Trench Lincs 15th February 2026
- Feb 14
- 22 min read
Email me on trenchlincs@gmail.com to become a full subscriber and receive TL each week complete with all photos.
Good Morning,
Well, what a shy bunch of shrinking violets my TL readers are! I did not receive a single attempt at an ink or pencil sketch of a British tank! Shall I give you one more week? Or is it all too much for you?
Let’s see what the next seven days bring.
I hope you enjoy this week’s TL, which contains an array of topical articles and news of all of the forthcoming speaker events in our area, including Lincoln WFA tomorrow night at the Royal Naval Club. I hope to see many of you there.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
The month of February sees Major (Retd) Phil Watson deliver his NEW talk, "The Lancers, from the Boer War, to the Great War" at both Lincoln and Spalding Branches of the Western Front Association.
Lincoln Branch on Monday, February 16th, at The Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.
Spalding Branch on Thursday, February 26th, at the Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.
The talk examines and explains the evolving role of the Lancers during a period of great military and technological change along the time-line of the Boer War, when they fought in the traditional role of cavalry, following through with their transition, in both weaponry and tactics, to the industrialised trench warfare of the Great War and furthermore, at the legacy of the Lancers who would serve elsewhere in the non-mounted role.
On the occasion of Phil's last visits to Lincoln and Spalding, he delivered his talk on the subject of the action at Audregnies, and the flank guard action of the BEF when the 9th Lancers made the famous first charge of the war. This talk was of a very high standard and laid to rest some of the inaccurate reporting and myths surrounding the action with clear mapping and narrative. His new talk, therefore, promises to be one not to miss, and, if you miss it at Lincoln, remember, you can catch it at Spalding later in the month (or vice-versa should you wish).
Phil joined the Army as a boy soldier in 1977 and served with the 9th/12th Lancers for the whole of his military career. In 1998, he was commissioned from the ranks and eventually commanded HQ Squadron as a major, before leaving the Army after 35 years. Like many soldiers of his generation, he conducted his fair share of operational tours, which included the Gulf War. Phil’s interest in military history stems from being a boy collecting medals with his father to delivering Battlefield Study periods for his Regiment for over 20 years. When Phil left the Army, he was appointed the Assistant Regimental Secretary, where he continued to support his Regiment, totalling 48 years’ of service. Phil has published three works: The Last Charges; Audregnies: The Flank Guard Action and the First Cavalry Charge of the Great War, and Their Greatest Hour: The Rearguard Action of the 12th Lancers. In 2019, he studied his MA in military history at Wolverhampton, winning the Western Front Association’s ‘Derek and Esther Smith Award’ for his dissertation. Phil has returned to Wolverhampton for a PhD in the development of British military doctrine and its implementation by Douglas Haig, and is supervised by Dr Spencer Jones. In 2026, Phil was the Haig Scholar at the Douglas Haig Fellowship AGM.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next Meeting - Spalding & South Lincolnshire Branch, WFA – Thursday 26th February, 2026 - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30 pm start - Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT
SEE ABOVE
+++++++++++++++++++++++
The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA branch will hold their next speaker event on Friday 13th March 2026 at 7.30pm. The branch meets at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, NG11 6HA.
The speaker on this night is Vern Littley and his talk is ‘The Royal Artillery 1914-15.’
Everyone welcome.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 24th February 2026 at 7.30pm at Leadenham village hall.
This will be a two-part speaker event night.
SHOW and TELL: The Order of Patriotic War by Paul Robinson.
Soviets. SOURCE and the Spies Who Went Out to the Cold.
PRESENTATION: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission by Chris Finn.
The CWGC; its origins, its global commitment, its work today and some local stories.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Friends of the Lincoln Tank Group commence their 2026 season in March. The venue, as usual, will be the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG with a 7.30pm start. Entry is £5, and everyone is welcome.
Thursday March 12th David Moore will speak about ‘The Chinese Labour Corps.’
NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Lincoln Tank Group will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th February 2026 at the Royal Naval Association Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln LN6 7BG.
Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM (It is not a speaker event) and new members are sought. Annual membership of FoLT is just £10 per annum, and membership includes unrestricted access to ANCESTRY and the BRITISH NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES - which would cost in the region of £175pa if you took out individual subscriptions.
What is not to like? Please come along and you are assured of a warm welcome.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please click on this link to read the Sleaford and District Legionnaires Aviation Society February newsletter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The first Trench Lincs/Lincoln WFA outing for 2026 will be held, weather permitting, on Friday 27th February.
Everyone and anyone is welcome to attend at 10.45/11.00am at Crich Stand in Derbyshire. This is the memorial park for the Sherwood Foresters. There is an array of memorials on site covering the history of the Foresters from the Great War to their existence today as a battalion of the Mercian Regiment.
Following the First World War, plans were drawn up to construct a memorial tower to recognise the 11,409 men of the Sherwood Foresters Regiment (drawn from the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) who had fallen in the Great War.
The chief architect was Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Brewill, who had commanded the 7th Battalion (Robin Hoods) and who unfortunately passed away before the tower was completed. However, his son, Captain L C Brewill, oversaw the completion of the memorial. The official opening of the memorial was held on Monday 6th August 1923, when the tower was opened by General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, who had been commissioned into the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment in 1877.
Over the years there have been additional dedications to those who have given their lives for their country.
In 1952 there was a further dedication to the 1,502 members of the Sherwood Foresters regiment who had fallen in World War II.
You will have the opportunity to walk to the top of the memorial tower, where on a clear day you can see well into five counties.
I have emailed the Regimental HQ and they have confirmed that the on-site café will be open that day, subject to the weather. Following a walk around the park and a coffee and snack, I will then lead a tour to the war memorials in Alfreton and Ripley.
Car parking at Crich Stand is £1.50 per car, payable in cash and the postcode to use for the tram museum which is adjacent is DE4 5DP.
So that I can let the park know our numbers, will you please drop me a line if you intend to join the outing. Thank you.
FIFTEEN people booked in so far – Please look at your diaries and join the party! THIS IS THE LAST CALL FOR THIS PARTICULAR OUTING.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Last week I featured Alan Hicks’ research into Leonard Keyworth VC and family connections. Yet again we have another remarkable TL coincidence, this time from Jane Harrison, who writes; ‘I look forward to reading your newsletters at breakfast time on a Sunday; your knowledge is astounding [Thank you – Ed] and I find it really interesting. Today did not disappoint! Leonard James Keyworth is my first cousin twice removed. His mother Emma was the sister of my great grandmother Alice who married George Henry Roe.’
The headstone for Leonard Keyworth VC. He won his VC in May 1915, but died in October. Photo courtesy of Arthur Wood’s collection of VC winners.
I quickly replied to Jane and put her in touch with Alan. As our discussion went on, Jane asked me to take a look into the service of her husband’s great-uncle, Ernest Edward Harrison.
Ernest’s Service Record has not survived, but other documents that are available helped to tell his story. Ernest did not receive a 1914/15 Star, so from that, we can deduce that he did not serve overseas before 1st January 1916.
I would therefore suggest, that he was a conscripted man at some point in 1916. His initial service is shown to be with the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI), a K3 Service battalion in 68 Brigade of 23rd Division.
I would guess that Ernest served in the 3rd Battle of Ypres, until in November 1917, the 23rd Division was one of six British Infantry Divisions transferred to Italy to bolster the Italian’s effort against the primarily, Austro-Hungarians.
At some point, Ernest was transferred to the 8th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, a battalion in 69 Brigade of 23rd Division. The Italian Armistice came into force on 4th November 1918, but sadly, Ernest was killed in the fighting for the passage of the river Piave just one week before, on 27th October 1918.
Ernest was buried in Tezze CWGC cemetery in Italy, and as I am going to Italy in September, I have emailed the tour company to ask if it is possible to make a visit to Tezze cemetery. Hopefully, they will say yes.
Please find below Ernest’s Medal Index Card, the Regimental Medal Roll and his CWGC Certificate.
Click on the link above.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Over the years of Trench Lincs, we have flagged up a number of cases of mistaken identity and/or typos, leading to memorialisation confusion and error.
Today, Roger Frankish with his eye for detail has another such tale for us concerning two boys both named Ernest Vessey, one of whom had the middle name, Luke. One died in 1915 in Gallipoli and one died in 1917 in Belgium, and yet they have been mistaken for each other, as Roger describes below.
‘One name on the Lincoln city memorial I did look into was: Vessey E. L. He was Ernest Luke Vessey. He served in 6th Lincs and died, aged 19, in Gallipoli and is named on the Helles Memorial. [I checked him out in the CWGC database, and he is recorded as having been killed in the fighting at Chocolate Hill on 9th August 1915 – Ed]
He was a Lincoln lad and all the relevant censuses, 1881- 1911, have him or his parents and family living in Lincoln. His father was Thomas W Vessey (1871 census at Hackthorn) and mother Alice, nee Simons; she died 23 March 1909 and Thomas W in the June quarter of 1924; both parents are buried in Lincoln Cemetery.
We now change location to Owmby, Lincs. On the road from Brigg to Caistor, after passing Bigby, there are three villages off to the right namely Searby, Owmby and Grasby. The distance from first to last is under two miles. In the church at Searby (St Nicholas, Searby cum Owmby), is a cast iron tablet of 'The Last Supper' and below is a brass memorial name plaque; the last name is Ernest Vessey.
A memorial website, Lincolnshire Memorials – A guide to World War I Village War Memorials states that on the Searby, Lincs, memorial plaque Ernest Vessey is Ernest Luke Vessey, and gives details of the casualty and stating that his parents were of Searby!, when we know that Ernest Luke and his family were from Lincoln.
The name Ernest Vessey is also on a Roll of Honour for Barnetby. When I was researching my book, The Barnetby Boys, I didn't initially have much to go on regarding Vessey, E. or E. L., until when looking at microfilm of the 'Hull and Lincolnshire Times', I came across a photo of a soldier that briefly said, 'Gunner E. Vessey, R.G.A., of Owmby, Grasby, Lincs, was killed in action on May 3rd 1917'. The C.W.G.C. didn't have any information regarding family or where from, but it did give his number, 77473, and his unit. He was originally buried in the French Military Cemetery at Terny-Sorny, Aisne, but after the war, all burials were removed and he is now buried in the French National Cemetery, Vauxbuin, about 7 km south of Soissons.
Gunner 77473 Ernest Vessey does have service docs in HO363 V69. At attestation it records he was from Owmby, Grasby, Lincs. Initially his wife is recorded as living at Owmby. She was Ethel Ester neé Lacey, his cousin, at one time of Grasby. In the1911 census, aged 13, she was living with her parents at Holton-le-Moor, as was Ernest, 21, living as a waggoner on the farm of William Pike. (Holton-le-Moor is on the road N. Kelsey - Caistor.) Ernest's parents had lived at Searby (1901 census, includes. Ernest, 11), and at Owmby-cum-Searby (1911 census).
I knew his nephew, also Ernest Vessey, who said he was named after his uncle Ernest. It stands to reason that the Ernest Vessey on the Searby plaque is Gunner Ernest and not Ernest Luke. It was also noted that on the memorial name plaque, where a man had two forenames, both were given. All this information was emailed on numerous occasions to the memorial-lincs.org.uk website, pointing out the error, but there has been no acknowledgement or offer of explanation why they think he is Ernest Luke! Most misleading!
Gunner Ernest's unit was 160th Siege Battery, R.G A. I was at the National Archives reading war diaries, etc., and when it came to collecting the box containing 160th Siege Battery war diary to take to my allotted place in the reading room, I was told to enter a small room next to the collecting counter. Once inside an attendant locked that door, went to the collecting counter by another door, brought in the box and locked that door behind him when he left. I was told to knock for attention when I had finished. Don't know why I had to read the war diary in a locked room!’
An excellent piece of work Roger, and it is such a shame that the Lincs web site won’t acknowledge your very obvious findings. As to why you were locked in at TNA, we can only surmise that the war diary contained some secret or skeleton in the cupboard!! - Did you spot it?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
One of TL’s most prolific roving reporters, Melvin Dobbs, has been down in London and comments; ‘I recently attended a meeting at Freemasons Hall (Great Queen Street, near Covent Garden).
It is possible for the general public to visit this wonderful Art Deco building, free of charge, and I urge people to do so, it contains a comprehensive exhibition of Masonic History over 300 years and includes items from Napoleonic Prisoners of War through to POW's of WWI and WWII.
However, on this specific trip, I was in a part of the building not normally open to the public.
It was in one of the many corridors that I came across photographs of some recipients of the Victoria Cross and other VC memorabilia connected with Freemasons and Freemasonry.’
Design of the Memorial Pavement to VC winners outside of the building.
The Freemasons Hall.
Cigarette Cards depicting VC winners.
John Dimmer VC’
Following Melvin’s email to me, I carried out some further research into John Dimmer and his career.
Dimmer’s VC citation reads; ‘This Officer served his Machine Gun during the attack on the 12th November 1914 at Klein Zillebeke until he had been shot five times – three times by shrapnel and twice by bullets, and continued at his post until his gun was destroyed.’
Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 17 November 1914. 19 November 1914, Numb. 28980, p. 9513
Lieutenant John Dimmer had been awarded the Military Cross just one month earlier in October 1914.
After recovering from his wounds, Dimmer was attached to the 6th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps and sent to Serbia. By 1918, he had been promoted through the ranks and had made Lieutenant Colonel in the 2nd Battalion KRRC. Returning to France, sadly, his luck ran out on the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, 21st March 1918, when he was killed in action at Marteville and today, he lies in Vadencourt British Cemetery.
Melvin continues; ‘Whilst sheltering from a sudden rainstorm, I spotted this plaque now on the entrance to the Savoy Hotel.’ - below.
Thank you Melvin for your report from the Freemason's Hall.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
David Moore is the first speaker for 2026 at the Friends of the Lincoln Tank group – see notice above – and he has also been pondering a recent find in Nottingham.
David writes; ‘I thought I’d send you this photo, it certainly made me realise why I do the things I do, and I imagine you feel the same about your own research and dedicated projects.
It is so important to remember these young men, learn of their exploits, contact their families if possible, and let them know we still care and that their sacrifice is never forgotten.
I had to visit the cathedral on Derby Road, Nottingham on Tuesday, but parked on Peel Street to take in the short walk (and save some money!)
I noticed the war graves and cross of remembrance so stopped to pay my respects as I passed. One grave caught my eye, a young Australian with a familiar date of death – 19th July 1916 (battle of Fromelles).
Being buried so far from home, I thought I’d look his records up. His record card is quite plain; Roy Arbon joined up in July 1915, embarked for Suez, Egypt in January 1916 and arrived in Marseille at the end of February. He then went straight to the front line at Fromelles with 57th Battalion AIF.
He received Gun Shot Wounds to the back on 15th July and was in Bagthorpe (now City) Hospital Nottingham by 18th, where he died of wounds at 11:30pm, 19th July.*
(*Amazing speed of removal from the battlefield in France to Blighty for that period of the war.)
However, his cause of death was not so plain really, he was wounded carrying out an heroic deed, for which “greater love hath no man” – see newspaper cutting below. All the more remarkable as he was only 5 feet 5 inches tall and only 9st 4lbs in weight, and listed as a boot repairer from Bendigo.
A search of the archives found the attached article in his local newspaper, the Bendigonian -Bendigo Herald- in Victoria Australia; name is another coincidence don’t you think!
Today, Roy is not far away from other heroes in the cemetery, a couple of VC winners from the Crimean War and India, along with other WWI burials in a mass grave and dedicated on a memorial wall. (His family actually had him reinterred a few months after his initial burial to the current plot.) There are also some WWII burials here.
Also from memory, I believe it’s the cemetery where both Jesse Boot and John Player are buried. Two men who made Nottingham famous for opposing health reasons! [Boots the Chemist and Players cigarettes – Ed]’
Thank you for this tale David. How many people must walk by Roy Arbon's headstone every year and not know of his brave and selfless service as a stretcher bearer?
It is why we cover as many stories as we can here in TL. 'Lest We Forget.'
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Moving now from Australian soldiers to New Zealanders, I wrote a couple of weeks ago about who were the ‘best’ soldiers in WWI. The problem of course is to measure or define ‘best’.
However, we did note and agree, that the commanders of the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand Corps and Divisions, Monash, Currie and Russell respectively, were regarded as being some of the best commanders during the war. They all had a clear vision of how success could be achieved and were not so hidebound in their thinking as many British generals were.
That said, I came across this wonderful portrait this week of Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell, commander of the NZEF.
Portrait of Major General Sir Andrew H Russell, 1920, oil on canvas. Artist: George Edmund Butler (1872-1936).
Major General Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell KCB, KCMG (23 February 1868 – 29 November 1960).
Major General Sir Andrew Russell played a central role in shaping New Zealand’s military contribution during the First World War and is widely regarded as one of the most capable commanders produced by the Dominion. His leadership of the New Zealand Division on the Western Front earned him a reputation for professionalism, discipline, and tactical skill at a time when the war demanded constant adaptation.
Born in Napier in 1868, Andrew Russell built his early career through service in the British Army and colonial forces, gaining experience in the Second Boer War. This background proved invaluable when the First World War broke out in 1914. Russell was appointed to command the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), which was sent overseas under the overall command of Major General Alexander Godley.
Russell first saw major combat during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915. Although Gallipoli ultimately ended in evacuation, Russell distinguished himself as a brigade commander who emphasized careful planning and the welfare of his troops. His brigade took part in some of the most difficult fighting on the peninsula, and Russell’s steady leadership helped maintain cohesion under extreme conditions. The campaign also shaped his views on modern warfare, reinforcing the importance of preparation, training, and coordination.
In 1916, following the withdrawal from Gallipoli, Russell was promoted to command the newly formed New Zealand Division. This appointment marked the most significant phase of his wartime career. Under his command, the division was deployed to the Western Front, where it fought in major battles such as the Somme, Messines, and Passchendaele. Russell insisted on rigorous training and high standards of discipline, believing that New Zealand soldiers could match—and even surpass—their British counterparts if properly prepared.
Russell’s leadership was particularly evident at the Battle of Messines in June 1917. The New Zealand Division played a crucial role in the successful capture of the Messines Ridge, an operation that demonstrated effective use of artillery, infantry coordination, and detailed planning. The success at Messines enhanced Russell’s reputation and confirmed the division as one of the most reliable formations in the British Expeditionary Force.
However, Russell’s career was not without controversy. The New Zealand Division suffered heavy losses at Passchendaele in October 1917, one of the darkest days in New Zealand’s military history. Although the disaster was largely the result of higher-level strategic decisions and appalling battlefield conditions, it nonetheless cast a shadow over the campaign. Russell, deeply affected by the casualties, continued to press for better planning and conditions before committing his men to battle.
By the end of the war, Russell had been knighted and decorated for his service. More importantly, he had established a legacy as a commander who combined professional competence with a strong sense of responsibility for his soldiers. General Sir Andrew Russell’s career in the First World War helped define New Zealand’s military identity and left a lasting impact on the country’s approach to command, training, and leadership in modern warfare.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IN THIS WEEK.
After the horrendous 1917 fighting in the Flanders mud that we know as Passchendaele, the British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, was horrified by the conditions and the casualty list, or ‘butcher’s bill’ as it was referred to.
Lloyd George was set to sack the C-in-C, Sir Douglas Haig, but none of the likely replacements, Gough, Plumer, Rawlinson, Allenby etc. would commit to the role, and all pledged loyalty to Haig.
As the now Bolshevik led Russia had made peace with Germany in February 1918, it was common knowledge that the Germans would move up to 500,000 men from the Eastern Front to the Western Front, and attempt one last major offensive in the west to either defeat the Anglo-French armies, or so weaken their position that Germany’s position at a peace conference would be strengthened. The backdrop to all of this, was the continuing arrival of tens of thousands of fresh new American ‘Dough Boys’ in France, which Ludendorff and the Kaiser knew would tip the scales against them later in 1918.
With Lloyd George unable to remove Haig, his attentions turned to Lincolnshire’s local hero, Sir William Robertson, who as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, was the conduit between the generals and the politicians back in London.
Therefore, the resignation of Sir William Robertson as Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) in February 1918, 108 years ago this week, marked a pivotal moment in the friction between Britain’s military leadership and its political directorate during the First World War. Known affectionately as "Wully," Robertson was a singular figure in British history—the only man to rise from the rank of Private to Field Marshal.
However, Robertson's steadfast commitment to Haig and to "Westernism"—the belief that the war could only be won by defeating the German Army on the Western Front—placed him on a collision course with the Prime Minister.
By early 1918, Lloyd George had grown weary of the staggering casualties at battles like Passchendaele and Robertson’s refusal to consider "knocking out the props" (that is, attacking Germany’s allies in the East). To circumvent Robertson’s authority, the Prime Minister championed the creation of the Supreme War Council at Versailles. This body was designed to centralise Allied strategy, but Robertson viewed it as a dangerous dilution of his power and a threat to the constitutional principle that the CIGS should be the government's sole military advisor.
The crisis peaked when Lloyd George offered Robertson a choice: remain CIGS with diminished powers or move to Versailles. Robertson, viewing the new arrangement as unworkable and strategically unsound, refused both and was forced to resign on 11 February 1918. His departure removed the last major institutional barrier to Lloyd George’s control over military policy, yet it also highlighted the deep-seated tensions between the "frock coats" (politicians) and the "brass hats" (generals) that defined the British war effort between 1914-18.
Robertson was replaced as CIGS by Sir Henry Wilson, a man whose methods and thinking differed from Robertson’s rigid and forthright views.
Wilson was a "political general" who possessed the communication skills to explain complex military situations to civilians in a way that Lloyd George appreciated. He was willing to compromise on institutional structures, such as the Supreme War Council, which Robertson had found unacceptable.
This suited Lloyd George’s approach to what became the final year of the war, as Lloyd George, a most-shrewd politician, had at all times, one eye on the next General Election; and he knew that to win the election, he not only had to win the war, but he had to keep Haig and the Generals on a tight leash so as to minimise the final total of casualties and deaths. A political policy that very nearly lost the war in April 1918!
Lincolnshire's Own - 'Wully' Robertson.
Sir Henry Wilson.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Arthur Wood, who so often provides us all with photos of VC winners and their headstones, has been up in Buxton, Derbyshire, where he came across a memorial that I hadn’t spotted before, despite having visited Buxton on several occasions.
It is a memorial to the gallant efforts of all of the men who served in the Notts and Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) during the Great War.
Pre-war, Buxton was in the heart of the recruiting area for the Territorial Force 6th Battalion of the Foresters, but during the war, it also contributed many men, both volunteers and conscripts who did their bit in the Kitchener New Army Service Battalions.
And below, is my picture of Buxton’s town war memorial, taken at night in November 2018, when I attended the Centenary Armistice concert at Buxton Opera House.
Between 2014 and 2018, I acted as historical adviser to the Chapel en le Frith Male Voice Choir. A choir formed in 1918/19 by returning servicemen. The choir’s centenary obviously married with the centenary of the ending of the Great War, and with the choir, we held events in Buxton, Glossop, Chapel etc. and it culminated with me scouring all of the local newspapers at the time with the help of volunteers from the choir, and writing this short book about life in the Derbyshire Peak District during WWI.
Thank you for the reminder of happy days Arthur.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We finish as usual with the splendid weekly contribution from Chris at Colour by CJS.
Lieutenant Thomas Orde Lawder Wilkinson VC
Thomas was born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire in 1894, and was educated at Parkside School, Cobham, Surrey and then Wellington College. Here, he excelled academically and was a fine gymnast and boxer, as well as a member of the College’s Officer Training Corps.
His family emigrated to Canada and when he finished his education he joined them in British Columbia in November 1912, where he worked as a surveyor for the railways.
On the outbreak of war, Thomas enlisted in the Canadian Army in September 1914 and joined the 16th Battalion, (Canadian Scottish). The 16th Battalion arrived in England in October 1914 but by Christmas he had transferred to the British Army and been granted a commission.
He served with 7th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and was deployed to France with the unit in July 1915. Thomas served with the battalion up to the Battle of the Somme. They missed the disastrous opening on 1st July 1916, as the battalion was held in reserve.
On 5th July, 7/LNL were in action in the village of La Boisselle trying to recapture a position following a German counter-attack.
For his actions that day Thomas was awarded the Victoria Cross.
The citation published in the London Gazette read:
“For most conspicuous bravery. During an attack, when a party of another unit was retiring without their machine-gun, Lieut. Wilkinson rushed forward, and, with two of his men, got the gun into action, and held up the enemy till they were relieved. Later, when the advance was checked during a bombing attack, he forced his way forward and found four or five men of different units stopped by a solid block of earth, over which the enemy was throwing bombs. With great pluck and promptness, he mounted a machine-gun on the top of the parapet and dispersed the enemy bombers. Subsequently he made two most gallant attempts to bring in a wounded man, but at the second attempt he was shot through the heart just before reaching the man. Throughout the day he set a magnificent example of courage and self-sacrifice”.
King George V presented his father with the VC at Buckingham Palace on 26th November 1916.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Thomas Wilkinson was 22 years old.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In Memoriam the Lincolnshire Regiment 15th February.
1915
8960 Private Albert Robert Bugg, 2nd Battalion, aged 23. Buried in Wimereux Communal cemetery, France.
1251 Private A T Ellis, 10th Battalion, aged 27. Buried in Grimsby Scartho Cemetery, UK.
9618 Private George Ernest Collins, 1st Battalion, aged 20. Buried in Loker Churchyard, Belgium.
1916
Thirty men of the regiment died on this day, of which 29 were from the 7th Battalion. These men died in action in the bloody struggle for The Bluff, south-east of Ypres. ** See narrative below.
1918
41839 Private G T Mumford, 2nd/4th Battalion, aged 21. Buried in Walthamstow Cemetery, UK.
1920
316911 Private I W Comer, Depot. Buried in Lyng New Churchyard, UK.
16803 Private John Richard Garner, 6th Battalion, aged 22. Buried in Halton Holegate Churchyard, UK.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
** In February 1916 the 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment was heavily engaged in fighting around The Bluff, a strategically important rise south-east of Ypres on the Western Front. The Bluff, a spoil heap created from canal excavations, dominated the surrounding low ground and was fiercely contested because it offered observation over enemy positions. Holding it was vital to the defence of the Ypres Salient.
At the start of February, German forces launched a determined attack against British lines at The Bluff, using intense artillery bombardments and mines to overwhelm the defenders. The position was temporarily lost, prompting urgent counter-attacks by British units. The 7th Lincolns, part of 51st Brigade, 17th (Northern) Division, were brought into the fighting as efforts were made to stabilise the front and retake lost ground.
The battalion operated in extremely difficult conditions. Heavy shelling had destroyed trenches, while rain and snow turned the battlefield into deep mud. Visibility was poor, communications unreliable, and casualties mounted quickly. Despite this, the 7th Lincolns took part in determined attacks and defensive actions aimed at regaining control of the position. Fighting was often at close quarters, with bombing attacks and hand-to-hand combat in shattered trench systems.
On 14th February 1916, a major British assault successfully recaptured The Bluff. Although the operation involved several units, the contribution of battalions such as the 7th Lincolns was critical in maintaining pressure on the enemy and securing the ground once it was retaken. The cost was high, with significant losses among officers and men.
The fighting at The Bluff demonstrated the brutal nature of trench warfare in early 1916. For the 7th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, it was a severe test of endurance and discipline, and it stands as a reminder of the battalion’s sacrifice during one of the lesser-known but hard-fought actions of the Great War.
I hope you all have a good week, and don't forget your tank sketches!
Until next week,
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
Comments