"With Battalion"

[hwhap]

Hi, I am new here. This looks like a great website.

I'm doing research about my Great Uncle who was with the 1st Newfoundland Regiment (later renamed the Royal Newfoundland Regiment) in WWI. They were assigned to the 88th Brigade of the 29th Division of the British Army.

I've been fortunate in tracking down a lot of his service papers at the National Archives in Ottawa, Canada.

One of the forms, the “Casualty Form Active Service” has the date that he embarked from Southampton; the date he disembarked at Rouen; the date he “Joined Battalion”; then the date he was promoted from Private to Lance-Corporal. Two months after that date there is an entry that says “With Battalion”; and finally a last date that says “Killed in action”.

What would “With Battalion” mean? If he “Joined Battalion” on a particular date, why would it say he was “with Battalion” on a later date?

Does this mean he was with Battalion headquarters? And if so, what might a Lance Corporal be doing there?

His “Field Service” record, which appears to have been filled out after his death, indicates he was with “C" Company. If he was at Battalion headquarters, would he still have been with this "C" Company? Can you be assigned to both Battalion heaquarters and a company?

From reading that I’ve done about the 1st Newfoundland Regiment, I know where “C Company” was supposed to be at the time of his death, but it’s no where near the town that his parents believed he was killed at. Yet, no document mentions any specific town, just “Killed in France”. So I am trying to solve this mystery about where he might actually have been killed.

Does anybody know what “With Battalion” means?

Vee

[Terry Denham]

Welcome aboard, Vee.

Could you let us know the name and service number of the man you are interested in. It may help the Pals to help you.

[hwhap]

His name was Thomas Patrick Dunphy and his regimental number was 2155. He was killed on March 2, 1917. This is what I've learned was happening on the dates before his death.

February 28, 1917 - The 1st Newfoundland Regiment becomes temporarily attached to the 86th Brigade (of the 29th Division), as a reserve. The 86th Brigade attacks and gains Potsdam Trench and Palz Trench at Sailly-Saillisel.

March 1, 1917 - The 1st Newfoundland Regiment takes over the newly won trenches. Thomas’ “C” Company takes over Potsdam Trench at Sailly-Saillisel.

March 2, 1917 - Military documents and the telegraph to Thomas’ parents say that he was killed in action "in France" on this date. His memorial plaque in his hometown says he was killed at Combles, but this wasn’t mentioned in any of the documents I found, and the 1st Newfoundland Regiment doesn't appear to have been in Combles on that date.

If he was attached to "C" Company as his "Field Service" record indicated, then he would have been at Sailly-Saillisel in Potsdam Trench on this night. The book “The Fighting Newfoundlander” says:

“March 2 was relatively free from enemy interference, and the Newfoundlanders had time to contemplate what defensive arrangements they were able to make....The night of March 2/3 brought several unsuccessful attempts by small enemy parties to bomb their way in Palz Trench (where “B” Company was placed.) The Newfoundlanders suffered some casualties from grenade splinters, none of them serious... Then shortly after daybreak on March 3rd, the German artillery began heavily bombarding the Newfoundland positions... Fortunately the fire from the Lewis guns in Potsdam and Cheese Trenches was holding the enemy skirmishers close to the ground, and a steady stream of bombs was coming forward to the hard-pressed “B” Company. One S.O.S. message had gotten through to Battalion Headquarters before German shelling cut line communications, and just when matters looked most desperate, British guns began a barrage which isolated the battle area and kept German reinforcements from coming forward...Late on the 3rd the Newfoundlandlers were relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers. Once again there had been the inevitable casualties. The Battalion’s losses from February 26 to March 3 numbered 27 killed and 44 wounded.”

I suppose it's nitpicking here, but I would like to find out where he was actually killed, if it's possible.

Vee

[John_Hartley]

Vee

Welcome to the Forum.

All the information you have does seem to confirm that he was actually with "C" Company and I think you should continue to work on that assumption. You don't mention it, but did you know you can access most Canadian battalions' War Diaries on-line at the National Archives website. I think most are now loaded and I assume so will be the Newfoundlanders. Assuming it's there, it should confirm exactly which Company was where.

John

[Broznitsky]

Unfortunately, War Diaries for the (Royal) Newfoundland Regiment are not available online yet. Perhaps a reason for the delay is that Newfoundland was a separate colony until 1949.

Peter in wintry Vancouver

[hwhap]

Thanks for the responses. Too bad the war diaries aren't on-line for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.

Vee