Some Desperate Glory

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by geoff501, Mar 19, 2010.

  1. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    March 13
    We started at once to pull away the wreckage at the entrance and had just come to Sergeant Phillips, when Jerry started his 'blue pigeon' strafe. Amidst their flashes and crumps we pulled him out and laid him behind the parapet.....As we worked down the sides, we realized (in the darkness) that the beams and sides were splashed with blood and flesh. The stench of lydite and fresh blood was ghastly and the foulness of our groping in the dark cannot be described....Of Corporal Everett we found no trace; he must have been struck by the shell and blows to atoms. Bennett was badly shattered and most of his head was gone.

    March 14
    It was early morning when we got them all out....As we left the cellar and climbed out on to the top I was forced to pause and moralize, gazing over the vaguely visible line of trench; to think of the mad fate which dragged simple, kind-hearted men into these nights of terror and destruction. Mostly my mind was occupied with the third Bennett who was by now waiting at our transport lines. I pictured him returning with messages from home for his two brothers, and the terrible shock it would be when he found that both were dead. From where I stood I could faintly see the roughness of the ground which marked where they were lying a hundred yards apart.

    NOTE: Bennett is commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial, and not Everitt. Either the diarist was mistaken, or the burial was recorded in error...
     
  2. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    May 4th
    ...Going into Radcliffe's room, I whispered to him to come and help me find Marshall - a boy of 19 due for leave in a few days. Trekking back to HQ we found him lying by the side of the road. I picked him up in my arms and started back. After a few moments he woke up and started whimpering; I told him that he was alright and, recognizing my voice, he cried and begged me not to stop his leave. On the way back I had to assure him repeatedly that I would forgive him and not have him court-martialled...

    May 5th
    ...Marshall came out and stood silent and hesitating. As I took no notice of him, he started working beside me then stood up and said, 'Mister Vaughan, give me a 'it over the 'ead with that 'ere shovel. Sir.' I said, 'Certainly Marshall, if it will please you, but why?'
    ' 'Cause I'm ashamed of meself, Sir. I ain't never been like that before, and me muvver 'ld break 'er 'eart if she knew. It was the shampain what got me down, it's the first time I've 'ad any.'
    Then followed a long expression of penitence and thanks for my looking after him, which I terminated by repeating Willis's lecture on the evils of drink and gave him my pardon.
    [Battalion officers dined together at HQ on 4th and several men, including Marshall, were sent up as servants]


    From CWGC:

    Name: MARSHALL, ARTHUR SAM
    Initials: A S
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Private
    Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment
    Unit Text: 1st/8th Bn.
    Age: 19
    Date of Death: 27/08/1917
    Service No: 306184
    Additional information: Son of Arthur and Maria Elizabeth Marshall, of 54, Reach St., Birmingham.
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 23 to 28 and 163A.
    Memorial: TYNE COT MEMORIAL
     
  3. soren1941

    soren1941 Living in Ypres

    I have just met a relative of

    Name:HANCOCK, RALPH LONGHURSTInitials:R LNationality:United KingdomRank:LieutenantRegiment/Service:Worcestershire RegimentUnit Text:8th Bn.Age:24Date of Death:27/08/1917Additional information:Son of Sardius and Mary Jane Hancock, of Glenfield, Malvern: husband of Ada Dorothy Hancock, of 18, Church Rd., Malvern, Worcs.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Panel 75 to 77.Memorial:TYNE COT MEMORIAL

    He is on a Leger tour with Keith, would you know where I could find the war diary for his date of death??
     
  4. soren1941

    soren1941 Living in Ypres

    He had a brother

    Name:HANCOCK, WILFRED JOHNInitials:W JNationality:United KingdomRank:RiflemanRegiment/Service:King's Royal Rifle CorpsUnit Text:11th Bn.Age:21Date of Death:03/09/1916Service No:R/17405Additional information:Son of Sardius and Mary Hancock, of I, Glenfield, Newtown, Mallvern, Worcs.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B.Memorial:THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
     
  5. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    I have just met a relative of

    Name:HANCOCK, RALPH LONGHURSTInitials:R LNationality:United KingdomRank:LieutenantRegiment/Service:Worcestershire RegimentUnit Text:8th Bn.Age:24Date of Death:27/08/1917Additional information:Son of Sardius and Mary Jane Hancock, of Glenfield, Malvern: husband of Ada Dorothy Hancock, of 18, Church Rd., Malvern, Worcs.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Panel 75 to 77.Memorial:TYNE COT MEMORIAL

    He is on a Leger tour with Keith, would you know where I could find the war diary for his date of death??

    I don't have any diaries for the 8th Worcesters and I've tried to check if it is available on line but the NA site is not opening for me. Only a selected few are on line, otherwise if it exists they will need to get from NA.
    I do have Captain Stacke's history of the Worcesters, which is quite detailed, based on the diaries. Lt. Longhurst is given in this as one of 8 officers killed that day (it says he's from the 2nd/8th). I can let you have some relevant pages from this, in PDF, if you PM me an email.
    I have the 8th Warwicks diary for this time, Ypres, August 1917.

    Cheers,

    geoff
     
  6. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    It just opened up. The 2/8th diary is here:

    The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details

    There will be hundreds of pages for 3.50 for these second line battalions in the brigade diary. Can't find anything for the 1st/8th in the search.
    The 1st/7th, 2nd/7th, 1st/8th and 2nd/8th were involved in the attack.
     
  7. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    I've just tried to get on the the Malvern Remembers website. Looks like it has gone, the domain is suspended and has not been renewed, however you can get to the details on Lt Hancock from here:

    Malvern's War Memorial 1914 - 1919

    Another good website gone?
    EDIT: Looks like it was last update 2008
     
  8. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    April 15th
    Sunday. At one o'clock a.m., as we waited for the first signs of a Boche counter-attack, we heard troops behind us, and learnt with delirious joy that it was the 10th Lancs who had been sent up to relieve us. Eagerly we handed over and made off down the ravine to the cutting. As I passed through the wire, I stopped to free a young dying bugler-boy who had been caught and shot through the throat. I handed him over to the stretcher-bearers who were now busy amongst the wounded. who lay shrieking and groaning on all sides.

    (the 1/8th Warwicks were in the Saulcort - Longavesnes region at this time)

    From CWGC:

    MAIDMENT, CLIFFORD
    Rank: Bugler
    Service No: 200398
    Date of Death 19/04/1917
    Age: 21
    Regiment/Service; Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
    1st/4th Bn.
    Grave Reference: II. C. 31.
    Cemetery: TEMPLEUX-LE-GUERARD BRITISH CEMETERY
    Additional Information: Son of Charles Walter and Kate Maidment, of 43 Gravel Hill, Henley-on-Thames. Born at Henley-on-Thames.

    Bugler Maidment's original burial was at 62c F 22a 10 36, in a grave marked with a cross, a few km from where the 1/8th were. He was reburied in 1919
     
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  9. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    March 16
    'Ye'll perhaps know Mr Harcourt of the 6th Warwicks, Sir? Well he's bought it.They went over on our right at the same time and he went down into a dugout, but as soon as he put his hand on the hand rail, the two bottom steps blew up, and took both his legs off. He died before they could get him away.' Poor old Harcourt, he was bound for a Blighty in a couple of days, though from what I saw of him he is booked for the best of Blighties.

    (The 4th Gloucesters and Warwicks had walked into deserted German trenches (first to third line) in which had been left booby traps)

    From CWGC

    HARCOURT, HOWARD LESLIE
    Rank: Second Lieutenant
    Date of Death: 18/03/1917
    Age: 26
    Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment "A" Coy. 5th Bn.
    Grave Reference: II. F. 46.
    Cemetery: BRAY MILITARY CEMETERY
    Additional Information: Son of John Thomas and Ann Maria Harcourt, of Diep River, Cape Town, South Africa. Native of Birmingham, England.
     
  10. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    April 3
    Then we walked round the village, and found that last night a mine blew up at the crossroads and killed the padre of the 10th Manchesters who was in my old billet in the chicken run.

    I can only find two Chaplains for this time period and area. Rev. Matthew Forster BURDESS (18/4/1917) (Attd. Gloucester Regiment) buried at Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery and Rev. Charles Benjamin PLUMMER (12/3/1917) (ACD) buried at Carnoy Military Cemetery.
     
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  11. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    5 News's Andy Bell retraces his grandfather's steps on the First World War battlefields
    Andy Bell only knows his grandfather from the compelling diary he kept during the war. But when he returned to the killing fields where Edwin Vaughan suffered so much, his ancestor came to life

    "We do not have any memory of my grandfather. He died when my mother was two years old. We have some letters, some photographs and the diary.
    The diary is a large hardback army ledger, with GR for George V stamped on the front. In its pages, Edwin Vaughan wrote up the notes that he kept during eight months on the Western Front in 1917...."

    Read More:


    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/5-newss-andy-bell-retraces-his-grandfathers-steps-on-the-first-world-war-battlefields-9641275.html
     
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