7th Battalion,The East Surrey Regiment

[clk]

Hi Dannemois,

 

The amount of War Gratuity shown as paid in his Soldiers' Effects record is indicative of calculated service counting from circa April 1916. An Ancestry tree has various linked BMD records.

 

Regards

Chris

[MrEd]

On 05/02/2010 at 17:33, kenf48 said:

The photograph is of No 1 platoon of A Company

The War Diary lists the followin officers as going to France:-

A Coy. Capt. Tomlins* (Vigor Tomkins on CWGC and original entries)

Capt. Churchill

Lieut. W Martin*

2 Lieut. Armstrong.

2 Lieut. Brasnet.

*refers to regular soldiers so suggest Capt Tomlins was Company Commander and if we have 1, 2 and 3 Platoon the platoon commander in the photograph was one of the Lieutenants. An educated guess they were listed in platoon order (though it may be seniority) which means the officer is probably Lieut Martin

Capt. Tomkins led two platoons of A company in an attack on Gun Trench (the diary doesn't record which platoons) in support of a successful frontal assault by B Company. Unfortunately, the diary records, they were too far north 'and were badly cut up by machine gun fire in the open'. Capt. Tomkins was killed and the report of the attack records the two platoons lost all their officers and NCOs. Although the survivors reached the trench the Company's frontal attack failed. In total 4 officers and 245 rank and file from the 7th Bn were recorded as killed, wounded or missing.

As the Diary points out the Surreys were part of the 12th Division which comprised mainly London Regiments, it wasn't just the Northern towns that had Pals...

Ken

Just came across this 

my great Uncle Pte Walter Bashford was A company, 7 battalion East Surreys. Was KIA 13 Oct 1915. Probably in or around Gun Trench (although I dont have that actual detail)

 

I would love to find a photo of A company, 7th battalion, East Surreys

[Sinbad Glen]

Beyond my meagre skills that one, but perhaps a bit clearer