Author Archives: mikebriggs1910

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About mikebriggs1910

I'm not a Historian by profession - merely an (over) enthusiastic amateur. By day I'm a Professor of Genetics at Newcastle University with a translation research interest in rare bone diseases. At weekends I can be classified as a Yorkshire Cricket & Psychedelic Rock fan, but mostly I'm just on the Fells (or in the pub - when they were open!).

On evening 4th November 1917 – raid by 1/6th Battalion

raid-4-nov-1917

For the full story see here

h32-and-h33-nov-19174/5.11.1917 HILL 70: Four Officers and 125 Other Ranks raided the enemy trenches capturing 3 prisoners and inflicting severe casualties in the enemy.

military_medal_obverseMilitary Medals to CPL SIMMONS, SGT HELLIWELL and PTE NADIN in connection with the operation.

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


4/XI/17: Raid carried out by “B” and “C” Companies 6th Sherwood Foresters at 8.40 PM under Capt GKK MAUGHAN. The detail of this is fully dealt with in the attached report (Appendix II). The extreme darkness of the night was found to be a serious hinderance to the operation, but not withstanding this, 3 prisoners were brought back to our lines. The enemy, when encountered at close quarters, surrendered without fighting. Hostile barrage was heavy, but came down very late and was chiefly behind our front line.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

Poppy

Men killed on the raid and buried in Philosophe British Cemetery in Mazingarbe

2496/240604 L/Sergeant John Edward Stevenson aged 31 and son of Edward and Mary Stevenson of 6 Smiths Yard, Union St., Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

2238/242626 Pte Royal Murray aged 36 and the adopted son of the late Mrs A Lineker. Previously served with the 1/8th Battalion.


Died of wounds

242507 L/Cpl Harrop Wycliffe Bingham from Tibshelf and buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery.


Missing in action

3797/241224 Pte George Harry Barber Simpson aged 26 and the son of George Goddard Simpson and Annie Simpson, of “Stoneleigh,” Hayfield Rd. in Chapel-en-Le-Frith. George was wounded during the raid and died of his wounds in a German Field Hospital; He was a Postman from Chapel.

3074/240880 Pte William Henry Brailsford was born in 1892 and was a resident of Clay Cross. He was a collier by trade and enlisted into the 2/6th Battalion in October 1914. He arrived in France on the 11th June 1916 as part of the 11th Reinforcement to the 1/6th Battalion.

2106/240416 Pte Charles Louis Metcalfe aged 20 and the son of Mrs A Metcalfe of 3 Werneth Avenue, Hyde, Cheshire.

1832/240291 Sergeant Moses Salt aged 20 and the son of Mr and Mrs Daniel Salt of Spring Bank, Peakdale, Derbyshire.

4499/241542 Pte Charles Albert Ormerod from Macclesfield.


Addendumh27-nov-1917-simpson

simpson-reburialGeorge Simpson’s body was later recovered from a grave behind the German front line along with the bodies of three other British Soldiers. The Germans initial mis-recored him as serving with the 5th Reserve Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters (which he may have done whilst in England).

It is interesting to speculate that the 3 unknown soldiers are our missing 1/6th Battalion men

On this day 3rd November 1917

3.11.1917 HILL 70: Battalion relieved by 5th Sherwood Foresters and moved into Brigade Reserve.

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


3/XI/17: Inter-Battalion reliefs carried out during evening quite day.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

On this day 2nd November 1917

No record in the 1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


2/XI/17: Hostile artillery and TM’s considerably more active than usual owing to destructive shoot on HERCULES Trench in H32b, which was carried out my our artillery.hercules-trench-h32

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

On this day 1st November 1917

november-1917-raids1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


1/X/17: Hostile artillery and TMs exceptionally quite, except for slight wing bomb activity. Movement of small parties behind enemy lines was above normal during the day.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

On Halloween 1917

31.10.1917: 2/Lts TA LAKE and CF BARHAM  joined Battn for dutybarham and lake

Cecil Fisher Barham and Thomas Ashton Lake

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


31/X/17: Hostile Artillery less active. A successful daylight raid by Brigade on our left established the fact that the 213th RIR or 98th RIR of 207th Division are opposite us.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

55th Trench Duty: 28th October – 3rd November 1917

28:10.1917 HILL 70: Relieved 1/5th Battalion in the line.

Captain Joseph Tolson died of wounds.

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


28/X/17: Usual artillery activity. No gas bombs fired owing to conditions being unfavourable. Inter-Battalion relief at night.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]

On this day 27th October 1917

27.10.1917: Lt Col BW VANN MC rejoined from leave and resumed Command of Battalion.Vann

Bernard William Vann

1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]


27/X/17: Usual artillery activity. We prepared 4″ Stokes Mortars for firing gas bombs on first favourable night.

139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]


2/Lt Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr of the 1/8th Battalion killed in action aged 28

DCF 1.0

Son of Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr and Fanny Margaret Hofmeyr. Born at Cape Town in South Africa