Trench Lincs 12th October 2025
- trenchlincs
- 2 hours ago
- 27 min read
If you want to become a subscriber and receive TL with all photos direct to your inbox, email me your name trenchlincs@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy today’s offering? There are a multitude of snippets containing news and items of topical interest from the readers, from the press and my thoughts on the casualties of the 100 Days, and I have sent it out early as I am off to Eurotunnel early on Sunday morning for a quick visit to the battlefields – more next week.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
Next Lecture - Lincoln Branch Western Front Association – Monday 20th October - 7.00pm for 7.30pm start - Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG.
October 20th - Tim Lynch presents "The Enemy Within: Germans in Britain, 1914-1918".
More details to follow.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next Meeting – Spalding & South Lincs Branch WFA – Thursday, 23rd October – Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm.
Dr. Scott Lindgren - presents "A Concept Vindicated: The Battle of the Falkland Islands, 1914.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 28th October, at Leadenham Village Hall with a start time of 7.30pm. The evening will consist of two talks.
The Grand Old Lady – A Short History of HMS Warspite, the Royal Navy’s Most Decorated Ship – By Tim Sisson.
RAF Bruggen Tornado Operations 1988-1998 – By Dave Bentley.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The next presentation in the Friends of Lincoln Tank 2025 season of talks will be held on Thursday 30th October when Peter Jacobs will present for ‘King and Country’.
The venue as usual is the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG. 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Everyone welcome.
Talk Title – For King & Country at Loos
‘Deeply regret to inform you that 2/Lt C F B Hodgins 2/Wiltshire Regt is reported killed Sept 25/26. Lord Kitchener desires to express his sympathy. Secretary War Office.’ – Telegram from the War Office dated 29 September 1915.
This is the true and previously untold story of one man’s war on the Western Front during the First World War. As a young man, still in his teens, Charlie Hodgins answered the call to ‘do his bit’ for King and Country. Like so many others, he was never to return. He was killed on 25 September 1915, on the opening day of the Battle of Loos. According to an officer in his battalion, he died 'leading his men with great gallantry, and even when wounded, tried to rise and take them on'. Drawing on the many letters, photographs and telegrams Charlie sent home, along with newspaper articles, war archives and other personal accounts, historian Peter Jacobs has pieced together the final moments of Charlie’s short life. This is a compelling and poignant tale of personal courage and one family’s loss. But it also tells of the tragedy and suffering experienced by a generation of men during the First World War.
The Speaker – Peter Jacobs
PETER JACOBS served in the Royal Air Force for thirty-seven years as an air defence navigator on the F4 Phantom and Tornado F3, after which he completed staff tours at HQ 11 Group, HQ Strike Command, the Ministry of Defence, and the RAF College Cranwell. He has written twenty-three books on military and aviation subjects, and as well as being a keen military historian, he is an active speaker and cemetery tour guide with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Another group who meet at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG are the Lincs Aviation Society.
I now have great pleasure in advertising their forthcoming events, which take place on the third Thursday of each month - entry is £2 for members and £3 for visitors.
The next speaker event will be held on Thursday 16th October when the seas will replace the skies and Dave Drury will present – “The Loss of HM Submarine Thetis.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA Branch meets again on Friday 14th November at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, Nottingham, NG11 6HA. All welcome.
The speaker on this night will be Professor Jessica Meyer who will talk about “From No Man’s Land to Auxiliary Hospital – Evacuating the Great War Wounded.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In conjunction with Robin Sayer, we are organising an outing for October, on Wednesday 22nd. The outing is open to everyone, but you will need to make up your own travel groups.
Robin writes for us; ‘As discussed a couple of weeks ago please find a bit more detail on a trip to Eden Camp, Malton, North Yorkshire. Proposed date is now WEDNESDAY 22nd October.
I look forward to hearing from you and I hope we get a good turn out on the day. (Weds 22nd October) Peter Garland is making the journey and has seats available in his cars – let me know if you would like a lift.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now that we are into October, I am very pleased to remind you all once again of the upcoming Old Contemptibles exhibition that will be held in Peterborough at the end of the month.
Peterborough Great War Exhibition - 25th October to 27th November 2025 - Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery, Priestgate, Peterborough, PE1 1LF.
Peterborough Museum's Community Gallery will present an Exhibition dedicated to the memory of a special group of men who fought bravely and survived The Great War, 1914-1918. On this, the Centenary of the formation of "The Old Contemptibles' Association" we will remember them. The exhibition will run from Saturday, 25th October to Thursday, 27th November, 2025.
Almost 250 of these men were members of the Peterborough Branch of the Old Contemptibles' Association and met regularly at local venues. They came from both the city itself, and surrounding villages. The Exhibition, organised by the Cambridgeshire Branch of the Western Front Association, will reveal the fascinating story of the full lives of some of these men, including where they were born, their military service, working lives, families and homes. Discover how the group earned the curious nickname "Old Contemptibles", find out about the "Old Contemptibles Association" they belonged to,and the royal recognition the Association received.
The Exhibition is the result of the research into the Peterborough Old Contemptibles' Association by the Cambridgeshire Branch of the WFA's OCA Research Group.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Another October talk is the one happening at Scunthorpe Museum on Tuesday 21st October at 1.30pm. The talk is titled – “Mud, Men and Machines: Lincolnshire’s WWI Story from Winterton to the Western Front.”
Entrance is free but donations to the museum are welcome.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please click here to read the latest newsletter from the Sleaford Aviation Society.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You may recall that the original Lincolnshire Yeomanry memorial plaques were unveiled at the Lincoln Hospital in 1922. Over the years, they were moved as the hospital expanded and eventually they disappeared from sight.
Thanks to Mike Credland's hard work, the credit must go to him for fighting a very long battle with the hospital authorities to firstly, locate the plaques and then to agree a new site to have them re-hung and unveiled once again.
This unveiling took place in July 2024 and was covered here in TL.
The plaques were unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of the County in July 2024.
Charles Anderson, is in the process of updating the entry on the War Memorials Online website and would be very grateful and appreciative if there is a local TL reader who would volunteer to call at the hospital and take a close up photograph of each of the memorial plaques. The text on each one needs to be clear so that it can be transcribed onto the online entry.
Is anyone willing to take on this role?
Please let me know. Thank you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Firstly, I will tie up the loose ends from last week. John Denham Baxter, the last man of the London Irish Rifles to be killed in action on 7th November 1918, has provoked three weeks of additional comments and Tony Nutkins writes this week; ‘Thanks for your expertise in putting together this week's edition of Trench Lincs. As has become the norm, plenty of informative and interesting contributions from members and not least yourself!
Thanks for the mention last week, and it is sad that the London Irish Rifles no longer exist, they were absorbed with little ceremony in to the London Guards of the Guards Reserve battalion as Loos Company, the London Scottish being Messines Company.
The CO of the Guards Reserve battalion has instructed his Quartermaster at the end of August to order the chairman of the London Irish Rifles Regimental Association to remove everything pertaining to the London Irish Rifles from the Drill Hall in Camberwell South London by 1st December, this includes the war memorial, picture attached.
All of the Association property, including the small museum collection, has been sent to Northern Ireland where, once it is sorted, it will be put on display. No location in London was able to accommodate any of this property. And so another fine Territorial Regiment with an outstanding record is to be airbrushed from history... [As has happened to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, now just a single company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The bean counters have no understanding of heritage and history. – Ed]
A further photo is attached of the WWI battlefield crosses from High Wood and the Butte de Warlencourt and the original base of the first Regimental memorial at High Wood - no decision has as yet been taken as to what will happen to these.
The London Irish Rifles,
Raised 1879
Two battalions WWI
Reduced to one battalion 1920
2nd battalion reformed 1939
Two battalions WWII
Reduced to one battalion 1946
Reduced to one Company 1968 as "D" (London Irish Rifles) Company 4th (Volunteer) battalion the Royal Irish Rangers (North Irish Militia)
Became "D" (London Irish Rifles) Company the London Regiment 1993
Became Loos Company London Guards the Guards reserve battalion 2023.’
The Battle Honours of the proud London Irish Rifles.
Thank you for sharing that sad new s Tony.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last week’s offering from Colour by CJS was Thomas Kenny VC. As we have come to expect in recent weeks, our resident VC Guru, Arthur Wood, has visited Thomas Kenny’s last resting place, and here is Arthur’s photo of his headstone.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ray Sellers kindly provided photographs of interest appertaining to Florence Nightingale last week. This prompted Melvin Dobbs to chime in; ‘I have a further contribution to Ray Sellers' pictures of Florence Nightingale. Whilst in London recently, I took a photo of the Monument to Florence Nightingale and the Crimean Campaign, these can be found in Waterloo Place, Whitehall.’
Florence Nightingale and the Crimea War memorial.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Also from last week, was Alan Keeler’s note about the ongoing burials at the Loos British Cemetery Extension. You will recall that during major infrastructure projects in Lens, it is expected that up to 1,000 WWI bodies will be recovered.
Therefore, it was very timely this week that the Grimsby Telegraph ran with a story about the discovery and identification of four men from the Lincolnshire Regiment at this location.
The story in the Telegraph concerns the Cullum family. There were ten brothers, and it appears that at least six of them served in WWI. Thomas died of wounds and is buried in Scartho Road cemetery in Grimsby.
His brother Robert, has been identified as one of the sets of remains found in France. You can read the story by clicking the link below, but in short, the men all joined the 10th Battalion (Grimsby Chums) but by May 1917, had been drafted to the 1st/5th Battalion, 46th Division.
There were five men in a Lewis gun team, [Possibly six according to Chris Bailey and Steve Bramley’s history of the 1/5 battalion – Ed] and four of the team were killed on 5th May 1917 when the Germans put down an artillery barrage prior to launching a trench raid.
The four who died, have now been identified through familial DNA tests as Robert Cullum, Arthur Cook, John Fraser and William London. The survivor, Fred Blakey [Blakely in the newspaper article – Ed] managed, with assistance of a sixth man, to keep the gun in action despite being wounded in the foot.
If you happen to be in the Loos area later this month, the ceremony to inter these four Lincolnshire lads will take place on 21st October.
Four Grimsby Chums to be laid to rest together this month after remains discovered in France - Grimsby Live
Click the link above to read the newspaper article.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Having tidied up the loose ends from last week, I will now start this week with Ray Sellers’ final instalment of his recent tour around the south and midlands.
Ray writes; ‘PHOTOS ending 429 and 483 are of the new Royal Logistics Corps Museum opened in 2021. It’s a superb display of artefacts relating to the past Royal Army Service Corps and Royal Corps of Transport regiments. The Royal Logistics Corp was inaugurated in 1993.
PHOTO ending 533 is Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s Rolls Royce. Because of space issues, most of the vehicles at the museum are crammed into an area not accessible to the public!
PHOTOS 700, 701, 702 and 703, are of World War One period, narrow gauge rolling stock, on display at the Statfold Narrow Gauge Railway Museum near Tamworth, Staffordshire. This too is a site well worth visiting, with many tank engines of course, as well as the recently relocated Museum of the British Fairground.’
Thank you Ray for keeping us entertained over the last three weeks. There is so much to see and do on our doorstep, so to speak.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It isn’t that long ago that we featured the London, Joint City and Midland Bank memorial in Canary Wharf but Jo Stacey has sent in another photo of this wonderful memorial and it would be wrong to not reference it once again.
Jo comments; ‘We are in London for a couple of days to see the Elvis exhibition, but in true Trench Lincs readership style, wandered off into Canary Wharf to find this amongst the glass and steel skyscrapers...’
Thank you Jo, I hope you enjoyed the Elvis exhibition? And I am very pleased that as a relatively new contributor to Trench Lincs, you are entering into the spirit on your travels.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have written many times that you do not need to travel to France or Belgium to find the Great War. It literally exists on our doorstep if you care to go and look.
This is exactly what Alan Hicks has done, and as a result, he has uncovered a Lincolnshire family tale that is both uplifting and tragic in equal measures.
Alan begins; ‘I wondered if you and TL readers might find the following tragic story of interest? Due to the local nature of the story you may have come across it before? [It is a new tale and of great interest Alan – Ed]
I had occasion to call in at Bracebridge (All Saints) Churchyard. This is the church located on Brant Road in Lincoln. I had seen the signage that stated the graveyard contained Commonwealth War Graves but I had not carried out any research before my visit.
The churchyard is accessed through a timber gated archway. A notice board has been fixed under the archway and some kind soul (perhaps a TL reader?) has posted a plan highlighting the location of all the commonwealth graves. This was most helpful as the graves are scattered haphazardly throughout the churchyard. There are four graves from the Great War and six from WWII. I attended all the graves on the list but was particularly drawn to the plot representing the Harris family.
The headstone standing on this grave is of a family design and not a standard Commonwealth War Grave pattern. The grave belongs to Marianne Battelle Harris who died in early 1919 whilst a member of the WRAF based at Waddington. Whether she trained as a mechanic or provided some other skill I have been unable to ascertain. The reason for her death is stated as pneumonia but I suspect it may have been related to complications of the Spanish Flu pandemic of that era. Marianne Battelle Harris was just 26 years old when she died.
Interestingly, also memorialised on her headstone are her two younger brothers, Gilbert Thorold Harris and George Thorold Harris. They both served during WWI. Gilbert was with the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment and George was with the 1st/4th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment. Sadly, neither brother returned home.
The Harris family originated from the St. Anne's area of Nottingham. The father, John Felton Harris, was originally a joiner and wheelwright but later identifies as a tobacconist. He married Eliza in 1891 and they had three children in pretty quick succession. Tragically, John died in 1896 aged just 36 leaving his wife with three children under four years of age! Census records show that the wider family stepped in with care for the youngsters and eventually Marianne and her brother Gilbert came to Lincoln. They lived with their late Father's brother Herbert Samuel Harris who ran his own grocery/off licence located at 1 Waterloo Street in Lincoln. Prior to her joining the WRAF at Waddington, Marianne had worked alongside her uncle in his shop. Gilbert was employed as an Assistant in the Railway Parcels Office before he signed up in September 1914.
Gilbert Thorold Harris (11503) was wounded during the Gallipoli offensive in August 1915. He was evacuated across the Mediterranean to Egypt where he sadly died on 17th August 1915 and is buried at Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Cemetery. I did attend your excellent presentation on The Gallipoli Campaign but I am not sure where the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment were engaged during August of 1915? Gilbert was just 20 years of age at the time of his death. He "did his bit."
[The 6th Battalion were the only Lincolnshire Regiment battalion to fight at Gallipoli. On 7th, 8th and 9th August 1915 they were involved in heavy fighting on and around Chocolate Hill. Gilbert’s death on the 17th ties in with this fighting. – Ed]
Alexandria (Chatby) Military Cemetery, Egypt.
Lance Corporal George Thorold Harris (203182) was killed in action on 13th April 1918 in the Battle of Bailleul, a component of the Battle of the Lys. This was a small part of the defence against the mighty German Spring Offensive named Operation Georgette. His regiment, the 1st/4th York and Lancs, was part of the 49th Division in this action and were located close to Neuve Eglise at the time of his death. His body was never identified and he has no known grave. He is commemorated on the panels at the Tyne Cot Cemetery and was 24 years old. I also think he saw plenty of other action and was involved at the Battle of the Somme where his regiment was located at Aveluy Wood just south of Thiepval. He also "did his bit" for King and Country!
It is my opinion that the siblings' uncle (Herbert Samuel Harris) organised Marianne's headstone and took the opportunity to remember her two lost brothers on the same tablet. Sometime after the death of her brother Gilbert in April 1918, the British Army did try to send his effects to his sister Marianne whom he must have stated as his next of kin. As her former guardian, Uncle Herbert Samuel had to write to the Records Office to inform them of Marianne's passing.
The siblings’ Mother, Eliza, also died reasonably prematurely in 1908 at the age of 47 and is buried at St. Peter and St. Paul's Churchyard in Langton by Partney (Spilsby). She did resume her career as a school mistress after the death of her husband and did care for the siblings when she could but she appears to have moved across the country chasing teaching positions. Her son Gilbert is also remembered on her headstone. I have not seen this grave but one wonders if Gilbert's name was added by his sister Marianne to the Mother's headstone after his death in 1915. At that time Marianne would not have known what short futures lay in store for both her and for brother George?
The brothers are also commemorated on the Boultham Park Road war memorial and on the remembrance plaque inside St. Helen’s Church on Hall Drive. Sadly, Marianne Battelle Harris, their older sister and member of the WRAF, is only remembered on her own gravestone at Bracebridge All Saints!
Coincidentally, her uncle and guardian Samuel Herbert Harris and his wife Ann are also buried in this churchyard. They passed away in the mid-1930’s.
I attach some supporting photographs to supplement the story. I must thank my good friend Ken Johnson for much of the detailed ancestry and military research he carried out for me.’
I know that Ken and Alan have had a good trawl of the records for Marianne, but I discovered that 12444 Marianne B Harris served with 27th Wing Headquarters at Waddington before transferring to 48th Training Depot Station.
Here is a copy of the War Graves burial register.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Maureen Connelly and I have been in correspondence over one or two points in recent times and this led to Maureen’s request for help in finding out about one of her ancestors who was killed in action in September 1918.
Maureen writes; ‘John Thomas Fisher was born in Melton Mowbray, the son of William Fisher and Mary Ann (née Austin). He was only two years younger than my Gran but she always looked on him as her little brother.
He originally signed up with the Leicestershire Regiment but soon transferred to the 1st/5th Devonshires.
I thought it easiest to enclose a copy of the CWGC certificate which will give you his service number and memorial details.
When I was living in Devon I did visit the Devonshire Regiment’s Chapel in Exeter Cathedral and was able to see his name in the book of remembrance which was quite emotional.
I haven’t been able to find a copy of his army record but I believe many of them were lost.
If you could find any information about his service it would be lovely but I’m sure you already have enough to keep you fully occupied.’
Maureen was correct in stating that his Service Record has not survived but from information gleaned from his Medal Index Card, the Devonshire Regimental Medal Roll, the 1911 Census and the Register of Soldier’s Effects, I was able to come up with what I believe is the short service of John Fisher.
I replied to Maureen; ‘Please find news about John Thomas Fisher below.
Firstly, I have attached his Medal Index Card. This shows a period of service with the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment and service with the 1st/5th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. The 6/Leics were a Kitchener New Army battalion and 1/5 Devons were a Territorial Force battalion. However, there is more news to follow!
From the Medal Index Card (MIC) we see that John was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. This proves that he did not serve overseas before 1st January 1916, otherwise he would have had a 1915 Star.
As you rightly say, there does not appear to be a surviving Service Record for John. However, other documents help to tell the story.
Next I have attached the Devonshire Regiment Medal Rolls which notes that John also served with the 52nd (Graduated) Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. This was a young soldiers training battalion. On completion of his training, he was drafted to 6/Leics and then drafted to 1/5Devons.
A short history of the 52/Leics is below.
52nd (Graduated) Battalion - Leicestershire Regiment. [Info from the Long Long Trail – Ed]
Up to 27 October 1917, this was known as 267th Graduated Battalion and had no regimental affiliation. Before that it had been 15th Battalion of the Training Reserve and up to September 1916 had been the 13th (Reserve) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. A training unit based at Witham in Essex, it was part of 218th Brigade in 73rd Division. In January 1918 it went to 207th Brigade of 69th Division at Clipstone Camp but by April 1918 had moved to Thoresby. In September 1918 it moved to 208th Brigade in the same Division and location. By early 1919 was at Brocton Camp in Staffordshire. Landed at Dunkirk on 23 March 1919 and proceeded to Zulpich to join the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.
Next I have attached the 1911 Census for the family. John Thomas is an 11-year old schoolboy. This ties in with him being conscripted into a young soldiers training battalion. He would not have been sent overseas until he reached the age of 18.
As you can see below, the 1/5 Devons spent most of the war in India and only arrived in France on 1st June 1918. It would be shortly after this date that John would have been in a draft of new young conscripts who would have been sent to the battalion to make up the numbers. Sadly, he had a very short war. The short history of 1/5 Devons is below.
1/5th (Prince of Wales’s) Battalion - Devonshire Regiment. [Info from the Long Long Trail – Ed]
August 1914 : in Millbay, Plymouth. Part of Devon & Cornwall Brigade, Wessex Division.
9 October 1914 : sailed for India, landing Karachi 11 November 1914. Came under orders of 3rd (Lahore) Divisional Area at Multan. December 1915 moved to Lahore.
4 April 1917 : landed at Suez, Egypt.
25 June 1917 : transferred to 232nd Brigade, 75th Division.
1 June 1918 : landed at Marseilles and proceeded to the Western Front.
1 June : transferred to 185th Brigade in 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division.
As you can see, the 1/5 Devons served in 185th Infantry Brigade of the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division, a second line Territorial Division.
As mid-September 1918 approached, the British army was pushing the Germans back on a daily basis and was preparing to assault and break the Hindenburg Line, which it did on 29th September, two weeks after John's death.
The battalions of the 185th Brigade were near Havrincourt on 10th/11th September when they received orders to attack the German defensive line in front of the Hindenburg Line. Havrincourt is near Cambrai, south east of Arras.
I have attached the orders for the Brigade and Division and the 185th Brigade War Diary for the period around 14th September. [Drop me a line if you want to read these orders – Ed]
These will explain what the plan of action was and the names of the trenches that the men were in. Unfortunately, I could not find a War Diary for the 1/5 Devons on Ancestry, but one may exist at the National Archives?
The Brigade War Diary notes that the Devons were initially in Reserve but did take part in the fighting, and that they were heavily shelled. Poor John, aged only 18 and barely trained must have been terrified and at some point in this fighting he was killed. As you know, his body was never identified.
Finally, for now, I have attached the record of Soldier's Effects for John. His back pay of £5 9 shillings and 3 pence was paid to his mother (Mo - on the card) as his sole representative. She also eventually received a War Gratuity of £5 for the loss of her boy. Note on the card, that he is recorded as 'Presumed Dead'.
A £5 gratuity is a shockingly small sum to receive for the loss of a son but sadly, reflects his short period of service.’
Maureen replied; ‘Thank you so much for your email and for going to so much trouble on my behalf.
I do have a book (in two volumes) simply titled The Devonshire Regiment 1914-1918 by C T Atkinson. It’s quite a heavy tome and I had never previously been able to find any clues but as you mentioned Havrincourt I looked again. There is no mention of him by name of course but it does say that “losses had been heavy on that day, 2 officers and 27 men killed, 5 officers and 109 men wounded. I presume that John Fisher was one of those 27.
There is also a list of casualties’ names towards the back of the book which I had looked through before but had somehow missed that there are lots of separate sections. John’s name comes under the heading “5th (P.O.W.) Battalion, (Territorials)”. I don’t think I would have gone back for another look if it hadn’t been for you, so thank you. Not sure what POW stands for? [Prince of Wales battalion – Ed]
I can only hope he didn’t suffer too much.
I attach a copy of the only photo I have of John. The original that my Gran had framed was about A4 size and was likely sun damaged as it hung on the wall in her front room for many years, so this is from a copy that Michael Doyle kindly made for me some time ago (along with several other family photos from WW1).’
72062 John Thomas Fisher.
The death of John Fisher, aged only 18, is very revealing within the historiography of the Great War. By the summer of 1918 and the start of the final 100 Days Advance to Victory, the make-up of the British Army had drastically changed since 1914.
When the BEF arrived in France in 1914 it was very small, compared to the European conscript armies of Germany, France and Russia, but it was very professional and comprised totally of Regular full time soldiers.
Each infantry battalion was, with the addition of Reservists re-called to the colours, broadly at full strength of 850 riflemen with about 150 Officers and HQ staff, making up a battalion strength of 1,000 men. Each battalion had a machine gun section with two Vickers machine guns.
By the summer of 1918, due to the previous four years of casualties and Lloyd George’s political decisions with regard to releasing new young soldiers to France, a battalion would be fortunate to have 6 or 700 men on the roll. Indeed, each Brigade had been reduced from four battalions to three in early 1918 to help make up the numbers in the three remaining battalions. Many battalions were down to 500 men or less, but with the advent of Lewis Gun teams, rifle grenade sections and the Mills bomb, an average battalion of around 500 men had 30 times the firepower of a 1914 rifle battalion.
As the fighting became mobile and the Germans retreated across the whole front, the attacking battalions of the BEF now had the dedicated support and firepower of Companies of the Machine Gun Corps, virtually unlimited artillery support of High Explosive, Shrapnel and Gas and were often supported by MK4 and the latest MK5 tanks, therefore, the firepower of the attacking BEF was ferocious to say the least.
Nevertheless, there were very few 1914/15 ‘Old Sweats’ still serving in each battalion and the vast majority of soldiers in the Advance to Victory were young conscripts, like John Fisher.
In the final 100 days, the BEF and the Empire allies of Australia, India [Cavalry only – Ed], South Africa, Canada and New Zealand, suffered some 430,000 casualties, the French over 500,000 casualties and the newly arrived Americans, some 127,000 casualties. It is estimated that at least 250,000 British lads aged 19 or younger served in a theatre of war, and John Fisher was one of those brave young men who gave their all for the Great Cause.
Between August 1918 and the Armistice, the Germans suffered at least 100,000 dead, 690,000 wounded and very nearly 400,000 prisoners of war. By November 11th, the German army was on its knees, although still resisting stubbornly where it could, their Home Front had collapsed, starvation was rife among the civilians at home, and Bolshevism was taking over in many areas.
The Allies, advancing so quickly that they were outrunning their supply lines, were also on the point of exhaustion, and so the Armistice was agreed, although many British soldiers, in their diaries and memoirs, could not believe they were stopping before reaching Berlin.
It remains one of those ‘What If’ questions – Had the Allies occupied all of Germany including Berlin for the next 10/15 years, would Hitler have ever come to power? And would there have been a Second World War? [There is another What If for you below – Ed]
What do you think, please let me know.
A big thank you to Maureen for allowing me to share John Fisher’s story with you.
We Will Remember Them.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
At the other end of the spectrum is the oldest British soldier to be killed in action. Lieutenant Henry Webber’s tale is one of duty and desire, and a belief that he should be with his sons. At 66 years old — decades above the usual age limit — Henry refused to believe that he was “too old” to serve.
After a number of rejected applications, his persistence paid off, and on 26th July 1915 he was finally accepted into the 7th Battalion of the South Lancashire Regiment.
Henry joined his three sons on the Western Front, seeing action during the Somme Offensive and taking part in the capture of La Boiselle.
On 21st July 1916, while supporting the Anglo-French offensives, Henry was killed by a shell, becoming the oldest known British soldier to die in action during WWI, aged 67. He now lies in Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, Somme, France.
I am pretty good at dating and indexing the 1000’s of photos that I have taken over the years but it still came as a surprise to find it was October 2016 when I last visited Henry Webber at Dartmoor Cemetery. [For the old boys of Lincoln WFA, it was the year that Sally and Brian Johnstone and Tony Goodwin went on tour! – Ed]
Henry Webber was a native of Surrey and a member of the London Stock Exchange for over 40 years, and on my visit in 2016, the Surrey branch of the WFA had laid a wreath in remembrance of Henry’s devotion and ultimate sacrifice.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When Herbert Henry Asquith’s Liberal government declared war on Germany in August 1914, it was the last thing that the broadly pacifistic government wanted to do. When Germany invaded Belgium, Britain as a major signatory to the 1839 Treaty of London which guaranteed Belgium’s neutrality, had to come to Belgium’s aid. Failure to do so would have provoked a constitutional crisis and led to a General Election, which the Conservatives would have won and the country would then have gone to war, albeit at a much later date, assuming France had not surrendered once again as in the 1870/71 conflict with Prussia.
[Plenty of What If’s there – Ed]
Asquith’s government was determined to implement social reform in the United Kingdom and in 1908 instigated the first non-contributory Old Age Pension for persons over 70 years of age, of good character [That would help today! - Ed] and with an income of £21 10 shillings or less. In 1911 the National Insurance Act came into being at which point all workers, aged between 16 and 70 had to contribute 4d [Four old pence – Ed] a week, with the employer paying 3d a week and the state contributing 2d a week. In return, workers were entitled to free basic medical care, work advice and unemployment ‘dole’ for a maximum of 15 weeks.
They also passed the 1911 Parliament Act which gave the House of Commons the final right to scupper amendments and objections from the House of Lords. This act has only been used on seven occasions since 1911, they are:
Government of Ireland Act 1914
Welsh Church Act 1914
Parliament Act 1949
War Crimes Act 1991
European Parliament Elections Act 1999
Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
Hunting Act 2004
The first use of the Parliament Act as you can see above, was the Government of Ireland Act 1914. This was the Liberal government’s stated desire to give Ireland Home Rule and to form a devolved parliament in the United Kingdom’s second city, Dublin.
This was all too much for the staunchly Protestant and Unionist classes and had been the cause of the Curragh Incident of March 1914 when Unionist army officers threatened to resign their commissions rather than put men on the streets to defend the Republican cause should there be civil unrest, which there would have been.
Both the Nationalists and the Unionists had been secretly purchasing arms and civil war was brewing. However, the outbreak of war in August 1914, saw the Home Rule Bill suspended for the duration of the war and in a huge wave of patriotism, Carson’s Ulster Volunteer Force enlisted en-masse and eventually became the 36th (Ulster) Division.
Click here for the full picture The Curragh Incident | History Today
Somewhat surprisingly, the more moderate Nationalist leaders also opted to fight for King and Country in the belief that at the war’s end, the nation would look on their cause more favourably.
The Kitchener volunteers in the predominantly Republican areas were formed into two divisions, the 10th and 16th (Irish) divisions. The 10th Division initially served in Gallipoli before being transferred to Salonika in October 1915 where they fought until they were transferred once again in October 1917 to take part in Allenby’s Palestine campaign – the division suffered 9,363 casualties during its service.
The 16th Division arrived on the Western Front in December 1915 and served with distinction in every major battle until the war’s end, suffering some 28,000 casualties in total.
On June 7th 1917, at the opening of the battle of Messines, the 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) attacked the Germans side by side in a remarkable showing of Irish unity.
The 16th (Irish) Division was commanded initially by Lt. General Sir Lawrence W Parsons KCB, CB, but Maj. General William B Hickie CB took over in December 1915 as the Division embarked for France.
The Division’s Order of Battle (ORBAT):
47th Brigade:
6th Bn Royal Irish Regiment
6th Bn Connaught Rangers
7th Bn Leinster Regt
7th Bn Royal Irish Rifles
48th Brigade:
8th & 9th Bn Royal Dublin Fusiliers
8th & 9th Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers
49th Brigade:
7th & 8th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
7th & 8th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers
The 16th (Irish) Division contained many members of the National Volunteers, which had been formed in 1913 to support Home Rule in Ireland.
The National Party leader, John Redmond MP, had encouraged them to join. The 6th Royal Irish Regiment had some 300 Volunteers from Co. Derry and the Bogside, while the 6th Connaught Rangers had around 500 men from West Belfast.
16th (Irish) Division - "Everywhere And Always Faithful".
After the war, the Government of Ireland Act 1920 was passed to create separate devolved parliaments for Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Northern Ireland became a self-governing part of the United Kingdom, whilst the 26 southern counties became the Irish Free State, a Dominion within the British Empire, like Canada.
This position was ratified by just seven votes in the new Irish Parliament, but Dominion status was not acceptable to the hard line Republicans led by Eamon De Valera who wanted full independence. Pro-treaty moderate nationalists, led by Michael Collins, saw Dominion status as an eventual stepping stone towards independence.
Unfortunately, the factions could not see eye to eye and a Civil War broke out from June 1922 to May 1923, which cost the lives of about 2,000 Irish citizens as well as the deaths of many policemen and British soldiers, including Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson who was assassinated in Eaton Square, London by the IRA in 1922.
Wilson’s assassins, Joe O’Sullivan and Reggie Dunne, were both veterans of the 16th Division and both had served bravely at the front, with O’Sullivan losing a leg at Ypres. Quickly arrested, both were hanged for Wilson’s murder in August.
In 1937, Ireland became an independent republic within the Commonwealth with a non-executive President. Finally, in 1949, Ireland became a completely independent nation with no ties to the Old Mother Country.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This week’s tale from Colour by CJS returns to the ranks of British Aristocracy.
Lieutenant Sir Robert Cornwallis Maude, 6th Viscount Hawarden.
Robert was born in 1890 in London and as with so many aristocratic families, his father was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army.
Robert was educated at Winchester College and Christ Church College, Oxford. However, Robert was only 18 years old when his father died in 1908 and he succeeded to the titles of 6th Viscount Hawarden, 8th Baronet Maude and 6th Baron de Montalt of Hawarden.
As was the tradition, Robert joined the Coldstream Guards in February 1911, where he served with the Regiment’s 3rd Battalion in the British Expeditionary Force in Flanders and France from 12th August 1914.
Lieutenant Sir Robert Maude was mortally wounded on 25th August in a rear-guard action at Landrecies, France during the retreat from Mons by Sir Douglas Haig’s I Corps. His fighting war therefore, lasted just two days.
He died in German captivity the following day. A fellow prisoner somewhat gratuitously recorded that “he had lost his left arm and a portion of his back had been shot away”.
He is buried in Landrecies Communal Cemetery. Lieutenant Sir Robert Maude was just 23 years old.
His title as Viscount Harwarden passed to his cousin Robert Leslie Eustace Maude who became the 7th Viscount. Eustace Maude was a Major in the Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey). He served in the Great War and was Mentioned in Dispatches before becoming a Provincial Governor in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
Sir Robert Maude, 6th Viscount Harwarden.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Following my recent holiday, I had a lot to catch up on this week, and I see that this week’s TL is already over 7,300 words, so I will save Pompeii for another day.
IN MEMORIAM - The Lincolnshire Regiment 12th October.
1915
13543 Lance Corporal J W Lyon, 6th Battalion. Buried in East Mudros Military Cemetery, off Gallipoli.
8509 Lance Corporal William Luffman, 2nd Battalion, aged 24. Buried in Willoughby Churchyard, UK.
1916
14293 Private F Gulson, 8th Battalion. Buried in Bois de Noulette British Cemetery, France.
1917
Seventy men, primarily of the 7th and 1st Battalions, are recorded as having died on this day as the fighting raged on below the destroyed village of Passchendaele.
1918
Fourteen men sadly died on this day as the fighting entered its final month before the Armistice.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Until next week
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
Comments