5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment

[kathmandu cowboy]

My Great Uncle, George Henry Kettle died of wounds on the 28th November 1917. He was a private in the 5th Battalion, Royal Berkshires and I have located his grave at Etaples. The war diaries that are available through the "Wardrobe" don't really give me much detail and I am wondering if there are any other documents/books that I could access which give me more info. I have his regimental I.D number, 34988, but nothing more other than I know where he was living when he enlisted, his next of kin etc. Would it be possible to say what, if any, medals he would have recd? Can anyone offer any advise please - it would be gratefully recd.

[Jonathan Saunders]

Well if he died on 28 Nov with 12 Div he would have been around Bonavis Ridge area and was almost certainly killed by German shelling - which became more intense in this sector from 26 Nov in preparation for the German counter-offensive on 30 Nov.

Regards,

Jonathan S

[kathmandu cowboy]

Well if he died on 28 Nov with 12 Div he would have been around Bonavis Ridge area and was almost certainly killed by German shelling - which became more intense in this sector from 26 Nov in preparation for the German counter-offensive on 30 Nov.

Regards,

Jonathan S

Thank you Jonathan, my brother and I are hoping to get over to France, maybe later this year, and it's a least given us a clue to where he was actually was when he sustained his wounds.

[Michelle Young]

As he DOW on 28th November at Etaples he could have been wounded some time earlier, he is the only death of the 5th Btn that day. Arras To Cambrai- the Kitchener Battalions of the Royal Berkshire Regiment 1917 by Colin Fox et al has a couple of pages and a break down of the casualties of 20th November, 1 officer KIA, 1 officer DOW, 4 officers wounded 24 OR KIA, 121 Wounded and 16 missing. There was an action o 24th November to capture Quarry post which returned no casualties.

Regards, Michelle

[Jonathan Saunders]

As he DOW on 28th November at Etaples he could have been wounded some time earlier ...

I am sorry I assumed he was KIA - buried in Etaples was the clue

As Arras had closed down soemtime previous and 12 Div were not invovled again from memory until Cambrai on 20 Nov, I think most likely he was wounded in fighting of 20 Nov or from German shelling in the days that followed (I think practically all casualties from 21st to 29th Nov were from shelling in this sector and any skirmishes were by accident rather than design exc Quarry Post). 5/Royal Berks is wrong Bge for me so I cant recall their objectives for 20 Nov but I think it may have been somewhere up to Bleak House area.

Thanks for highlighting the obvious!!

Jonathan S

[7KRRC]

IMG]http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/postofficelament/5th.jpg[/img]

In case you havent seen this....from SDGW CD Rom

[kathmandu cowboy]

IMG]http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg128/postofficelament/5th.jpg[/img]

In case you havent seen this....from SDGW CD Rom

No I havn't - many thanks for pointing it out. Where do I get a copy of the CD? or do I access the photo via the web link?

[kathmandu cowboy]

No I havn't - many thanks for pointing it out. Where do I get a copy of the CD? or do I access the photo via the web link?

Apologies - slow off the mark today. I followed the link and viewed the document. It's not something I have accessed before so it's interesting. The info "Formerly 7/710, T.R.BTN" is something I hadn't come across before but I take it to mean that he was in a Territorial Reserve Battalion? back home and then joined the 5th Royal Berkshires from there. I actually found the cottage he,his wife and baby son were living in at Allersley Nr Coventry but efforts to trace his wife and son have so far not proved successful - won't give up though!