10.2.1916 COULONVILLERS: Battalion marched into billets at BEAUMETZ.
10.2.1916 BEAUMETZ: Letter of thanks received by Lt COL GOODMAN (through the Foreign Office) from FRAU ROSER, wife of CAPTAIN ROSER who fell from a German Aeroplane by SANCTUARY WOOD on the 25th July 1915 an was buried by the Battalion, his flight badge having been sent to his widow. See here.
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
9.8.15 Sanctuary Wood: Recapture of trenches at HOOGE by 2nd Battalion on right.
2nd Lieutenant WL Brown joined.
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
Aug 9th. Still in trenches. Violent bombardment of German trenches from 3 a.m. till about 5-30. Then 2nd S.F., D.L.I., E.Yorks, 1st Leics etc. charged & took 3 lines of trenches just on our left, lost by liquid fire. At night had a bilious attack so lay down & had a good sleep. Dull day.
[3289 Pte. G.W. Beardsley, 11 Platoon “C” Company]
Wounded men included:-
| 2040 | Pte | Joseph Adkin | 9.8.15 | GS wound in the back and admitted to RPBG Hospital. Transferred to 1 CD and 46 NMD Base Depot on 14.9.15. Re-joined Battalion on 7.10.15. |
| 2045 | Pte | John Blackburn | 9.8.15 | Wounded in the field and returned to Battalion. |
| 2046 | Pte | Tom Middleton | 9.8.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 2851 | Pte | Edmund Sykes | 9.8.15 | Wounded in the field with C Company. |
| 3059 | Pte | John Firkins | 9.8.15 | Wounded in the field and transferred to England. |
| 980 | Pte | Joseph Huckles | 9.8.15 | GS wound to face and admitted to 10 CCS and 25 General Hospital. Transferred to 46 NMD Base Depot and returned to Battalion on 7.12.15. |
5.8.1915 Sanctuary Wood: Took over A8-12 & B1, B2 from the 5th Battalion. Order of Companies A B C D. Relieved in Maple Copse by 2nd Battalion.
Two men killed during the relief were:-
1776 Pte. John Barber a calico printer from New Mills who killed in action.
2838 Pte. George Birks a miner from Chesterfield who suffered a shrapnel wound and died later that evening at the 28th Casualty Clearing Station.
The wounded men included:-
|
1663 |
Pte | Henry Hodgkinson | 5.8.15 | GS wound in the mouth and admitted to 10 CCS and 23 General Hospital. Transferred to England on 17.8.15. Returned to France on 18.3.16 with the 7th Reinforcement. |
| 18 | Cpl | William Else | 5.8.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 2161 | Pte | Samuel Johnson | 5.8.15 |
Shell wound in the forehead and admitted to 10 CCS and 22 General Hospital. Transferred to 46 NMD Convalescent Depot and returned to Battalion on 6.10.15. |
| 2174 | Pte | John Oxspring | 5.8.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 3437 | Pte | Albert Baguley | 5.8.15 |
Shell wound in the face and admitted to 10 CCS and 22 General Hospital. Transferred to CC and 46 NDM Base Depot. Re-joined unit 7.10.15. |
John Oxspring
Albert Baguley
3.8.1915 Maple Copse: Moved into support relieving 4/Leicester Regiment. B Company in support of 8th Battalion in SANCTUARY WOOD.
Very long bombardment on both sides.
| 2379 | Pte | Fred Bagshaw | 3.8.15 | Wounded in the field. |
| 3020 | Pte | William Fry | 3.8.15 | Bullet wound right forearm and admitted to 22 General Hospital. Returned to Battalion. |
25.7.1915 SANCTUARY WOOD: German aeroplane shot down & observer fell in front of our trenches.
No record in the War Diary [WO/95/2694]
“We spent a further six days in Strong Posts in Sanctuary Wood and Maple Copse, during which an enemy areoplane was brought down in flames. This was claimed by the Archies as a victim, but as the petrol tank was perforated in nine places by bullets their claim was disallowed.
It was an interesting sight for those who saw the event-the first burst of smoke, the observer throwing himself out, falling the greater part of the way like a partly deflated balloon (his trench coat held the air), the bump when he struck the ground, the sweep of the machine as it turned to land in the open by Maple Copse, and the perfect landing, from which it was obvious that the pilot was conscious when the ground was reached. Within a few seconds of landing, three enemy shells burst directly over the plane, evidently intended for an anticipated rush of the curious.
The charred remains of the pilot were removed, when the fire had burned out, and buried, together with the remains of the observer, in the cemetery at the east of the wood. The light machine gun with which the plane was equipped was recovered and is now at Derby.”
[1/5th Sherwood Foresters]
The German aeroplane was an Albatros C-type (armed two-seater reconnaissance aeroplane) from Flieger-Abteilung 3 and crewed by Oberleutnant Alfred Übelacker (Pilot) and Hauptmann Hans Roser (Observer).
The victory was credited to Captain Lanoe Hawker of No. 6 Sqn RFC who was flying in Bristol Scout 1611 (seen above). He’d had an inconclusive fight with another German aeoplane and had also shot down an Albatros C-type earlier that same evening; these were the second and third victories of his eventual tally of seven. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exploits on 25 July.
Major L G Hawker VC was later killed in action in a fight with Manfred von Richthofen on 23 November 1916.
In February they received a letter of thanks from FRAU ROSSER, wife of CAPTAIN ROSER who fell from a German Aeroplane by SANCTUARY WOOD on the 25th July 1915 and was buried by the BATTALION, his flight badge having been sent to his widow.
“The young pilot, from West Germany, who did not even fight went to the front, unknowing. He has been one of too many, his grave still stands between thousands of others.”Maple Copse 18.7.1915: Handed over trenches and 2 Companies (D & B) garrisoned R4, 5 & 6 in support SANCTUARY WOOD – A & C in MAPLE COPSE
War Diary [WO/95/2694]
The Battalion marched into Billets in Beaumetz.
Also on that day they received a letter of thanks from FRAU ROSSER, wife of CAPTAIN ROSER who fell from a German Aeroplane by SANCTUARY WOOD on the 25th July 1915 and was buried by the BATTALION, his flight badge having been sent to his widow.
Hans Roser (Marburg, 29 March 1893 – Ieper, 25 July 1915)
“We spent a further six days in Strong Posts in Sanctuary Wood and Maple Copse, during which an enemy areoplane was brought down in flames. This was claimed by the Archies as a victim, but as the petrol tank was perforated in nine places by bullets their claim was disallowed.
It was an interesting sight for those who saw the event-the first burst of smoke, the observer throwing himself out, falling the greater part of the way like a partly deflated balloon (his trench coat held the air), the bump when he struck the ground, the sweep of the machine as it turned to land in the open by Maple Copse, and the perfect landing, from which it was obvious that the pilot was concious when the ground was reached. Within a few seconds of landing, three enemy shells burst directly over the plane, evidently intended for an anticipated rush of the curious.
The charred remains of the pilot were removed, when the fire had burned out, and buried, together with the remains of the observer, in the cemetery at the east of the wood. The light machine gun with which the plane was equipped was recovered and is now at Derby.”
[1/5th Sherwood Foresters]
—————————–
The German aeroplane was an Albatros C-type (armed two-seater reconnaissance aeroplane) from Flieger-Abteilung 3 and crewed by Oberleutnant Alfred Übelacker (Pilot) and Hauptmann Hans Roser (Observer).
The victory was credited to Captain Lanoe Hawker of No. 6 Sqn RFC who was flying in Bristol Scout 1611 (seen above). He’d had an inconclusive fight with another German aeoplane and had also shot down an Albatros C-type earlier that same evening; these were the second and third victories of his eventual tally of seven. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exploits on 25 July.
Major L G Hawker VC was later killed in action in a fight with Manfred von Richthofen on 23 November 1916.
Derbyshire Territorials in the Great War 