13th Battalion, the Tank Corps

[jon68]

Hi i have a BWM and VM to a 4528  Pte David J Edwards  later Queens Rgt and last Tank Corps 301433 who was KIA on the 25th April 1918

[RobMiller1960]

Reference 

( Two more Tanks proceeded to LA MOTTE FARM and dealt with machine guns there. One Tank, after leaving LA MOTTE FARM, and proceeding North towards the TORRENS CANAL, was bombed from a trench along the bank with phosphorous bombs, which caused the Tank to catch fire. The crew got out and succeeded in capturing a number of the enemy and machine guns. The other Tank, passing West of LA MOTTE FARM, dealt with machine guns from that direction until the whole crew became insensible from fumes inside the Tank. 2/Lt. R.T. MARTIN, who commanded this Tank, drove it back to a place of safety himself, and evacuated his unconscious crew with the exception of one 6-Pdr. gunner who had meanwhile recovered. With this man and two Australian Infantry Lewis Gunners, he set off again, continuing to drive the Tank himself until released by the Infantry Commander.)

 

The Tank commanded by 2/Lt R.T.Martin.

I can confirm the person who was the 6-pdr gunner was my Great Uncle Arthur William Miller, the story I believe the tank had destroyed a German machine gun nest that had held up the advance, but upon returning from this action the tank suffered a direct hit from a German shell which sadly Killed my Great Uncle A.W.Miller instantly and wounded the Australian crew who had volunteered to man the tank, 2/Lt R.T. Martin only suffered minor cuts.

I have a newspaper report of AW Miller death from Sussex Express newspaper which has a letter from 2/Lt R.T.Martin (through name not given) giving a detail account of the action my great uncle was killed.

(I can't upload image of newspaper for some reason won't download ?)

[Guest]

I am researching 2nd L/t Frederick James Gatward of the 13th Batallion Royal Tank corps. CROONAERT  posted a copy of the Battalion War Diary which shows him killed on 25 April 1918 at Poperinghe . I am still a bit confused, were these casualties during the tank battle or were they just in the lines fighting? Thanks for any help. 

[charlesmessenger]

See post #24.

 

Charles M

[hackneygurkha]

Dear all,

I've just become the lucky owner of a uniform to a Sgt in the 13th Bn Tank Corps who served with them 1917-1919, having been transferred in from the Army Cyclist Corps. He was Sgt Stephen George Eltringham 301624. Any help in locating the war diary, info on which tank he served with, crewmates, actions they took part in, etc etc would be amazing. Many thanks in advance. Faris

[Guest]

My Grandfather Corporal Horace John Smith 301573 was wounded in action and posted as missing while serving  with the 13th Bn Tank Corps. A letter to my Grandmother dated 26th May 1918 from Capt JPP Walker O.C. 9 Sect 13th Bn explained that he had been wounded on the morning of 26th April 1918 during a counter attack against heavy machine gun fire in which his group suffered heavily, his officer killed and that he had been wounded below the knee. One of his men bound him up but then had to go forward. He made enquiries later but had no news of him and expressed a hope that she might still hear of him but didn't want to raise her hopes too much as he himself feared the worst.  A subsequent letter from the Tank Corp Record Office (not dated) stated that he had in fact died of wounds in the Chief Dressing Station of a German Ambulance Corp on 30th April 1918 and was buried in Hoogemotte Farm Cemetary.

On 6th February 1924 the War Graves Commission notified my Grandmother that all the British soldiers buried in Hoogemotte Cemetary were exhumed and re-buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetary, Heuvelland. The Cemetary records show that the 12 soldiers transferred from Hoogemotte had all died during April 1914. In the Battalion War Diary kindly posted by CROONAERT it records 12 soldiers as missing on 26th April and I do wonder if these were the twelve.

[AdamK]

Came across this thread whilst researching my Great Uncle, 2nd Lt Harold Witter of C Company 13th Bn Tank Corps.  He was also posted 'Wounded, Missing' on the 26th April and was involved in the same counter attack, although his remains were not found.  A quick look at the Grave Registration form for Corporal Smith above at https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/105267/horace-john-smith/#&gid=2&pid=1 references 11 soldiers transferred, of which 2 were from the 13th Bn Tank Corps.  The others from different regiments.