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Remembered Today:

16th Battalion Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)


JMRJNR

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I am new to this but would hope to find information on the 16th Battalion Rifle Brigade's role at the battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915. My uncle Rifleman Thomas Geddes Ritchie enlisted with the Prince Consort's Own in London at the outbreak of war. He was from Langholm, Dumfriesshire, and his number was Z/2960. He died in hospital in Darlington in September, 1917, after being wounded at Ypres the previous month. I have recently discovered a long and quite remarkable letter he wrote to his father from the trenches, describing the action and his part in it. There is no date and no place (censorship presumably) but from what I can gather he must have been writing just after the battle of Aubers Ridge in May, 1915, because he talks of the death in action of Brigadier General Lowry Cole who died in that battle. He also describes going into battle on a sunny Sunday - which ties with records of the event and his account of losses are confirmed by the official records.

I know that the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade took part in that action - one of the worst slaughters of WW1 - but I can find no mention of the 16th Batallion. Can anyone guide me on this and would any families of survivors know anything more about Tom Ritchie's part in it?

Thanks in anticipation.

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The 16th Battalion were not in France in 1915; they were still in training. If he served at Aubers in May 1915 it must have been with another battalion.

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According to his medal rolls he served in the 2nd, 9th & 16th Rifle Brigade. His 1914-15 Star Roll states overseas on the 16/3/15 and Died of Wounds on 26/9/17.

The 9th RB (14th Div) were also still in the UK training, so your uncle would have been at Aubers Ridge (Rouges Bancs) with the 2nd RB and given the date of his arrival in France would have been a reinforcement immediately after the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

Andy

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Wow!! Received the transcript of the letter and have read through with my mind racing. That is the first other ranks account I have ever seen for the action of 9/5/15, we have a few officers accounts but never from an other rank. Fantastic stuff, many thanks, and your requests on your message will be adhered too.

Victoria Burridge I am sure will contact you at some time as she is researching the action at Aubers Ridge of the 2nd Rifle Brigade having lost a relative in the action, some of the material she has accrued is fantastic, and, with you plans for the future I am sure that you can help one another.

The medal rolls I will send to you when I get home late tonight, and, looking at the 16th War Diary we might be able to pin down where your uncle was injured, I will also see if I have anything else for you.

Thank you once again for the letter, it is much appreciated and knowing the actions of the Battalion on this day, very moving and an eye opener, I am absolutely speechless.

Andy

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As Andy says, the action at Rouges-Bancs involving the 2/RB during the Battle of Aubers Ridge is one which is very close to my heart. My grandfather's brother, a pre-war regular, was killed here and is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing.

First hand accounts of this action are almost unheard of, but one from the ranks is nothing short of a miracle! Would you consider letting Andy forward to me a copy of your Uncle's letter? I can't tell you how grateful I'd be.

I have, amongst other things, some fantastic maps showing the position of the British units at zero hour on 9th May and some photos, taken by the Germans, showing the carnage which was virtually all that was left of the Battalion. Let me know if I can be of any help.

V.

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Yes I'll be delighted for you to see it - and thanks to all for their interest. My only concern is that some in my own family have not seen this letter yet and I would wish to show it to them before it is published. I would ask you to respect that. I am planning to publish it in an article I am planning for Remembrance Day because I think Tom Ritche's story should be told, even after all these years. Any more information on his role at Aubers Ridge would be most appreciated. I would also like to know more of how he died at Ypres, in 1917, so if anyone has anything that would help I'd like to hear from them.

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Murray,

I have e-mailed you regarding this and am in the process of going through the 9th and 16th Battalion's records to try and piece a little more about Tom together for you. He does not appear in the Nominal Roll of the 9th RB in December 1915 so we will have to dig a little deeper.

You say that Tom was wounded in August 1917, the Battalions returns for this month were as follows

1 to 4/8/17: 271 wounded

16/8/17: 3 wounded

19/8/17: 2 wounded

20/8/17: 1 wounded (Gas)

25/8/17: 1 wounded

26/8/17: 1 wounded

27/8/17: 1 wounded

29/8/17: 1 wounded

I do not suppose that you have any indication as to when in August he was wounded, Although I have a feeling it would probably been in the 1st to 4th batch of wounded as I know the names of quite a few of the later August woundings.

Victoria will be over the moon (to put it mildly) about your permission for her to see the letter, and knowing her well I can safely say that she will adhere to your requests about the letter. As you are having trouble with your e-mail at present I will forward a copy of the letter tomorrow.

Murray, I cannot thank you enough for allowing us to see this letter, it really is moving knowing the battalions actions on this day in May 1915 and is something that I never expected to see despite all the digging that we have and continue to do on this action.

Andy

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Many thanks again. Now we really are getting somewhere. According to Tom's local newspaper he was injured in the head, shoulder and legs on August 19, 1917, and taken to hospital in Newcastle. His condition improved slightly and he was transferred to Yarm Road Hospital, Darlington, where he had a relapse and died on September 26, 1917. I hope this helps with your researches, Andy, and I am most grateful for the efforts you are making on my behalf.

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Murray,

Andy has e-mailed a copy of the letter through to me and it has left me absolutely stunned. This is where my grandad’s brother died. This is what he saw and suffered. Your uncle’s descriptive writing is totally amazing. Although we have the official accounts from the War Diary etc., I have never seen anything written by one of the ranks with regard to how they felt and what they experienced. I have waited a long time for this and I can’t thank you enough for being willing to share it with me.

I know that you have plans for this material and would be delighted if you would accept my help in supplying any material which may help with your article. Could I ask one big favour of you? I was recently appointed the UK contact for an association in Fromelles (the area in which the action took place) which was set up to perpetuate the memory of the 1915 battle and also the Battle of Fromelles which took place the following year over the same piece of ground and with the same devastating result. The association has the most wonderful museum situated in the attic of the town hall. I would love, at some time after your article has been published, to produce a display for the museum, using your uncle’s letter and any other material which you may be willing to supply. My contacts in Fromelles have supplied me with some wonderful material which, with this incredible letter, would paint the most amazing picture of the 2/RB’s involvement at Rouges-Bancs.

Thank you once again.

V.

And Andy, I haven’t forgotten you. As soon as my scanner is working properly, you’ll have copies galore of everything - honest! :D

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Hi Victoria

I'd be delighted to help and give the letter to the museum. I might go to Fromelles myself sometime this year. But my primary purpose in all of this is to establish that my uncle is indeed describing the battle of Aubers Ridge. The date and place must have been censored but I think the death of the brigadier and the references to the day of the week, weather, etc, are also good clues. Everything esle in the letter seems to fit - and I'd be glad of our opinion. Andy is very kindly working for me on the death in Ypres of Tom Ritchie and I am anxiously waiting to see what other information he can uncover. I have a faint memory of my father mentioning Loos in connection with his brothers - could have been Tom or George (who was in the KOSB) . Have you any idea of Tom's battalion fought there, too?

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Hi Murray,

Thank you so much for giving me your permission to display the letter in the museum and I promise to sit tight until I receive the go ahead from you. In the meantime, if you are planning to go out to Fromelles this year, you might want to consider visiting there on 9th May. For the first time in many years, a memorial sevice will be held at a private memorial on the edge of the battlefield, behind (what had been) German lines. Let me know if you are interested and I'll forward the necessary details to you.

With regard to whether or not your uncle is referring to the Battle of Aubers Ridge, let me put your mind at rest. There can be no doubt. Everything he describes is absolutely spot on and it is infinitely moving to read it all in his own words.

On 25th September 1915, during the Battle of Loos, the 25th Brigade of the 8th Division (of which the 2nd Battalion formed part) were involved in a subsidiary attack at Bois Grenier. So, yes, Tom would have also fought there. And if anyone can pinpoint where Tom was wounded, then Andy's the person for the job. If he can't locate the information, then it isn't there to be found.

V.

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Couldn't help but notice 25th September 1915 (relates to some research by Victoria & Andy on my behalf) - looking forward to seeing how this one pans out.

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Hi Murray,

OK the 16th RB movements and actions at the time your uncle was injured were as follows:-

On the 17th the Battalion was in reserve and moved at night to the right sub-sector by BATTLE WOOD (map: Sheet 28 Belgium and France, reference I.35) relieving the 17th Kings Royal Rifle Corps.

For the 18th, 19th & 20th they were still by Battle Wood. On the 20th the Battalion moved back to Divisional Reserve in Ridge Wood.

The day that your uncle was injured their was some patrol activity by the 16th RB and I am just sifting through the patrol reports at the moment to see if we can find anything for you. Just wanted you to know that I had not forgotten about you.

Andy

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Thanks Andy and Victoria. I am most anxious to hear your results. I have decided to take up Victoria's suggestion and go to Fromelles with some of my family in May so we might discuss that later. This is turning out to be a fascinating exercise.

Murray

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Andy - just been checking the dates again. According to a report in his local newspaper he was injured in the head, shoulder and legs on August 19, 1917. But according to his death notice in the same paper he was injured in action on the 17th. Neither says where the action gook place. I can't say which date is correct. Sounds like shell injuries rather than rifle fire but I would not know. Perhaps you can find clues in your search.

Murray

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Murray,

Sometimes newspaper reports will do that to you, will check through the 17th again.

Andy

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  • 2 weeks later...

Murray,

I have been digging around in the 16th RB War Diaries for you to find out a little more on your relation only to find that the people that are supposedly responsible for the nation's archives have screwed up, yet again, this is becoming a far to regular occurence now. Please see my posting in the Document repository section under the thread heading Unit Diaries.

Something was not ringing true, casualty numbers not adding up, reports signed by an officer that was not even in the 16th RB and to top it all reports that actually say 9th RB on the actual report. The sheer incompetence shown here is staggering and unfortunately means that I cannot give you any more information at present regarding your relation and his wound in August 1917. Unless, the next time that I visit Kew they will allow me to see the actual diary, but going by previous experience this could lead to be unlikely.

I will e-mail you a little later regarding this absolute farce.

Andy

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Thanks Andy. He was definitely in the 16th Battalion. As it happens I got his death certificate in the post from the authorities in England today and he is listed as dying from an infection after being wounded while serving with the 16th Battalion. Does not say where. I'll think about how to take things from here. Thanks for all you efforts so far.

Murray

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Murray,

I will be taking this matter up, along with others that have come to light, with the Archives as I find it a thoroughly unsatisfactory situation. Sorry that at present I cannot assist you with your relation in the 16th RB, lets hope that we can actually force them to allow us to see the original.

Andy

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  • 1 year later...

Dan, welcome to the Forum. I keep in contact with Murray and will drop him a line with your details. I know that he'll be delighted to hear from you.

Tom's letter has proved to be a marvellous snapshot in time. I have come across nothing else which offers such a wonderful insight into the horrors which the men experienced that day. I hope that if you and Murray are able to discover anything further regarding Tom or any other family photos or documents, you will perhaps be happy to share them with us.

V.

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  • 9 years later...

I am looking for any photos for my Great-granddad's Battalion

 

Name: William Gusanie

Rank: Rifleman

Service No: S/8315

Unit: 16th Battalion (St.Pancras)

Regiment: Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own)

 

Died: 17/09/1916

Aged: 36

Cause of death: Killed in action

Location: Somme, France

Buried: Auchonvillers Military Cemetery

 

I do have a photo of his grave stone, but I don't have any photo of himself or his battalion can you help

 

Many Thanks Ant

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  • 5 months later...

This is a photo of the 16th Battalion rifle brigade. Can anyone help me please by putting names to faces. My great granddad William Gusanie was in this battalion & I hope he is in this photo but I don't no which one.

Many Thanks

Anthony

16th Battalion Rifle Brigade.png

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  • 2 months later...

Hello Ant

 

My Great Uncle, Thomas Geddes Ritchie was in the 16th Battalion, but the low resolution of your photo does not allow me to discern if Tom is in it. I was wondering if you'd be able to email me a higher resolution image of the photo?

Please and Thank You,

 

dan

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  • 2 years later...

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