Sgt Arthur Clifford Tong 5th Bn Duke Wellington

[warbuff1]

Hi All,

Just found Serjeant Arthur Clifford Tong on local memorial at Berry Brow Huddersfield and found that his house (15 Rock Cottages, Deadmanstone) was approx where mine now stands. Anyone help with any firther details on this man.. Sadly dont have access to ancestry/SDGW etc at moment. any info be much appreciated. Any info on what 5th Bn Dukes doing on this day?

TONG, ARTHUR CLIFFORD

Initials: A C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Serjeant

Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

Unit Text: 1st/5th Bn.

Age: 25

Date of Death: 03/09/1916

Service No: 240345

Additional information: Son of John William and Sarah Elizabeth Tong, of 15, Rock Cottages, Deadmanstone Rd., Berry Brow, Huddersfield.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 6 A and 6 B. Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Wayne

[sotonmate]

Wayne

The 3rd Sept 1916 was the day on which Haig tried (again)to capture the second line of the German defences at Ginchy,Guillemont,High Wood and Falfemont Farm. The 1/5 DoW were part of 147 Bde 49 Division and would have been deployed in this area on the day your subject was killed. You can get precise positions from reading a copy of the Bn. War Diary which is at Kew under WO95/2800 and covers from Apr 1915 to Jan 1918. You can buy a download of this through the Catalogue's Digital Express service. The minimum fee would get you at least 2 weeks diary before, and up to,the fateful day.

Of course,someone here might have it already and be able to quote from it !

Best wishes

Sotonmate

[warbuff1]

Ok thanks Soton,

Will be in this area in April so very interesting to find out where Sgt Tong killed or in action. Here's hoping somone has a copy of diary?

Wayne

[mhifle]

Name: TONG, Arthur Clifford

Regiment, Corps etc.: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

Battalion etc.: 1/5th Battalion.

Last name: Tong

First name(s): Arthur Clifford

Initials: A C

Birthplace: Berry Brow, Yorks

Enlisted: Huddersfield

Residence:

Rank: SERGT.

Number: 240345

Date died: 03 September 1916

How died: Killed in action

Theatre of war: France & Flanders

Supplementary Notes:

Soldiers Died in the Great War database © Naval and Military Press Ltd 2006.

Regards Mark

[warbuff1]

Thank you Mark for info

Wayne

[mhifle]

Also on GRO WAR DEATHS ARMY OTHER RANKS (1914 to1921)

Regards Mark

[warbuff1]

Ok cheers again Mark, His service number 240345 seems a pretty late number yet he attained rank of serjeant by 1916 is this common? Is it possible he served in TF before war but surely he would have had a lower number? Sorry i still fairly new to this research. I see ancestry has 2 pension/service records but i cant access them to see if this the man

Wayne

[mhifle]

These are the listings

Regards Mark

Name: Arthur Tong

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893

Age at enlistment: 21

Residence: Montcliffe Horwich, Lancashire

Document Year: 1914

Regimental Number: 5758

Name: Arthur Tong

Document Year: 1919

Regimental Number: 548360

[Tony Lund]

Tong, Arthur Clifford

Born Berry Brow

Enlisted Huddersfield

240345 Sgt.

KIA F&F 3/9/16

Link to 3/9/16 attack on the Pope's Nose.

War Diary Post 51

Map Post 25

I have wondered about this man before. He is not on the Almondbury Parish Memorial, which I thought would probably cover Berry Brow. I was tempted to look in Newsome Church the other day to see if there is a memorial in there, but I had a wet dog with me so I put it off.

Tony.

[warbuff1]

Tony he's named on memorial at St Pauls Churchyard, Armitage Bridge. It shows all Berry Brow men together with Armitage bridge and some Taylor Hill/ Newsome South men. Not sure if this memorial was always here or somewhere else in Berry Brow Looks like its had cross replaced at some point

Wayne

[warbuff1]

There are several Dukes men on the memorial many seem to be 2/5th Bn guessing this must be our local Battalion. Have names of those on CWGC etc if you want to Pm me your e mail address also have photos of memorial. Only been able to def trace half of those on memorial as no Regiments shown just names

Wayne

[Tony Lund]

In 1914 the 5th Battalion was the local territorial battalion. It was split into two early in the war.

The 1st 5th went out in April 1915 and the 2nd 5th went out at the beginning of 1917. The two were amalgamated in early 1918.

I will send an email address. If any of your men have a Holmfirth or New Mill connection I may already have information.

Tony.

[warbuff1]

That would explain many deaths from 1915 then rest from dukes around 1917/1918. Will let ya have copies of what info i have at moment. Basiacally cut n pasted CWGC entries for those known rest you will see on the photos of memorial

Wayne

[warbuff1]

Only other man i can find from 3rd Sept

Name: POLLARD

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)

Unit Text: 1st/5th Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 03/09/1916

Service No: 4225

Additional information: Son of Mrs. A. Pollard, of Berry Brow, Huddersfield; husband of Edith Ida Nightingale (formerly Pollard), of 21, William St., Huddersfield.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Divion Wood Cem. No. 2 Mem. 1.

Cemetery: CONNAUGHT CEMETERY, THIEPVAL

[Tony Lund]

2nd 5th Duke of Wellington's.

This link is to an earlier thread:

A very brief history of the 2/5th Duke of Wellington’s, from information from the Huddersfield Examiner 1919.

I think every war memorial in this area has someone named who was killed on 3rd May 1917 at Bullecourt. The above thread has the war diary etc.

Tony.

[warbuff1]

A very interesting thread. You certainly know your stuff.Was born/raised in New Mill myself but at that time never had much interest in great War. Live Berry Brow now and only just starting to delve deeper into it. Am off to Somme arae in April so will be visiting as many cemeteries/memorials as i can connected with these local men

Wayne

P.S E mail sent with photos/ info

[Roger Thompson]

Hi there Wayne,

If you pop along to Huddersfield Drill Hall or contact Captain Hey there they have the memorial panels on the East wall for the 5th Battalion, and it covers all those that marched out of there never to return.

The Drill Hall is on St Pauls street behind the University.

Cheers Roger.

[Tony Lund]

His service number 240345 seems a pretty late number yet he attained rank of serjeant by 1916 is this common?

Before the war each territorial army battalion had its own number system, this meant that it was quite possible for the same number to exist in different territorial battalions of the same regiment. This was fine when one battalion was based at Huddersfield and one at Halifax etc., and each man served in his home town, but the duplication of numbers within the same regiment could cause confusion when the battalions came together. For example the 147th Infantry Brigade had four Duke of Wellington’s territorial battalions, so there were many cases of the same serial number belonging to four different men within that brigade. The scale of the war was such that it was considered necessary to renumber the territorials, and introduce blocks of numbers which would be unique to each territorial battalion in the regiment. The 1st 5th Battalion were given the numbers from 240001 to 265000.

The change took effect on March 1st 1917. The territorials who were officially listed as missing in action during this changeover were also given new six digit numbers. This is why there is sometimes a record of two serial numbers, and sometime a man may have only the old four digit number recorded or the new six digit number.

This means he must have been officially missing in action for a while, because they would not renumber someone officially declared dead.

Tony.

[mts]

Hi Warbuff,

His family certainly moved around,

1901 census

Name: Arthur C Tong

Age: 10

Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891

Relation: Grandson

Father's Name: John Wm

Mother's Name: Sarah Eliz

Gender: Male

Where born: Elland, Yorkshire, England

Civil Parish: Elland

Ecclesiastical parish: Elland St Mary

County/Island: Yorkshire

Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View Image

Registration district: Halifax

Sub-registration district: Elland

ED, institution, or vessel: 3

Neighbors: View others on page

Household schedule number: 239

Household Members:

Name Age

Thomas Bottomley 70

Arthur C Tong 10

Evelyn Tong 12

Herbert Tong 6

John Wm Tong 40

Sarah Eliz Tong 39

Mel

[warbuff1]

Cheers guys for all the info

Wayne

[warbuff1]

Just thought i'd repost this and see if anyone had any further info/updates? Have seen article in Huddersfield examiner from his parents asking for any news about their son around mid to late september 1916. Am sure I saw article much later in paper saying that he had been confirmed KIA possibly as late as Dec 1916 but last time I looked I couldn't find this. Any further info be much appreciated

Wayne

P.S Excellent website on Holmfirth Tony

[DaveC]

Hi Wayne hope this is of some use to you Kindest Regards DaveC

A BERRY BROW SERGEANT

Mr and Mrs John Tong, 43, Birch Road, Berry Brow, are desirous of hearing tidings respecting their son Sergeant Arthur Clifford Tong, of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment. They have heard from a comrade in ‘A; Company that the Sergeant was one of those wounded in an attack and when last seen by his friend he was resting in a shell hole which it is feared afterwards passed into the possession of the enemy. Sergeant Tong was a well known Territorial who joined the colours on the outbreak of war. He is 25 years old and in civilian life was employed by Messrs. Broadbents, Ltd Central Ironworks.

(The Huddersfield Examiner Thursday 21/09/1916)

[warbuff1]

Thank you Dave thats the piece i've seen in the Examiner but i know there was a small article stating news that he had been killed. I wish i could remember the date in examiner that i'd seen it. One thing i noticed is that on CWGC it says he/his parents live at 15 Rock cottages deadmanstone rd Berry Brow which is where my house now stands. I guess they moved there after the war and when the CWGC info was collected? Thanks again though for info Dave

Wayne

[DaveC]

Hi Wayne

If you PM me with your email address i can give you more info on the attack. Kindest Regards DaveC

[warbuff1]

Just tried sending you message but it says your inbox is full..lol. Have seen war diary extract from Tony lund's excellent website so not sure if info you have is same? Last 2 years i've been to Popes nose and said a few words for Sgt Tong & rest of local boys

Wayne