domwalsh Posted 28 August , 2007 Share Posted 28 August , 2007 I've just found the following article on a database. Can it be contemporaneous or is it in the newspaper's historical section? I must admit, I thought the last marine survivor of Zeebrugge was Pte Alf Hutchinson, who passed away 3 or 4 years ago. Any readers of the Birmingham Mail out there? Was there a picture of this man? Cheers, Dom News Hero who lost VC in a ballot HARRY BAKER 646 words 25 August 2007 Birmingham Mail 22 English © 2007 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd A WAR hero who took part in an official ballot for a Victoria Cross has died. He was Birmingham born Mr George Birch, one of the Royal Marines who fought in the raid on Zeebrugge. one of the most famous exploits of the First World War. There were so many acts of heroism that the Marines decided to ballot for the two Victoria Crosses which it was decided should be awarded them. The one for the 4th Battalion, in which Mr. Birch served, was won by another Birmingham man Sergt. Norman Finch, who was from Nineveh Road, Handsworth, when he enlisted. He never returned to Birmingham and died a few years ago. Shrapnel Mr. Birch returned to Birmingham when he was Invalided out of the Forces in 1921. He was suffering from the effects of shrapnel and bayonet wounds, and of being gassed at Zeebrugge. The raid was made on St. George's Day. April 23, 1918. Zeebrugge and Ostend were vital Low Country ports and it was decided that they must be bottled up. The idea at Zebrugge was to block the entrance to the harbour with old cruisers filled with concrete. Zebrugge was formidably defended by the Germans. Smoke screen The British plan was to land a storming party on the great curving sea-wall, the Mole, and create a diversion while the block-ships got into position under a smoke screen and sank themselves. The smoke screen lifted under a sudden wind, and the plan was exposed to the German defenders. Casualties were heavy, and the survivors found themselves heroes on their return. In all, six Victoria Crosses were awarded, four to the Royal Navy and two to the Royal Marines. Records that Mr. Birch kept do not give details of his service at Zeebrugge. But on the front cover of a Souvenir Programme recording a presentation made on his return is a Mersey ferryboat, so presumably he was aboard Daffodil or Iris [NB it was Iris]. These ships were backing up H.M.S, Vindictive, an obsolete cruiser specially equipped lo deliver storming parties on the Mole. This is what a current account says: "Daffodill nobly performed her duty of holding the Vindictive against the Mole. and maintained twice the normal pressure on her boilers in doing this. Sheltered by Vindictive, she did not suffer severely, but her commodore was wounded. "Iris was target of great concentration of German guns. Two large shells caused fearful loss. One came through the upper deck, accounting for every man in a party 56 Marines who were waiting to go ashore. The other killed or wounded 30 more in the sick bay. Critical "Iris's position became so critical that she was ordered to shift her berth to a post astern of Vindictive, where there was more shelter. When she crawled out, a haltered wreck, it was with 77 dead and 115 wounded aboard. Mr. Birch never parted with his Souvenir Programme. It was with him when he died, as was his old Navy pay book. Both have been sent to the Evening Mail by Mr. G. F. S. Edwards, of Milford Drive, Stivichall, Coventry, who befriended him in his later years. Portrait The programme is of a presentation made to him at the Hay Mills and Yardley Pieture House on April 11, 1921. In it he was deseribed as "The Hay Mills and Yardley Zeebrugge Hero." There were songs, a poem about Zeebrugge, a humorous item on a violin solo. His portrait was flashed on the screen. And Alderman A. R. Jephcott, M. P. for Yardley and a Birmingham magistrate, presented an illuminated address and certificates Mr. Edwards says: "George Birch told me of various stories and asked me to write to the Mail when he died. He hoped he would be mentioned and that someone might remember him." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Kendall Posted 28 August , 2007 Share Posted 28 August , 2007 I've just found the following article on a database. Can it be contemporaneous or is it in the newspaper's historical section? I must admit, I thought the last marine survivor of Zeebrugge was Pte Alf Hutchinson, who passed away 3 or 4 years ago. Any readers of the Birmingham Mail out there? Was there a picture of this man? Cheers, Dom Dominic, This is very surprising. I too thought that Private Alfred hutchinson was the last Royal Marine survivor from the Zeebrugge Raid. There is a Private G Birch listed in the Royal Marine Muster list for the raid service number 19933 posted to No. 1 Platoon which would have placed him on HMS Iris. Kind regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 28 August , 2007 Share Posted 28 August , 2007 service number 19933 What is the prefix for his service number, please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul D Kendall Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 What is the prefix for his service number, please? I think that the prefix to the service number was A. When I return home from work this evening I will look at the RM Muster List and confirm to you then. Kind regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 The one for the 4th Battalion, in which Mr. Birch served, was won by another Birmingham man Sergt. Norman Finch, who was from Nineveh Road, Handsworth, when he enlisted. He never returned to Birmingham and died a few years ago. Finch died on 15 March 1966, which is indeed 'a few years ago' ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 29 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2007 His service number is CH19933. Intriguingly I have a note from a visit a few years ago that the RM Museum has in its collection a souvenir programme and photo of Birch in its collection. Can this be the same programme? I suspect so, in which case this cannot be a recent report of his death, but rather a delve into the archives (a theory supported by Siege Gunner's point). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 The Register Number of George Birch was Chatham/19933 - enlisted 31/05/1915; discharged Invalided; d.o.b. 20/02/1898; p.o.b. BIRMINGHAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 29 August , 2007 Share Posted 29 August , 2007 Both have been sent to the Evening Mail by Mr. G. F. S. Edwards, of Milford Drive, Stivichall, Coventry, who befriended him in his later years. The style of the article, and in particular the formality of 'Mr. G. F. S. Edwards', suggests that it was written some considerable length of time ago. Given the reference to Finch having died 'a few years ago', I would guess that the article was written in 1972 and has now been reprinted under the rubric '35 Years Ago'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robwilliams Posted 30 August , 2007 Share Posted 30 August , 2007 The Birmingham Mail, as it is now called, runs a series of reprinting the first and last few pages from its archives, usually the seventies. I don't have the paper but I suspect that this has resurfaced via this route. It dropped the 'Evening' from its title a few years ago. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 1 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2007 Think you might have it there Rob, cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hywyn Posted 1 September , 2007 Share Posted 1 September , 2007 One of the the actual ballot for the VC's can be seen here http://www.victoriacross.co.uk/ Go to Index of Site, then bottom right corner. Hywyn Nice site with loads of VC info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Tucker Posted 4 September , 2007 Share Posted 4 September , 2007 Coincidentally I have been indexing my Great War collection and discovered that I had the cutting of Harry Baker's original article from the Birmingham Evening Mail quoted in the initial post. But foolishly I failed to put a date on the cutting - it is definitely 1970-5 so George Birch died a few years before this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 4 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 September , 2007 Thanks for that Alan. Does the cutting have a photo? If so, don't suppose I could carve your indulgence for a scan? My email is dominic.walsh@ireland.com. Many thanks, Dom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 4 September , 2007 Share Posted 4 September , 2007 Merciful heavens. I was born literally around the corner from Nineveh Road, in Reynolds Road, and went to school there (St Stephens'). I have a vivid memory of running full pelt from the school one lunchtime to a classmate's house to see the launch of one of the Apollo missions live on TV (minutes were precious! I'd have missed it if I'd run home, oooh all of half a mile tops). I was in Cubs in Boulton Road... So I must have passed a VC's house nearly every school day of my life from four and a half until I was 11 and a half and not even realised it... Did I ever tell you I was at grammar school with a Passchendaele VC's grandson?? (Continued Page 97...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Tucker Posted 4 September , 2007 Share Posted 4 September , 2007 Coincidentally I have been indexing my Great War collection and discovered that I had the cutting of Harry Baker's original article from the Birmingham Evening Mail quoted in the initial post. But foolishly I failed to put a date on the cutting - it is definitely 1970-5 so George Birch died a few years before this. Sorry no photo just text like your original post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 16 September , 2007 Author Share Posted 16 September , 2007 Thanks for looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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