12.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Battalion Transport inspected by GOC Division.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 12th July 1917
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On this day 11th July 1917
11.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Major AJ HOPKINS proceeded to 46th Divisional Depot Battalion.
Arthur John Hopkins
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 9th July 1917
9.7.1917 FREVILLERS: 2/Lieut HW HIGHAM proceeded to join FRC as Observer on probation.
Harold Woolf Higham
2/Lieuts A COATES, RW OAKLEY and HG SHENTON joined Battalion from England.
Herbert George Shenton
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 8th July 1917
8.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Battalion inspected by GOC Division.
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 6th July 1917
6.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Capt J TOLSON proceeded on 1 month’s leave. Lieut BE JOHNSON proceeded on short leave. 2/Lieut KH BOND assumed Command of Letter “B” Company.
Joseph Tolson and Brian Eccles Johnson
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 5th July 1917
5.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Major AJ HOPKINS and 2/Lieut KH BOND MC joined Battalion from England.
Arthur John Hopkins and Kenneth Hills Bond
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
On this day 4th July 1917
Night 3/4th July 1917: Battalion moved by bus from BULLY to FREVILLERS.
4.7.1917 FREVILLERS: Capt VO Robinson MC rejoinded from 1 months leave and assumed Command of Letter “A” Company.
Victor Owen Robinson
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
4th June: Bde Headquarters moved to VILLERS BRULIN.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
On this day 3rd July 1917
3.7.1917 TRENCHES: Battalion relieved by 31st Canadian Battalion.
Casualties during whole tour :- 2 OR Killed, 11 OR wounded (in addition to 1st July).
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
July 3rd: Line held by 139 Brigade.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
2684/240688 Pte George William Slater was killed in action aged 24. George was the Son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Slater of bank side in Youlgrave. George enlisted in October 1914 and arrived in France in June 1915.
4349/241469 Pte Albert Bacon suffered a gun shot wound in the left shoulder and returned to England. Albert enlisted in July 1915 and arrived in France with the 7th Reinforcement in March 1916. Prior to enlisting he was a labourer from Youlgrave.
2982/240831 Pte Percy Carter suffered a severe gun shot wound in left toe and transferred to England. Percy was a fitter and turner from Chesterfield and enlisted in October 1914. He originally arrived in France in February 1915 and returned again in February 1918 where he served in the Army Service Corps.
1803/240273 Pte Charles Bunting suffered a gun shot wound in the abdomen and died in the 7th Casualty Clearing Station. Charles was a pre-War Territorial who served in “E” and arrived in France in February 1915. Charles had previously been wounded in August 1915.
On this day 2nd July 1917
2.7.1917 FOSSE 10, SAINS en GOHELLE: 2/Lt HT WOOD joined Battalion from England.
Henry Thorley Wood
1/6th Battalion War Diary [WO/95/2694]
July 2nd: Redistribution after attack.
139 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters War Diary [WO95/2692]
Joseph William Jeffcoate and the lost graves of Lens
On the 1st July 1917 the 1/5th Battalion attack the German forward positions at N13 (white circles). See report here Pages from WO-95-2693-2
Map showing the area of attack by the 1/5th Battalion (white circles) and the locations of the four bodies identified after the War
What remains a mystery is why the bodies of Alfred Burnett, Frank Praill and Joseph Jeffcoate were found so far from the area of attack by the 1/5th Battalion.
Forty six men of the 1/5th Battalion were killed on the 1st July 1917 although many of these were originally posted as missing.
The graves of only four men are now known and these were recovered during the battlefield clearances of the 1920s
201347 Pte Joseph William Jeffcoate
Joseph was originally posted missing after the 1st July 1917, but his widow was not awarded a pension until February 1918.
Joseph’s body was discovered at M6b in 1922-23 and identified by his disc and name on cross. He is now buried in Loss British Cemetery.
203506 Sergeant Arthur Edward Trenam aged 26
Arthur was recorded as killed in action on the 1st July and his body was later exhumed from N.13.c.6.5. close to where the 1/5th Battalion originally attacked.
203475 L/Cpl Alfred William Burnett aged 29
Alfred was originally posted missing after the 1st July 1917 but his body was later exhumed in 1919 and he was reburied in MAROC British Cemetery.
Alfred’s sister later wrote to the War Office complaining about them sending blood stained possessions belonging to her brother (see below).
202191 Pte Frank Praill
Frank was originally posted missing after the 1st July 1917 but his body was later exhumed in 1919 and identified by his spoon. He was now reburied in Loos British Cemetery.
For more information on Frank see here
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 