Home. Origins of the Battalion.
Page 1. Start of the First World War.
Page 2. To the Ypres Salient.
Page 3. Ypres. The Battle of St Julien.
Page 4. April 1915. Ypres. Gas.
Page 5. Battle of St Julien losses.
Page 6. New Division Name.
Page 7. The Battle of Bellewaarde.
Page 8. Bellewaarde Losses. Sanctuary Wood.
Page 9. Neuve Eglise, Kemmel Sector.
Page 10. August 1915. To Armentieres.
Page 11. Sep/Oct 1915. Armentieres.
Page 12. October 1915. Armentieres.
Page 13. Oct/Nov 1915. Armentieres.
Page 14. Nov/Dec 1915. To Merris.
Page 15. Back to the Ypres Salient.
Page 16. Jan 1916. Armagh Wood.
Page 17. Feb 1916. Hill 60.
Page 18. Mine Explosion.
Page 19. Feb 1916. Ypres. Hill 60.
Page 20. Armagh Wood. CO Killed.
Page 21. Mar/Apr 1916. Kemmel.
Page 22. Apr/May 1916. Fletre. Kemmel.
Page 23. June 1916. Friendly Fire Kemmel.
Page 24. Jun/Jul 1916. Kemmel.
Page 25. July 1916. Kemmel.
Page 26. Aug 1916. To the Somme.
Page 27. Battle of Flers Courcelette.
Page 28. Sep 1916. Flers-Courcelette.
Page 29. The Thiepval Memorial.
Page 30. Flers-Courcelette. Losses.
Page 31. Flers-Courcelette. Attack repelled.
Page 32.Training. Martinpuich.
Page 33. In the Line near Flers.
Page 34. Nov 1916. Martinpuich. Flers.
Page 35. Flers. To Belloy.
Page 36. Feb/Mar 1917. Belloy.
Page 37. April 1917. To Arras.
Page 38. Capt D.P. Hirsch. V.C.
Page 39. The Arras Memorial.
Page 40. The Arras Memorial.
Page 41. Arras Burial Sites.
Page 42. Arras. Famechon.
Page 43. May 1917. Famechon. Bayencourt.
Page 44. June 1917 Back in the Line. Arras.
Page 45. Sep 1917. Arras. Wancourt.
Page 46. Oct 1917. Back to Ypres.
Page 47. Nov 1917. Passchendaele.
Page 48. Jan 1918. Ypres.
Page 49. Feb 1918. Last of Ypres.
Page 50. The Battle of St Quentin.
Page 51. German Offensive. Michael.
Page 52. German Advance. Pozieres Memorial.
Page 53. Losses on both sides.
Page 54. From the Somme to the Lys.
Page 55. April 1918. Battle of Estaires.
Page 56. Ploegsteert Memorial.
Page 57. From the Lys to the Aisne.
Page 58. German Offensive. Blucher-Yorck.
Page 59. May 1918. 150th Brigade decimated.
Page 60. End of the 4th Yorks.
Page 61. Last Weeks of War.
Page 62. Prisoners of War.
Page 63. Prisoners of War.
Page 64. Prisoners of War.
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DECEMBER/JANUARY 1916. YPRES. ARMAGH WOOD.
27th DECEMBER.
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23945 Pte Cole Sanderson. Home at Church St, Staithes, N Yorks, place of birth. Enlisted at Middlesbrough. Died at home. Age 22. Buried at Hinderwell Cemetery, N Yorks.
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Relieved 5th Bn DLI in Trenches A3 - A6 Armagh Wood.
28th DECEMBER. Heavy shelling by the enemy. Result nil.
29th DECEMBER.
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496 Pte Clarkson Harry. Born South Bank, Middlesbrough and enlisted at Redcar N Yorks. Killed in action. Buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery.
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3807 Pte Rafferty James. Home at Carlin How N Yorks. Enlisted at Saltburn, N Yorks. Killed in action. Buried at Maple Copse Cemetery
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The enemy's Artillery were rowdy most of the day.
A squadron of 12 of our aeroplanes came over the German lines in front of the trenches, where they manouevred for half an hour.
30th DECEMBER. 2nd Lt J.S Bainbridge was wounded while out with a [barbed] wiring party. |
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Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery.
Situated about 5k West of Ypres.
Two 4th Yorks Battalion men are buried here.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".]
31st DECEMBER. The Bn was relieved in the trenches by 5th DLI and marched to Dickebusch Huts in Divisional Reserve position.
The Bn's fighting strength was 20 Officers and 732 other ranks.
The Diary is signed off by C.O, Major L.A, Barrett.
1st JANUARY. The day was spent quietly and in endeavouring to remove mud. The ground round the huts was in an appalling condition.
3rd JANUARY. Lt Col M H L Bell informed the officers of the Bn that he had been found medically unifit and had to go to Hospital.
1st JANUARY. The Bn went to the same trenches in Armagh Wood under the command of Major H G Scott.
A "long weary march in the rain" to relieve 5th DLI. The 4th East Yorks were on the right and the 6th DLI on the left.
6th JANUARY. Quiet until 4 p.m on this day when the Bn's trenches camin in for a good deal of shelling from the enemy. The Divisions 18 pounders responded to good effect. No casualties but the trenches had a good deal of damage.
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Maple Copse Cemetery.
Situated East of Ypres and just West of Sanctuary Wood the area was used as an advance Field Ambulance station.
Most of the burials were destroyed by later enemy shelling and the Cemetery re-established after the War by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Six men of the 4th Yorks Bn are buried here.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".]
8th JANUARY. Quiet until Divisional Artillery opened up in the morning and afternoon. The Germans replied by "Wizz Banging" trenches A5. A6 and communication trenches.
The Bn were relieved at night and marched to the Railway Dugouts, Transport Farm and St James' Dugouts.
9th JANUARY. A fine day with considerable artillery activity in the area of Railway Dugouts, which were slightly shelled by shrapnel. The Bn had two slight casualties.
The whole Bn was out at night and for the next two working under the Royal Engineers. |
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German 77 millimetre Field Gun after being shelled itself.
It was this gun that fired the shells that the Allied troops called "Wizz-Bangs".
[Picture courtesy of - "Photos of The Great War".]
12th JANUARY.
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25188 Pte Handley Henry. Born and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died at home. Age 35. Buried at North Ormesby (St Josephs) Roman Catholic Cemetery, Middlesbrough.
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The Bn relieved 5th DLI in Armagh Wood.
14th JANUARY. The Bn had a relatively quiet time in the trenches and on this day the following Orders and decorations were announced in the London Gazette:-
Distinguished Service Order to Capt [Temp Major] B. Jackson.
Military Cross to Capt B H Charlton and Lt [Temp Capt] T S Rowlandson.
Distinguished Conduct Medal to Company Sergeant Major J F Myers, Pte E Brondley and Company Sergeant Major D Burns, who was attached to the 50th Division Cyclists. |
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