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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OCTOBER 1916. IN THE LINE NEAR THE VILLAGE OF FLERS.
21st OCTOBER.
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4201 L/Cpl Snow John, H. Old Fleeton Peterborough. Enlisted at Northallerton, N Yorks. Died of wounds. Age 36. Buried at Netley [Hospital near Southampton] Military Cemetery.
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22nd OCTOBER. The Btn continued training and on this day marched to Mametz Wood where they relieved 5th Borders in Camp. Next day the whole Btn worked on roads.
24th OCTOBER. The Btn took over Prue and Starfish trench from the 12th Btn Royal Scots.
25th OCTOBER. The whole relief was very hurried and no notice was given until the order to move.
No one had been round the line. The weather was very wet and the mud appalling. 11 other ranks were wounded. |
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The 7.92 mm Mauser was standard issue to the German Army.
It had a 5 cartridge magazine, each one having to be loaded by a manual bolt mechanism.
An optical sight could be fitted, which in the hands of an expert sniper turned it into a deadly weapon for anyone in the opposing trenches careless enough to put his head above the parapet.
The Short Magazine Lee Enfield, 0.303 in, was standard issue to the British troops.
It had a 10 cartridge magazine with a spring mechanism which put the next round in position for manual reloading. A well-trained Infantryman marksman could fire 15 killer shots in less than a minute.
When the Germans were first on the receiving end, it is said, they mistakenly thought that they were facing multiple machine guns.
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Lt W.L Batty and 2nd Lt J.B. Hudson were killed.
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3110 Pte Blenkey John. Home at - 7 Oldham St, Lingdale, N Yorks, place of birth. Enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland, N Yorks. Killed in action. Age 24. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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7513 Pte Carey Roy. Home at Guisborough, N Yorks. Died of wounds. Buried at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension.
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4019 Pte Martin William. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Killed in action. Buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery.
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26th OCTOBER. Reinforcements received - 2nd Lts W.L. James. R Edwards. G.R. Cole. M.M. Thomas. H. Laxton. R. Campbell. G.F. Dell. H. Lawrence. And Capt C. Sproxton rejoined.
27th OCTOBER. Considerable shelling of forward areas. 5 other ranks were wounded. |
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German Artillery battery on receiving end.
[Picture courtesy of - "The Heritage of the Great War".]
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2nd Lt A. Coates was killed.
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28th to 31st OCTOBER. The Btn was relieved by the 6th Yorks and came to the High Wood area where there was no accommodation.
Weather extremely bad and no shelter for troops at all.
Diary is signed off by Major B.H. Charlton.
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3183 Pte Taylor Henry, Paul, Laing. Home at Skelton in Cleveland and enlisted at Boosbeck, N Yorks. Died of wounds. Buried at Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension.
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[1st NOVEMBER. The Btn relieved 4th East Yorks in forward area.
2nd NOVEMBER.
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2618 CSM Barker Henry. Home at New Marske, N Yorks. Enlisted at Skelton in Cleveland, N Yorks. Killed in action. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial. Awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
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6218 Pte Underwood George, William. Enlisted at Oundle, Northants. Killed in action. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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3rd NOVEMBER. Btn moved forward from High Wood to Flers Line and Flers Support. |
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Trench Foot.
Many soldiers, particularly in the early part of the War developed this condition through standing for hours in water and mud.
The feet become numb and in bad cases start to rot with infection and become gangrenous. The only cure for this was amputation.
Covering the feet in grease and frequent changes of socks were found to be preventative measures.
Hence the concern here by the Btn for socks to be brought up with the rations.
The heavy rains had made these trenches very bad - owing to undercutting the sides had fallen in.
Mud and water were from a foot to six inches deep. Very little shelling except at a Battery of Field Guns immediately behind Flers line, which the Diary complains was directing shell fire at the men in the Trenches.
7th NOVEMBER. Moved forward to relieve 4th East Yorks in Front Line. HQ at Hexham Rd.
The condition of Pioneer Alley was very bad.
Mud was very deep and enemy's shell fire on the Alley was very accurate and repeatedly blew it in. It was extremely difficult to get hot food and dry socks up to the Front line.
Cooking was done at HQ and sent up at 6 p.m and 5 a.m.
Socks came up with rations.
Enemy's sniping was very brisk until a Lewis Gun was run forward into a shell hole to sweep the front at intervals. This proved effective.
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4358 Pte Fish Herbert. Home at N Ormesby, Middlesbrough, N Yorks, town of enlistment. Killed in action. Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
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6211 Pte Hardwick Arthur William Home at 48 Artizan Rd, Northampton, town of birth and enlistment. Died 161107 20 Allonville Communal Cemetery. Ex Northants Regt.
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10th NOVEMBER. The Btn were relieved by the 4th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers and moved back to Mametz Wood, where they stayed until the 13th. More working parties. A bath for all ranks under Regimental arrangements at the Transport lines. |
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