Trench Lincs 27th July 2025
- trenchlincs
- 4 days ago
- 26 min read
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Good Morning,
Welcome once again to Trench Lincs. This week, there are a wide array of snippets which I hope you will find interesting.
The British and Irish Lions rugby XV won the first test against Australia last week, and our roving reporter, Marcus Dunbar, was in Brisbane to witness the game. Whilst there, he took the time to send me a large number of war memorial photos, far too many for me to be able to use them all, but you will find a selection below.
We have a warning of the ongoing dangers still to be found in France and Flanders, and there is an interesting tale about Margaret Horton, a young lady who took an unscheduled ride on a Spitfire! and of course, news of all forthcoming events.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS.
The Lincoln and North Lincs WFA branch does not hold a speaker event in August, therefore, the next branch event will be Mike Credland’s annual tour of some of Lincolnshire’s war memorials, which this year, will be held on Sunday 10th August. The meeting point details can be found below.
The tour will last about three hours and is in and around Scunthorpe.
The start point is at 11:00am on BOTTESFORD ROAD CAR PARK, SCUNTHORPE (DN16 3HA).
This is a FREE car park and accessible from either BOTTESFORD ROAD or down WALNUT TREE WAY, which is off ASHBY HIGH STREET (A159).
The first visit will be to ASHBY WAR MEMORIAL outside St Paul's Church on Ashby High Street.
It will be greatly appreciated if you will confirm whether you are able to go on the tour by dropping me a line at m.cred@hotmail.co.uk - we will then know who is attending and not leave anyone behind!
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The East Midlands (Nottingham) WFA Branch meets again on Friday 8th August at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Church Street, Ruddington, Nottingham, NG11 6HA. All welcome.
Roy Larkin will speak about – “London’s Busses That Stayed At Home.”
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Next Meeting – Spalding & South Lincs Branch WFA – Thursday, 25th September – Spalding Baptist Church, Swan Street, Spalding, PE11 1BT - Doors open 7.00pm for 7.30pm.
Full details to follow
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The Leadenham Military History Group’s next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th August, at Leadenham Village Hall with a start time of 7.30pm.
The evening will start with a light hearted quiz on all subjects of military interest. Teams to be assembled on the night.
Followed by a talk – ‘HMS Hermes and her role in the Fleet Air Arm 1959-1984’ by Simon Hudson.
HMS Hermes returns to Portsmouth after the Falklands War.
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The next presentation in the Friends of Lincoln Tank 2025 season of talks will be held this coming Thursday, July 31st when group Chairman, Richard Pullen, will talk about ‘The Armament of the MKIV Tank and its Crew.’
The venue as usual is the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG. 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Everyone welcome.
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Can you support another group who meet at the Royal Naval Club, Coulson Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BG - 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 21st August when Chris Finn will speak about ‘The Buccaneer in the First Gulf War.’
Please arrive 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
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Please click on the link to read the August edition of The Tiger, courtesy of Michael Doyle.
and the Last Post here.
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Are you planning a trip to the Western Front this summer or autumn? If you are, can I remind you all once again that the ‘Iron Harvest’, the battlefield ordnance that can still be found remains potentially very dangerous.
If it is an empty shell case full of mud, by all means pick it up, but if it looks like a complete shell or grenade, do not touch it. If you have a pocket knife with you, cut a cane from a nearby hedge and mark the shell for the farmer to alert the French or Belgian bomb disposal.
Here is the latest sobering story from France and Flanders; ‘Last week, farmer Ward (33) was severely burned by a mustard gas shell. Whilst ploughing, a first world war shell surfaced, and the farmer retrieved it with his hands. While carrying it to the edge of his field, he held the shell against his stomach. About 72 hours later, he noticed severe irritation and even burns on his abdomen; apparently, the shell was leaking. It was again emphasized by the Belgian bomb disposal service (locally known as DOVO), that you should not handle unexploded ordnance.’
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I will start this week by harking back to Ray Sellers’ trip to Japan as reported last Sunday. This prompted Mike Credland to write in with news of an old friend. Mike writes; ‘I was interested to read of Ray Sellers’ latest furlough to Japan and in particular to Nagasaki where the second atomic bomb was dropped. Perhaps familiar to most in Lincolnshire is Major Brett Collier MBE who wrote eight books on pub walks in the County and the Viking Way, which he instigated. A photograph of him and a couple of his books are attached. Very briefly, this is his story.
Born at Widnes, Cheshire on 14 November 1920 Henry Brett Collier entered teacher training college after leaving school, but in 1939 volunteered for the British Army with the 2nd Battalion North Lancashire Regiment (The Loyals), appointed Major and posted out to the Far East.
Following the fall of Singapore in February 1942 he was captured by the Japanese and speaking out of turn, was to be beheaded by Samurai sword. However, the Japanese officer slipped and losing face in front of his men had to release Brett who was then sent to Kobe in Japan working as a riveter in a shipyard.
After the city was destroyed by US bombers in early 1945 he was sold to a coal mining company in Nagasaki toiling daily from 5am until 7pm in appalling conditions and suffering severe beatings and starvation. He was working underground when the atomic bomb was dropped on 9 August 1945 and after two days, plucked up courage to escape from the mine to see the devastation. Following the end of the war, Brett moved to Malaya and became a school head at Ipoh.
Major (Retd.) Brett Collier came to Lincolnshire in 1960 and lectured at Bishop Grosseteste College and became President of the Lincolnshire Ramblers Association. During my twenty-five years as Clerk to Metheringham Parish Council I got to know him through the public rights of way in the village. He died at Lincoln on 15 March 2005 at the age of 84. Not too long afterwards his medals (apart from his MBE) were put on the open market and I saw opportunity to purchase them for my collection which are shown in the attached photograph. I also have a compact disc he produced giving his experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war, which is extremely harrowing.’
Thank you Mike for relaying Brett’s story for us to read. What a remarkable and charmed life he had.
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Ray’s trip to Korea and Japan also sparked interest from Tim Chamberlin, who with his wife Gail, had taken a similar journey to Ray earlier in the year.
Tim notes; ‘Please see information on this unique Korean cemetery. Bill Speakman VC was a Chelsea Pensioner and died in 2018 aged 90, he requested that his ashes be interred at Pusan.
There are two other VC winners buried there, Philip Curtis DCLI and Kenneth Muir A & SH. My Uncle, Sgt Bill Ancliffe KOSB, was wounded in the same action that Speakman fought in.’
Click on this link https://mcusercontent.com/363e2db896f2f8d9553fda5f9/files/61010a9d-41b7-ea47-712e-e291afc6bb63/Pusan_korea.pdf
Thank you Tim for your words and photo. We have covered Speakman’s VC action a few months ago courtesy of Arthur Wood, but here in the best Trench Lincs tradition are the citations for Curtis and Muir.
CURTIS, Philip Kenneth Edward, Lieutenant, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, attached 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, - ‘During the first phase of the Battle of the Imjin River on the night of 22nd/23rd April, 1951, “A” Company, 1 Glosters, was heavily attacked by a large enemy force. By dawn on 23rd April, the enemy had secured a footing on the “Castle Hill” site in very close proximity to No. 2 Platoon’s position. The Company Commander ordered No. 1 Platoon, under the command of Lieutenant Curtis, to carry out a counter-attack with a view to dislodging the enemy from the position. Under the covering fire of medium machine guns, the counter-attack, gallantly led by Lieutenant Curtis, gained initial success but was eventually held up by heavy fire and grenades. Enemy from just below the crest of the hill were rushed to reinforce the position and a fierce fire-fight developed, grenades also being freely used by both sides in this close-quarter engagement. Lieutenant Curtis ordered some of his men to give him covering fire while he himself rushed the main position of resistance; in this charge Lieutenant Curtis was severely wounded by a grenade. Several of his men crawled out and pulled him back under cover but, recovering himself, Lieutenant Curtis insisted on making a second attempt. Breaking free from the men who wished to restrain him, he made another desperate charge, hurling grenades as he went, but was killed by a burst of fire when within a few yards of his objective. Although the immediate objective of this counter-attack was not achieved, it had yet a great effect on the subsequent course of the battle; for although the enemy had gained a footing on a position vital to the defence of the whole Company area, this success had resulted in such furious reaction that they made no further effort to exploit their success in this immediate area: had they done so, the eventual withdrawal of the Company might well have proved impossible. Lieutenant Curtis’s conduct was magnificent throughout this bitter battle.’
Philip Curtis VC.
MUIR, Kenneth, Major, 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders – ‘Major Kenneth Muir (50980), The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s), in recognition of gallant service in Korea. On 23rd September, 1950, “B” and “C” Company of the 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, attacked an enemy-held feature, Hill 282, and by 0800 hours had consolidated upon it. Some difficulty was experienced in evacuating the wounded from the position and demands were made for stretcher-bearing parties to be sent forward by the Battalion. At this juncture the position came under mortar and shell fire. At approximately 0900 hours a stretcher-bearing party arrived and with it came the Battalion Second-in-Command, Major K. Muir. He proceeded to organise the evacuation of the casualties. At approximately 0930 hours, small parties of the enemy started to infiltrate on the left flank necessitating the reinforcing of the forward platoon. For the next hour this infiltration increased, as did the shelling and mortaring, causing further casualties within the two companies. By 1100 hours, casualties were moderately severe and some difficulty was being experienced in holding the enemy. In addition, due to reinforcing the left flank and to providing personnel to assist with the wounded, both companies were so inextricably mixed, that it was obvious that they must come under a unified command. Major Muir, although only visiting the position, automatically took over command and with complete disregard for his own personal safety, started to move around the forward elements, cheering on and encouraging the men to greater efforts despite the fact that ammunition was running low. He was continually under enemy fire, and, despite entreaties from officers and men alike, refused to take cover. An air-strike against the enemy was arranged and air recognition panels were put out on the ground. At approximately 1215 hours the air-strike came in, but unfortunately the aircraft hit the Companies’ position instead of that of the enemy. The main defensive position was hit with fire bombs and machine gun fire, causing more casualties and necessitating the withdrawal of the remaining troops to a position some fifty feet below the crest. There is no doubt that a complete retreat from the hill would have been fully justified at this time. Only some thirty fighting men remained and ammunition was extremely low. Major Muir, however, realised that the enemy had not taken immediate advantage of the unfortunate incident and that the crest was still unoccupied although under fire. With the assistance of three remaining officers, he immediately formed a small force of some thirty all ranks and personally led a counter-attack on the crest. To appreciate fully the implication of this, it is necessary to realise how demoralising the effect of the air-strike had been and it was entirely due to the courage, determination and splendid example of this officer that such a counter-attack was possible. All ranks responded magnificently and the crest was re-taken. From this moment on, Major Muir’s actions were beyond all possible praise. He was determined that the wounded would have adequate time to be taken out and he was just as determined that the enemy would not take the crest. Grossly outnumbered and under heavy automatic fire, Major Muir moved about his small force re-distributing fast diminishing ammunition and when the ammunition for his own weapon was spent, he took over a 2-inch mortar which he used with very great effect against the enemy. Whilst firing the mortar, he was still shouting encouragements and advice to his men and for a further five minutes the enemy were held. Finally, Major Muir was hit with two bursts of automatic fire which mortally wounded him, but even then he retained consciousness and was still determined to fight on. His last words were:-“The Gooks will never drive the Argylls off this hill”. The effect of his splendid leadership on the men was nothing short of amazing, and it was entirely due to his magnificent courage and example and the spirit which he imbued in those about him that all the wounded were evacuated from the hill, and, as was subsequently discovered, very heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy in the defence of the crest.’
Kenneth Muir VC.
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Also from last week, Richard Godson spotted Lieutenant Gerard Kirk from Sleaford in the In Memoriam section and writes; 'Thank you for another packed and fascinating edition of Trench Lincs which I have just spent the last hour or so browsing and reading.
It was the final entry which really piqued my interest concerning Lieutenant Gerard Arthur Kirk, 1st Battalion, aged 29. Buried in Quarrington St. Botolph's Churchyard. As you point out he was a son of Charles Kirk of the renowned building firm Kirk and Parry. They were responsible for many notable buildings in Sleaford and not a few across the country. They built the Lincoln to Honington railway, as well as the stretch from Sleaford to Ruskington and Liverpool Central Station.
According to Wikipedia they were also concerned with military construction, building (and I quote) the Martello tower, off the Spit Isle of Grain, Sheerness, Kent. Apparently it was designed to be able to fire its guns (which are to be of the largest calibre) on traversing centre pivots, ...(into the).....Thames and Medway forming a a crossfire with the Sheerness Battery guns, sufficient to sink any ships attempting to pass.
Other projects for which they were responsible were Lincoln Prison (1869-72), Whitehaven Docks (1865) and the Scarborough Aquarium (1878).'
Thank you for the further information Richard. Yes, Kirk and Parry were quite some firm in their day.
Lincoln Prison built by Kirk and Parry but designed by Frederick Peck.
Kirk and Parry ceased trading in 1906 but the Kirk and Knight families who were involved along with the Parry's were said to be Sleaford's wealthiest residents.
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Both Felicity Sayers and Karl Williams alerted me to the fact that HMS Nottingham, sunk by U-52 in August 1916, has been found and positively identified on the sea bed.
Click the link to see some remarkable pictures and video footage of the wreck.
Divers discover Royal Navy warship HMS Nottingham 110 years after it was lost in action
HMS Nottingham had fought at Jutland on May 31st 1916.
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Robin, Steve and myself had an interesting day out last week, taking in the relatively new RAF museums at RAF Ingham and RAF Hibaldstow. In addition, we called in at Kirton in Lindsey and Market Rasen to pay a visit to the churches and the cemeteries, both of which contain CWGC headstones of interest.
First port of call was the site of the old RAF Ingham, once the home of the RAF’s 199 Squadron, but perhaps better known for its relationship with 300, 301, 304 and 305 Polish bomber squadrons.
It is a small and compact museum, entry £7, with a little shop and a good café, and well worth a visit.
The displays on offer are well produced and very informative, starting with the invasion of Poland in September 1939 by the Germans and the Soviets. I was astounded to read the stories of escaping Polish airmen and soldiers who escaped from the invasion and made their way to the UK to carry on the fight, often by walking vast distances across Europe and even to North Africa.
I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Ingham.
The museum at RAF Hibaldstow is free to enter and is not as professionally put together as Ingham, but nevertheless, it has an array of artefacts on show, not all necessarily related to the site’s original use as 53 Operational Training Unit (OTU). It also houses a substantial research library with a wide collection of books.
Perhaps the most remarkable tale from Hibaldstow concerns ACW2 Margaret Horton, a mechanic, who in April 1945, after a Spitfire service on aircraft AB910, was required to lay across the tail of the Spitfire, as per the standard procedures, whilst the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Cox, ran up the engine and taxied around the perimeter track [Without the weight on the tail, the Spitfire was prone to tip on to its nose – Ed]. On reaching the end of the runway, it was customary for the pilot to stop and let the mechanic slide off the tail, but on this occasion, Cox accelerated down the runway and took off to complete a test circuit at 800 feet with Margaret Horton hanging on for dear life!
Hang on she did, and the aircraft landed safely in front of a number of witnesses. Poor old Margaret, despite following the laid down procedures, was given a severe reprimand and made to pay for the gloves that she had lost.
Again, like Ingham, Hibaldstow is on the North Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Trail, and is well worth a visit.
On arriving at Kirton in Lindsey, we discovered that the church was locked, but we had a walk around the cemetery and a good look at the memorials on show in this location. The traditional post-Great War memorial stands on the green surrounded by metal railings – described by Mike Credland as; ‘…an eighteen-foot high pyramidal column resting on a pedestal, made from Darley Dale stone. Inset marble panels contain the names of the fallen.’
The memorial was unveiled on Sunday 26th September 1920 by Lt. Colonel Harold Graham Wilson DSO JP, and a poignant address was given by the Reverend George Jackson, who had served with the RAMC during the war.
In the same setting, is a new memorial to the men of the American Eagle squadrons who had served at Kirton in the Second World War.
And just a short walk on Spa Hill, is a very recent memorial to the crew of a Halifax bomber which crashed on the village in May 1944, destroying the police house. Six of the seven crew were killed, and the memorial was unveiled in August 2024.
Our final destination for the day was Market Rasen, church and cemetery, where I wanted to visit the grave site of 9837 Private Matthew Henry Hart of the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. Matthew Hart was the son of William and Selena Hart of Market Rasen and aged just 18, Matthew had been wounded whilst serving with the battalion on Gallipoli. Surviving long enough to be returned to the UK, Matthew eventually died of his wounds and his body was returned to his parents for burial in his home town.
Whilst walking around the cemetery, I came across two further headstones of topical interest, the first tied in with our visit earlier in the day to RAF Ingham, as it was a Polish headstone for D Kulinski, and given that many of us had enjoyed Mike Credland’s talk about the Lincolnshire Yeomanry last week, I was pleased to see this one for 2511 Lance Corporal William Alfred Cantwell who was 36 years old when he died on 15th November 1919. He was the son of Mr AA Cantwell of Market Rasen.
Following a quick late lunch break, we headed into St. Thomas' church and found a very neat tablet war memorial to the men of Market Rasen and a beautiful stained glass window to remember the men from the town who served in the 1939-45 war.
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Melvin Dobbs chimed in this week and comments; 'An old Spilsby school friend of mine goes on weekly walks/rambles with a couple of mates usually circular routes in the Wolds invariably stopping at a pub or two.
He posts these walks on Facebook with various photographs of flora and fauna and anything deemed interesting.
One picture instantly took my attention, a WW1 memorial in a churchyard featuring a real Brodie Helmet. I asked him to tell me where this was and if he could zoom in on the tablet for a clearer read.
This memorial was in an old cemetery, no Church but a Chapel a few hundred yards away now converted into a home. The village is South Reston on the A157 between Louth and Mablethorpe.
For clarity the tablet reads :
In Memoriam this stone is erected by the Parishioners of South Reston to the Honour & Memory of our Brave Boys who lost their lives in this the Greatest of All Wars 1914-1918 and also as a small token of deepest Respect and Love. May their Memory be cherished from Generation to Generation.
(Credit for photo John Wood)
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Peter Garland has recently been away on a Leger Battlefield Tour which included a visit to Cambrai, the scene of the first mass use of tanks by the British in the 14-18 war, when on the 20th November 1917 476 tanks (378 of them fighting tanks) were launched against the German lines.
On this trip, one of Peter’s fellow tourists gave a short talk and Peter writes; ‘I met a woman (and her husband) called Sue Fowler on the Leger "Battles on the Hindenburg Line" tour that Arthur and myself went on last week.
Sue gave a presentation regarding a "Tankie" relative of hers - Percy Jarvis - during our visit to the Cambrai area, including Flesquieres Ridge. I asked her afterwards to forward what she had to me, for onward transmission to you.’
Sue kindly forwarded to Peter a number of short first-hand accounts from Percy Jarvis which I reproduce below, and Percy Jarvis has also been identified in one of the best known Cambrai photographs that exists, being H Battalion tank, Hyacinth, ditched in a trench.
‘GUNNER PERCY THOMAS JARVIS - TANK CORPS 27th October 1897 – 7th April 1985.
Percy was born in Brailes, Warwickshire, a small quiet village close to Shipston on Stour. His father was a harness maker and he was one of four children. He was called up in late 1916 and joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He trained at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight. He wrote numerous letters home and, luckily for our family, they have survived. He wrote that he volunteered for the tanks, which was known as The Heavy Machine Gun Corps. He transferred to Bovington, Dorset, in January 1917 and was given a new regimental number. His letters thanked his family for food and money. He reported that he visited the Wesleyan Chapels wherever he was stationed.
By late 1917, he was in active service. He was not allowed to say where he was but tried constantly to reassure them that he is well. We know that he served in the Battle of Cambrai, as we have the famous photograph of his tank “Hyacinth”. This was the first successful battle using tanks but he was not complimentary towards the officers in charge of his tank as they did not deploy the fascines (the wooden apparatus to help tanks cross the trench).
Percy marked by an arrow.
....and again, Percy wearing the soft cap.
He survived the war and came back in 1919. He contacted Spanish flu and the family nursed him back to health. It must have been so difficult for him to settle after the horror of war and the excitement of working with cutting edge technology of the tanks.
He trained in the family trade as a harness maker and settled in Byfield, Northamptonshire. He married in 1932 and had two daughters, Mary (my mother) and Judy. His wife died in 1946 and he brought up his two girls as a single parent. He had five grandchildren and now there are six great grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren. Quite a legacy for a very special man. Like many others, he did not talk about his experiences during the war. Towards the end of his life, he wrote down some details but we wish that we had asked him more about his military life.
Percy was my grandfather.
Sue Fowler.’
Percy Jarvis - Tank Corps.
In the late 1990’s, our old friend Philippe Gorczynski (Finder and excavator of tank Deborah, which can be seen at Flesquieres) and Jean-Luc Jibot wrote a defining book – Following The Tanks, Cambrai – and this was wonderfully translated into English by Wendy McAdam in 1999.
A copy sits on my book shelves and it reads; ’The primary objective (Blue Line) for H Battalion supported by the infantry of 71st Brigade (6th Division), was well beyond the first Hindenburg system and contained the village of Ribecourt on the left. (It continues)….During the action, three tanks were disabled: Hengist, Hyacinth, stuck in a trench, and Hilda, who met the same fate when crossing the second trench…..’
As you will have read in Sue’s piece above, Percy Jarvis was not complimentary about the officers who failed to deploy the trench crossing aid, the fascine, thus ensuring that Hyacinth ground to a halt.
March 1918, saw the last German ‘roll of the dice’ on the Western Front when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive on the 21st March. Percy Jarvis witnessed this momentous moment and has left us his personal recollection.
Percy Jarvis wrote; ‘PERCY JARVIS EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF 91422 Gnr. P T Jarvis 10 section C Coy 8th Battalion.
In March 1918, after losing all our tanks and being at a loose end, I went to see my Company Commander to get a transfer to the air force, as I heard that they were looking for volunteers. When I got to the Commander’s office, I found that instead of Camp Commanding Officer, it was my Section Commander acting for the major. I stated that I wanted a transfer and his answer was that I should go back and smarten myself and become an NCO first, then I might stand a chance. It seems that they have to be careful who they recommend!
On the 21st March, the Germans started their advance, shelling our huts and taking action so that our own position was not safe and no chance of fighting back. The order was given to pull out. The petrol dump in the wood, which we had built only a few days before and the size of a haystack with 2 gallon cans, had to be burnt after we had as much as we could. We retreated so far and finally went in to action but the tank was knocked out before we saw a German in front of the wood. The fire was put out which had started in the tank, but the tank was disabled in some way. My officer asked me to go with him to find out where we were and for orders. I suppose from his Section CO – the later deputy for the major. After deciding that the men in the distant trench were our own men and not the enemy, we then found our Captain. He informed the officers that this was the front line and the tank was in ‘no man’s land’. He kindly told me the news and asked me if I would go and fetch the men left with the tank. I was not an NCO also not very smart having been riding in a smelly tank or walking behind for several days without much sleep. No wash. No clean shirt. However, I went back and fetched the men, a distance of 3 or 4 hundred yards. By lucky chance, the Germans who were in the wood did not want to give themselves away, so they did not fire at seven men walking away apparently in retreat! The English who waited for us to come in with them, got the order to retire, when we all did this up the rising ground to another wood at the top. The enemy threw everything he had at us. I think that most got through, although it did not seem possible that anyone could live in the hail of bullets and shells.
We, the Tank Corps men, then started marching along a sunken road where we could see troops coming in from the flanks. We marched with the Capt. and Lt. through the night in full retreat doing about 40 kilometres before we were quartered with some army unit or other in comfortable huts, where we slept around the clock. The next day, we set out to find the battalion and were told to keep the facts of the day before, but to say we all left the tank burning. The reason was that we were supposed to blow the tank up so the Germans could not get it, also the Company money had been left in our tank, which the men were not told about. I was more than proud of what I had done but I was not Officer material although I also kept their secret until now. He probably saved my life though. There were a lot of pilots killed towards the end of the war. I think the idea of what an Officer should be has changed since those days.’
Percy’s war was not yet over.
On July 4th 1918, a short 90-minute set piece attack by the Australians (with two companies of American troops embedded with them) at Le Hamel straightened the line, and laid the foundations for the start of the 100 Days Advance to Victory which commenced east of Amiens on August 8th.
This immaculate and well planned attack was heavily supported by British tanks and yet again, on this historic day, Percy Jarvis was in action and has left us a first-hand account.
‘Memory of the battle of Le Hamel - 91422 Gunner Percy Thomas Jarvis.
There does not seem to be very much known about the battle of Le Hamel. It took place on July 4th 1918 in the first world war. Now as it happens, I know quite a lot because I was there. The Americans were there too. It was their first time over the top in that war. The Australians were there too. They somehow seemed to turn up at odd times when the tanks went in to action. By that time of course they were very experienced soldiers and very tough. It was a battle that might have been of the second world war. It was very well planned and there must have been very great efforts made to make it the success it was. The tanks moved out separately in the evening two days before and rested under trees all the next day. That night they moved to the starting point. Our particular place was between the first and second lines. At the times when the tanks were getting in to position, the planes were over doing a bit of strafing. This allowed the line up to be done quite secretly. The big guns were also in position.
The troops then bedded down for the night. There was not much sleep however as the teams were drinking tea laced with rum from the three-gallon vacuum flask. There was no time for the second cup.
The guns opened up pounding away, shaking the ground making speech impossible. Luckily everybody knew what they had to do. There was a creeping barrage down to the village and then pounding away on the village for ten minutes. The tanks followed the barrage and found little to do. The Germans stayed in their cellars until they were fetched out of it by the infantry. The casualties were few and, as far as the operation was concerned, it was a complete success.
One tank commander forgot his instruction and drove in to the barrage when it stopped creeping. The result of this was the tank was disabled by its own gunfire. The crews were not briefed in those days or this would not have happened. The track on one side was broken and the tank came to a halt. Nobody was hurt and there was only one thing to do and that was to get out and walk. The tank men got out their machine guns and moved along the street away from the crossroads where the heaviest shelling was. Their dignity was again shaken when another enthusiastic tank team fired on them, who dived in to the nearest shell hole. This danger passed, they continued down the street. After one or two skirmishes they joined up with some Australians who were busy bombing cellars and taking prisoners.
This finished, they decided to call it a day. The Americans who went over at the same time were so keen they went past their objective and got in to trouble. I understand they had a few casualties through this but not a great many, I think. The team cadged a lift with a tank from another battalion passing field artillery both light and heavy firing away with no doubt great effect.
On getting back to our lines, I enquired why the headquarters men were still in their beds. They answered it was not time yet! The time was somewhere between six thirty and seven a.m. There were one or two incidents which I do not suppose have ever been recorded. The three-gallon vacuum flask of tea, was for ‘C’ company and I am afraid it was left in the damaged tank. Some of the lads had more than their share. Exactly when I did not know but one fellow dropped a box of ammunition and could not pick it up. He was sitting in the middle of the road causing no end of fun for himself and his mates. The officer was very cross but there was not very much he could do about it. It got light that morning until we arrived home when the sun shone and the air was fresh on the fourth of July day.’
Percy certainly had a very full and interesting war and although his recollections were written later in life, they give a wonderful personal view of micro-events that would never appear in a history book. We are indebted to Percy, and to Sue for allowing me to share his story.
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As mentioned at the start, and following Marcus’ report from Adelaide last week, Marcus Dunbar is now in Brisbane, Australia where last week the British and Irish Lions won the first rugby union test match. I publish below a small selection of Marcus’ photos which I hope you find of interest – again, I have chosen a cross section across a range of wars in which Australian servicemen and women participated.
Major General Sir William Glasgow is an interesting and often overlooked Australian commander of the Great War, who made his name on Gallipoli before advancing his reputation on the Western Front alongside General Sir John Monash and Major General Pompey Elliott.
At the war’s end, he was elected to the Australian Senate, served as a Minister and eventually became High commissioner to Canada.
You can read more about him here Major General William Glasgow | Sir John Monash Centre
Thank you Marcus and we look forward to your next despatch from Melbourne.
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I found something a little different for this week’s offering from Colour by CJS.
Second Lieutenants William George McCaig and Martin Joseph Sheehan.
These two young men served together in 13 Squadron RAF and at 5pm on 1st October 1918 they took off in their RE8 aircraft for an operation over the retreating German Army. They did not return and were posted as missing.
Both men had been killed and are buried in Anneux British Cemetery.
In this unique photograph, William who was a pilot is in the observer’s position, and Martin, an observer, is in the pilot’s seat.
William was born in Kirkcaldy, Scotland in 1895. He joined the Royal Flying Corps in March 1918 and was posted to 13 Squadron on 18th September that year. His operational career lasted less than two weeks. He was just 22 years old.
Martin was born in 1896 in Tralee, Ireland, where his father was a Member of Parliament.
He served in the Munster Fusiliers before transferring to the Royal Air Force, and joined 13 Squadron on 8th July 1918, and had already survived being shot down on 31st August 1918.
He too was 22 years old.
Postscript
Martin’s brother Daniel had been shot down and killed in May 1917 serving with 66 Squadron RFC.
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There has been much debate in recent times as to why younger people are not interested in the Great War and will the subject, one day soon, be forgotten?
Personally, I think that 2039 will see six years of centenary events for World War II and that the 14-18 war will take a back seat. There will always be a small cohort of academics and interested individuals who will carry the torch forward but inevitably, WWI remembrance will start to fade from memory as each generation moves further away from 1914.
I remember my grandfather very well, but for my grandchildren he is the great-great grandfather they never knew. Just a face on a postcard.
All we can do, is attempt to sow the seeds in our children and grandchildren so that maybe, when they reach their 40s and 50s, they may find the time and the interest to rekindle the memory of their distant ancestors.
I first met Nadine, our very special Belgian correspondent, through the Great War on line, when she was looking to find out why there were CWGC Great War headstones in her churchyard in Ronse. Having corresponded with her, I discovered that George Woolway and Harry Haslam were both wounded POW's who died of their wounds whilst in German captivity in Ronse.
Therefore, I was delighted this week, to receive from Nadine the photo below, of her granddaughter, Noelle, who has been taken to Ronse churchyard and told the story of George and Harry and their supreme sacrifice for the freedom of Belgium. I see this as the planting of one new small acorn that will hopefully grow and develop into a lifelong desire to remember the men and women of 1914-18.
It is beholden on us all to try and ensure that our youngsters are taught the right message and learn to understand what it meant to fight and die for our future freedom and well being.
It is a lesson well learnt and one that we all need to bestow on our children and grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM - The Lincolnshire Regiment 27th July.
1915
2799 Private Clarence Linnell, 4th Battalion, aged 22. Buried in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Belgium. (Two further brothers, Harold and Ralph enlisted with Clarence in September 1914 and they had consecutive service numbers 2797, 2798 and 2799 – A fourth brother Percy is listed below)
1638 Private Percy Linnell, 4th Battalion, aged 19. Buried with his brother listed above in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Belgium.
1916
1201 Private A Ramsdale, 10th Battalion. Buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, France.
1917
14074 Private W G Hewison, 6th Battalion. Buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Lieutenant George Reginald Toller, 1st Garrison Battalion, aged 46. Buried in Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq.
1918
46381 Private J C Griffin, 16th Battalion ++, aged 29. Buried in Brookwood Cemetery, UK.
238059 Sergeant C Hartley, 7th Battalion, aged 25. Buried in Harponville Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Lieutenant Leonard Sharpe, 3rd Battalion, aged 24. Buried in Cork Military Cemetery Park, Ireland.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
++ Regarding Griffin above in 1918. There wasn’t a 16th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. I believe that the CWGC have confused this with an affiliated unit of the Training Reserve. Further research by me, found that Private Griffin had been renumbered as 16983 and Transferred to the 29th Company of the Labour Corps at the time of his death.
I hope you all have a good week and I look forward to writing again next Sunday.
Until next week
All best wishes
Jonathan
© Jonathan D’Hooghe
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