No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
29/XII/1917: Our snipers hit an enemy sniper in G11b. A second German who ran to his assistance was also hit.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
28.12.1917 BDE RESERVE: Battn relieved 5th SF in ST ELIE RIGHT sector.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
28/XII/1917: Inter-Battalion reliefs during the evening. Nothing to report.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
27/XII/1917: No hostile activity other than usual harassing fire of artillery and TM’s.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
203654 Pte Alfred Harold Ball from Derby died as a prisoner of war aged 21
Alfred was captured with 80916 Pte Percy Hawksworth whilst on sentry duty near HUNT TRENCH on 29th September 1917.
Although the Court of Enquiry believed that German soldiers entered the Lewis Gun Post and captured the two Privates, this was not a view shared by the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Goyer Gilligan, who would later describe the two men as stupid and faint hearted.
However the Red Cross records show that Percy Hawksworth was captured unwounded.
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
26/XI/1917: VERMELLES and PHILOSOPHE were shelled. Artillery otherwise inactive. Nothing else to report.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
24/XII/1917: Two patrols entered German front line during the night. No enemy encountered. Gas bombs discharged at 9am.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
23/XII/1917: Hostile artillery quite inactive. TMs normal. During the evening the enemy shouted across “A Merry Christmas”. He was silenced by rifle and artillery fire.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
Cecil Fisher Barham and Thomas Ashton Lake
2/Lt: LAKE and myself proceeded from No. 7 LOOKOUT round outer edge of LOOKOUT CRATER to point G.12.c.52.82 when we entered enemy’s trench. After examining the right sap we returned and crawled over block in enemy trench on the left of point of entry and crawled along the trench running in the direction of QUARRIES.
At a point about 15 yards along we found enemy trench was in good condition and good repair, also a latrine recently used. Following trench to the right we suddenly came on a German dugout, the entrance facing his own line, and a sentry emerging from dugout at the moment of our arrival.
He turned suddenly and saw us (we were then at a distance of 3 yards from him) and he put up his hands in token of surrender, but apparently altering his mind, he suddenly reached for his rifle, which had bayonet fixed, and attempted to turn on us.
We fired at very close range with our revolvers, the German being apparently hit low, twice in the stomach, and the second time we fired he fell with a hit in the left cheek and fell headlong down the dugout steps.
Immediately after our opening fire two shots were fired at us from the left by enemy behind barricade in trench with wire in front of it, followed by rapid rifle fire and we consequently were unable to follow up our advantage as the shots were very close, we were obliged to retreat hastily, being in a very exposed position and managed to jump into crater and return quickly to our own lines.
Immediately after shooting the German there were shouts on stairway of dugout which apparently contained a good number of the enemy.
We found that trench at point G.12.c.51.86 was completely blocked with barbed wire and handbags, the wire crossing the trench – this was the point the enemy opened fire on us and obliged us to return – his distance from us being 20 to 25 yards. The sap facing LANCER is apparently not used and is in bad condition. We were unable to obtain any information as to identify as we were already heavily fired at
The German was in full equipment as if moving, mess tin strapped to his back with other things.
22.12.1917 St Elie Right: Relieved by 5th Sherwood Foresters and moved to Brigade Support (2 Companies and HQ in PHILOSOPHE and 2 Companies in close support.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
22/XII/1917: Normal artillery and TM activity. 2/Lts LAKE and BARHAM of 6th Sherwood Foresters entered the German front line in G12c during the morning. They found it occupied and shot a German with their revolver but were immediately subjected to heavy rifle fire from behind a block in trench and were forced to leave before obtaining identification.
Inter Battalion reliefs.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
2479/240592 Pte. Tom Westray Garley was killed in action aged 21 whilst attached to the 139th Trench Mortar BatteryTom was a labourer from Disley who enlisted on the 9th October 1914. He arrived in France with 46th Division on 28th February 1915 and was wounded accidentally in the right arm on 8th August 1915 at Zillebeke whilst serving with with “B” Company.
Tom transferred to the 139th TMB in November 1917 and was killed 6 weeks later.
The War Diary of the Battery records one mortar destroyed, Tom killed and 1541/240152 Pte Walter Trevitt Harrison, a colour mixer from Hayfield, wounded.
Walter Harrison’s Service Record records that the gun explosion was accidental.
Tom was the son of Richard and Edith Garley of Lane Head Disley in Cheshire and is now buried in Philosophe British Cemetery in Mazingarbe.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 