDYS, who was found in bed at the Cavendish Hotel with a revolver in his hand and a bullet wound in his head. He was removed to St. George's Hospital, where he died.

Captain Lloyd Jones, of the same regiment, said Colonel Sandys had been wounded five times and had received the D.S.O. He was very much distressed because of the attack on Jul1 his battalion had suffered severly, and had said he had wished he had been killed with his men. On September 6 the witness received a letter from him saying: "I have come to London to-day to take my life. I have never had a moment's peace since July 1."

Captain R.J. Young said that he was in the attack on July 1, when the battalion suffered severly and Colonel Sandys weas wounded. He had been greatly depressed since, and in a letter which the witness received from him on September 6 he wrote: "By the time you receive this I shall be dead."

The Coroner said the case revealed a pathetic tragedy of a very distinguished soldier, who thought less he did of his own wounds than he did at the loss of his men. [The Times, Friday, September 15, 1916. p. 3]

With Respect,

Dave

[Beau Geste]

WOUNDED COLONEL'S SUICIDE

GRIEF FOR BATTALION'S LOSSES

An inquest was held at Westminster yesterday on the body of LIEUTENANT-COLONEL EDWIN THOMAS FALKNER SANDYS, who was found in bed at the Cavendish Hotel with a revolver in his hand and a bullet wound in his head. He was removed to St. George's Hospital, where he died.

Captain Lloyd Jones, of the same regiment, said Colonel Sandys had been wounded five times and had received the D.S.O. He was very much distressed because of the attack on Jul1 his battalion had suffered severly, and had said he had wished he had been killed with his men. On September 6 the witness received a letter from him saying: "I have come to London to-day to take my life. I have never had a moment's peace since July 1."

Captain R.J. Young said that he was in the attack on July 1, when the battalion suffered severly and Colonel Sandys weas wounded. He had been greatly depressed since, and in a letter which the witness received from him on September 6 he wrote: "By the time you receive this I shall be dead."

The Coroner said the case revealed a pathetic tragedy of a very distinguished soldier, who thought less he did of his own wounds than he did at the loss of his men. [The Times, Friday, September 15, 1916. p. 3]

With Respect,

Dave

[Beau Geste]

Thank you David. As always a sensitive and a highly relevant contribution.

Harry.

[nittenman]

Col. Sandys was suffering from the severest form of stress. Some people who are badly injured in car crashes etc, often fare better than those who escape unscathed. They and survivors of fatal incidents adopt a 'Why them and not me?' attitude. They often take on guilt for not being badly hurt themselves while their friends were hurt worse or died. They feel helpless about their friend's situation and often blame themselves even when there's nothing they could have done to prevent it.

An experienced soldier, Col Sandys could see what was going to happen and was powerless to prevent it. He saw his men cut down and was powerless to prevent it. No coward knowing this would willingly climb out of the trench that day. Is it any wonder he suffered the psychological trauma that he did?

He may have shot himself in September but inwardly he died on 1 July along with his men as much a victim of the Somme as any of them.

G-d rest them all.

Keith

[Beau Geste]

Col. Sandys was suffering from the severest form of stress. Some people who are badly injured in car crashes etc, often fare better than those who escape unscathed. They and survivors of fatal incidents adopt a 'Why them and not me?' attitude. They often take on guilt for not being badly hurt themselves while their friends were hurt worse or died. They feel helpless about their friend's situation and often blame themselves even when there's nothing they could have done to prevent it.

An experienced soldier, Col Sandys could see what was going to happen and was powerless to prevent it. He saw his men cut down and was powerless to prevent it. No coward knowing this would willingly climb out of the trench that day. Is it any wonder he suffered the psychological trauma that he did?

He may have shot himself in September but inwardly he died on 1 July along with his men as much a victim of the Somme as any of them.

G-d rest them all.

Keith

Thanks Keith, excellent posting.

Harry

[nittenman]

A picture of Col. Sandys

Keith

[Guest mruk]

Well tracked, Keith. It's nice to put a face to the name. Edwin Sandys is less abstract now and more real.

Kind Regards,

Dave

[Beau Geste]

Well tracked, Keith. It's nice to put a face to the name. Edwin Sandys is less abstract now and more real.

Kind Regards,

Dave

Hear hear !! well done Keith.

harry

[nittenman]

It does help to bring his story to life a bit more and if it helps keep the memory going so much the better. Thanks for your kind comments.

Keith

[Vista52]

I thought you may like to read the War Diary entry for the 2nd Middlesex on 1st July, 1916. I received this as part of the research I did on my g'uncle.

OVILLIERS-57D 3E.4 23/8

The Battalion in conjunction with the remainder of the 8th Division assaulted the German front line system between OVILLIERS LA BOISSELLE and LA BOISSELLE at 7:30am after an intense bombardment lasting 65 minutes. The assault was carried out in 4 waves - the leading wave consisting of 2 Platoons of "B" Coy on the right and 2 Platoons of "A" Coy: The second wave which followed at 50 yds distance consisting of the remaining Platoon of "A" & "B" Companies. The third and fourth waves similarly composed of "D" and "C" Coy followed the proceeding waves at 50 yards distance. The Battalion Bombers were distributed by squads amongst the four waves & the 8 Lewis gun teams amongst the 2/D 3/D & 4/d waves.

On the right were a battalion of the TYNESIDE SCOTTISH belonging to the 34th Division & on the left were the 2/D Devons R.

As soon as our leading waves left our trenches to assault it was caught by heavy machine gun fire and suffered heavy losses. As soon as the succeeding waves came under fire they doubled forward and before anyone reached the German front line the original wave formation had ceased to exist.

About 200 of all ranks succeeded in reaching the German lines - passing over the front line they entered the 2/D line of trenches, but after a short fight, during which about half became casualties, they were forced to retire to the German front line. There, under the leadership of MAJOR H.B.W. SAVILLE, CAPT & ADJ. R.J.YOUNG, 2/LIEUTS P.M.ELLIOTT W.SPATZ & H.C. HUNT the survivors proceeded to consolidate.

By 9:15am the handful of unwounded men, numbering perhaps a dozen, were forced to retire to the shell holes outside the enemy front line, were the majority remained until darkness enabled them to regain our lines.

Of the 23 Officers who took part in the assault only 2/LIEUT H. C. HUNT regained our lines unwounded. Of the 650 NCO's & men who took part in the assault a lone 50 answered their names in the early hours of July 2/D.

The following Officers were reported as casualties. Killed. CAPT. C.S. HILTON 2/LIEUTS P.M. ELLIOTT, R.E.GRUNDY, W.SPATZ, J. WILSON, CAPT MEEKE. WOUNDED LT.COL. E.T.F.SANDYS MAJOR H.B.W. SAVILLE CAPT & ADJ R.J.YOUNG CAPT G. JOHNSON LIEUTS W.J.CLACHAN & R. McDYORSTON H.PECKHAM 2/LIEUTS C.H.RAWSON O.N.S. DOBBS. Wounded & missing 2/LIEUTS C.S.DAVIS (K), W.S.FORGE (K), G.SCOTT (K), T.S. McMANUS, F.VAN-DEN-BOK (K) H.D.WOOD (W) A.I. FROST (K).

This was written by a Capt. who signed himself LGC (I think he might be Capt Cady?).

Paul

[Guest]

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REALLY INTERESTING TOPIC.

JOHN

[Vista52]

What Lt Col Sandys may of known by the time he died in September, and contributed to his depression, was that the vast majority of the men he lead on 1st July and who were KIA would have no known grave. Ovilliers was not fully captured for weeks and there are reports by men in the book "When the Barrage Lifts" that the battlefield was still littered with bodies at the end of July.

I went to Ovilliers Military Cemetery a few years ago to see the men my g'uncle may of known. Without doing a previous search of the cemetery register, I was saddened to find so few in marked graves, perhaps 10.

The survivors of the 8th Division were withdrawn the night of the 1st/2nd and you can only imagine what it must of been like to leave all your comrades behind.

As crazy as it seems now, all around Ovilliers and La Boisselle, Commanding Officers had lead their Battalions from the front into battle and died doing so. It does seem so sad that after surviving so much, Lt Col Sandys chose to end his life.

Oh well, just a thought.

Paul

[trenchtrotter]

Vista,

Perhaps you visited the grave of Alex Reed, I hope so. I try and visit him every time I go to the Somme and it gives me comfort to know I am not alone remembering this or any other particular individual.

TT

[Vista52]

Hi TT,

It was important to me to visit Ovilliers Military Cemetery and the men of the 2nd Middlesex. If you are ever in the vicinity of Heilly Station, be sure to visit Pte Ernie Vaux MM.

Paul

[trenchtrotter]

Paul,

Will do so. Have only ever been to Heilly Station once but will make the effort next time I am on the Somme, soon I hope!

Regards

TT

[Beau Geste]

Paul,

Will do so. Have only ever been to Heilly Station once but will make the effort next time I am on the Somme, soon I hope!

Regards

TT

I'm never reluctant to show my inadequacies. Where is Heilly Station. I always try to visit the sites of people who are important to others on the Forum.

Harry

[Beau Geste]

Vista,

Perhaps you visited the grave of Alex Reed, I hope so. I try and visit him every time I go to the Somme and it gives me comfort to know I am not alone remembering this or any other particular individual.

TT

Please forgive me TT for butting in here. A week or ten days ago we "talked" and I said I was going beck to The Somme. You mentioned Alex Reed and I promised I'd visit. My friends and I did, on Wednesday 18th. It was a wonderful sunny day and together with all his comrades he was resting peacefully. We spent a few minutes with him and with Pte Nugent of the Tyneside Irish who was killed on the First Day of the Somme but whose body came to light in 1998. He's in great company in Ovillers Military cemetery. God rest his soul.

We took a lot of photographs of the things we experienced and hopefully we will post some of these on the Forum in the days ahead.

I'm glad this thread has had such a positive response.

Harry

[Vista52]

Hello Harry,

It's all of us who are happy you got things started with your first post. Your post #43 & #44 are so pleasant to read, you must be a very good man and I think TT is also. In fact, this whole topic and the responses have been most pleasant to read.

Heilly Station was the site of a number of CCS's on 1/7/1916. It is just off the road from Albert to Corbie. Its on the River Ancre. It was a Railway Halt hence the name Heilly Station. If you should visit my g'uncle you will also meet L/Cpl S Bennett (Notts & Derby) and Pte E Bull (Royal Fusiliers) who share the same Headstone.

Thanks Harry,

Paul

[trenchtrotter]

Harry,

Thanks for the update. Look forward to any pics you post. I will, subject to any objection you have post Charles Whittleslys story from the American 77th Div Lost Battalion on this thread or perhaps start a new one. I think there are many parallels to this story...another man tormented by his war experiences. I think a continuation of this is suitable....your thoughts.

TT

[Beau Geste]

Harry,

Thanks for the update. Look forward to any pics you post. I will, subject to any objection you have post Charles Whittleslys story from the American 77th Div Lost Battalion on this thread or perhaps start a new one. I think there are many parallels to this story...another man tormented by his war experiences. I think a continuation of this is suitable....your thoughts.

TT

Thank you Paul for your kind words. I'm not sure though that I deserve them.

TT. What a great idea. As you all know this thread didn't "take off" immediately but once it did get going it has obviously helped and delighted many. I'm reluctant to just let it end if people feel it has room to grow and is still serving a purpose. Please go ahead.

It seems to me that one of the key elements of this thread is the relationship between fear and courage and I might have something else to say on that topic in the days ahead.

I'm sure TT there is room for all of us. I look forward to you contribution.

Harry

[Beau Geste]

Hello Harry,

It's all of us who are happy you got things started with your first post. Your post #43 & #44 are so pleasant to read, you must be a very good man and I think TT is also. In fact, this whole topic and the responses have been most pleasant to read.

Heilly Station was the site of a number of CCS's on 1/7/1916. It is just off the road from Albert to Corbie. Its on the River Ancre. It was a Railway Halt hence the name Heilly Station. If you should visit my g'uncle you will also meet L/Cpl S Bennett (Notts & Derby) and Pte E Bull (Royal Fusiliers) who share the same Headstone.

Thanks Harry,

Paul

Thanks for the info Paul. It's on the list for my next visit.

Harry

[Beau Geste]

Good Morning TT,

Here's a special one for you The weather has got to a lot of the grave stones in that area of The Somme but there was evidence that The CWGC are doing something about it.

While we were there though the weather couldn't have been any better: wall to wall sunshine for the entire five days.

Over the years I have grown to love that area. The thought crossed my mind that God has kept it close to his heart since 1916. I can honestly say that I have never been anywhere (and as a soldier for 26 years I've been to a heck of a lot of places) that is SO PEACEFUL. The contrast between what we read about the violence of 1916 and today is just incredible. The farmers have been really busy, the fields are prepared and areas of rape seed are in full yellow bloom. Elsewhere plants are just breaking the surface of the soil and the overall vision in and around the cemetery is really beautiful. However, it was the SILENCE that affected us most. There are few cars on the roads and even fewer people in the villages. If we had been in Spain I would have thought we had been caught up in a perpetual siesta . It sound silly but at times we found ourselves whispering in case we offended someone or something greater than ourselves.

Anyway, whether you believe or you don't, Alex Reed and his pals are certainly in their own little corner of paradise.

Harry

[Beau Geste]

One or two of you had some difficulty visualising the "killing ground of Mash Valley along which Lt Col Sandys' 2nd Middlesex (and others) advanced on Ovillers on 1st July 1916. Hopefully this photograph, taken from the Aveluy - La Boiselle road (roughly from what was the site of Keats Redan) should help.

Ovillers is the village in the far end of the valley and the German trench system crossed the valley just in front of it. The distance is about 750 metres. You can see Ovillers Military Cemetery, the resting place of many who were killed that morning (including Alex Reed who Vista has talked about on this thread) on the left of the picture.

I think you will agree with me that my friend's description of Mash Valley as an "amphitheatre" is spot on. It's a shallow bowl with higher land to the left (the north) - the Ovillers Spur, and to the right (the south) around La Boiselle and along the Albert - Bapaume road up past Ovillers and Pozieres- the La Boiselle Spur.

These terms have been used in previous postings so hopefully "seeing them" will give everyone a clearer picture of what Sandys and the men of The 2nd Middlesex faced in that doomed attack. Their first objective was the trench system immediately in front of Ovillers. To achieve it they had to cross 700 metres of open ground trough a hail of rifle and machine fire emanating from three sides: the trench system in front of Ovillers and from the higher ground (the spurs) to their left and right.

I have one or two other photos which I'll add separately.

Harry