The Welsh at Mametz Wood 9 July 1916

[GMB]

Have just come across this thread and it is fantastic, and something I will thoroughly go through this evening,as a collector to the 38th RFA (W prefix)

 

I currently have in my collection a 14/15 trio to a Gnr J Crook W/3070 who was awarded a DCM Citation for actions at Mametz (picture below of the article).

 

A question was posed to me today and I'm hoping some Mametz experts may know the answer. Is there a list of the amount of Military Medals awarded to individuals of the 38th RFA for actions at Mametz? I am aware of one at the moment.

[Bordercollie]

There is a mix of cap badges in the photograph but most of them appear to be Welsh Regiment.  The Regiment's 10th battalion was in Rhyl up to August 1915 and were part of 114th Brigade. You will find a little more about the battalion here http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/welsh-regiment/.  There is a medal record and a very limited surviving service record for a Sjt William Eddy of the Welsh Regiment but he earned his WW1 medals in the 13th battalion.  Possibly he transferred to the 13th battalion before he went to France. Both battalions were in 114th Brigade. The surviving service record is just a medical history sheet but that gives his age in 1918 as 36. Does that match your great grand father's age?

 

Oops I just noticed I am commenting on a photograph posted 3 years ago by somebody not seen since then.

 

Edited 24 January , 2021 by Bordercollie

[roselyn2]

Was the first attack on Mametz Wood by the Welsh Regiments 7. 7. 1916. ?.  What was the date for the last K.I.A.  for this battle. ?.   Lyn.

Edited 25 January , 2021 by roselyn2

[Bernard_Lewis]

IIRC, yes, there was an attack by the 16 (Cardiff) battalion of the Welsh with one South Wales Borderers battalion on 7 July. The attack failed. Another attack planned for 9 July was cancelled due to the units not being ready, the trenches being congested with men, wounded etc. 

 

It went in on 10 July and, IIRC, the bulk of the fighting was over by 12 July. 

 

As an aside, I'm pretty certain that one Swansea lad who was wounded in the wood died in 1921, never having made a full recovery.

 

Bernard

[roselyn2]

Bernard.  Thank you once again for your help.    Lyn.

[Huw Davies]

On 16/07/2007 at 13:52, Garron said:

We would never say that, and i doubt any pal on here would,

heres my attempt usin MS paint, its not to scale or any major detail some the trenches are not in the exact place, but gives a rough idea of the july 10 th attack where they attacked from.

Gaz

Forgive me if I'm wrong here, but isn't this a map of the 2nd. attack? From what I understand the 1st attack which included the SWB was entirely to the right of the memorial running parallel to the little wooded valley that comes from the direction of Montauban where they'd mustered, and that almost all of the 400 casualties were in the field directly in front of the Hammerhead.

[Bernard_Lewis]

The second attack did take place on 10 July 1916. The earlier attack was on 7 July.

 

Bernard

[TDS]

On 11/07/2007 at 11:09, Beau Geste said:

I know Bernard but I've always felt that those criticisms of the Division and its CO were unfounded. Just reading about it hints at the "impossible" nature of the task given to them. Walking the ground they fought and died on multiplies that feeling a thousand times.

As you probably know from some of my previous postings I am convinced that my grandfather was there with the 15th Bn The Welch Regiment. They recruited in excess of 300 lads from Bolton in Lancashire in 1914 and I "know" he was the Pte 20304 Richard Lofthouse named in the medal lists.

Harry

I'm a bit bit late to this, my Grandfather was born in Bolton and was in the 10^th (Service) Battalion, (1^st Rhondda), The Welsh Regiment, 114^th Brigade, 38^th (Welsh) Division. He fought at Mametz, was awarded a wound stripe on 19-04-1918, we think through gas at the 1st First Battle of Kemmel (17–19 April), and honorably discharged on 08-01-1919