Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,500 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 6 trips to carry that many people.

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On the 29th of April 1918 the Germans were hoping to make the most of their capture of Mount Kemmel. The 2nd South Lancs were ordered to capture a vital position halfway between Kemmel and La Clytte but as they advanced they discovered that supporting units on their flanks had not moved forward. This caused the Lancs to retire to their starting point. The next day they attacked again and once again their prmised support had not arrived. Being raked mercilessly with machine gun fire the Lancs,by now angry and disappointed, were again forced to withdraw. As their regimental history recorded “Needless to say this second relinquishment of an objective twice taken successfully on the same day caused much heart-burning, which was only appeased in some degree by a message from the Divisional Commander which read as follows “GOC Division deepply sympathises with you in your bad luck and thinks you did magnificently. He has arranged that artillery barrage remains 300 yards beyond your objective to enable you to get in your wounded.” The 2nd South Lancashires managed this but unfortunately their dead had to be left behind. Onf of them was 2O year old Richard Guest, now remembered on  Panel 92 & 93 and 162A of the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Unexploded ordnance in Flanders, June 2011

Ernest Henry Fortescue Abbott

Commissioned into the 4th Bn, The Sherwood Foresters in October 1915, Ernest Abbott was attached to the 2nd Bn shortly afterwards. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions at Ginchy in September 1916. Following a promotion to Lieutenant in July 1917 he was transferred to the 9th Bn and wounded on the 7th of October 1917. He went back to the 2nd Bn after promotion to Captain on 18th April 1918, while they were serving at Ypres. He led a succesful rain on German trenches near Dickebush on the 9th of July 1918. All the occupants of an enemy trench were killed and a machine gun captured but tragically Capt Abbott MC was killed while carrying the machine gun back to British lines. He was never found and his name is commemorated on Panels 99 to 102 and 162 – 162A of the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Ernest Gays

Ernie Gays hailed from Leicester and was a member of his local cycling club. It was natural that he should join the Cyclist Corps, and in 1917 on the Ypres Salient this band of fit young men were employed in supply working parties. His close friend Jim Smith takes up the story: ” We were billeted in Spoilbank Tunnels – a terrible place,damp and full of gas. We were up on Hill 60 digging cable trenches for the Royal Engineers and the Jerries were shelling hard. It was only when we got back to base I learnt that Ernie had gone. He was my best pal and I felt very bad about it, but it was worse the next night when the sergeant detailed me to “bury Gays”. In those awful conditions you got very callous, but when its your best pal it really got through to you.” His pals buried Ernie on the edge of the big crater on Hill 60 and drew a sketch of the exact spot but afterwards he could never be found. Ernest Gays is now remembered on Panel 154 of the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Unexploded shell near Bellewaerde. June 2011

Cyril Joseph Glanville Livesey

In early January 1918 the Middlesex Regt relieved the Royal Irish Rifles to the north of Passchendaele. Cyril Livesey was sent forward to try and locate the German positions but as he was making his way across the muddy wasteland he was shot.

Private W Tabor and Company Sergeant Major J Ayres volunteered to recover Livesy’s body the following night.They did find the body and dragged it through mud,barbed wire and enemy fire until they were only 10 yards from the British lines. However Tabor was suffering from broken ribs sustained through an earlier fall and they were unable to do any more.

Pte Tabor was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and CSM Ayres the Divisional Commander’s Parchment Certificate for their efforts. Unfortunately 23 year old Cyril Joseph Glanville Livesey was never found and his name is now listed on Panel 113 to 115 of The Tyne Cot Memorial.

Peter De Jersey

The Royal Guernsey was originally formed for the defence of the Channel Islands but such were British and Commonwealth losses that even home defence units had to be sent to the front. The Guernsey’s found themselves in the Ypres Salient from January 1918 and while serving with the 29th Division they lost 149. Among them was Peter De Jersey and he is remembered on Panel 161 of The Tyne Cot Memorial.

Archie Stocks

The Yorks and Lancs raided the German trenches in the Judge Cross Roads sector near Polygon Wood on the night of 25th March 1918; they achieved complete surprise and captured 4 Germans and 2 machine guns. Several Germans were killed while the raiding party lost Lt Warburton and 7 men wounded.

It was not until the nest day when the battalion withdrew from the line that it was noticed that Lt Warburton’s servant,Archie Stocks was missing.Not part of the nominal roll for the raiding party he observed it from a nearby shell crater and must have decided that his place was with his officer. He ventured out into No Man’s Land but was never seen again. He is listed on Panels 125 – 128 of The Tyne Cot Memorial.

This scene was not repeated the whole length of the front though. 5 miles away, near Spanbroekmolen, the 3rd Worcesters were holding the line and recorded  that “casual sniping continued as usual throughout the day. One of those killed was Joseph Stanley and his name can be found on Panel 34 of The Menin Gate Memorial.

The Menin Gate Memorial, June 2009

The Menin Gate Memorial, August 2009.

Michael John William McCann

As his regiment endured the hellish worst of a Flemish winter in positions near Wulverghem, Michael McCann was wounded by a sniper on the 19th of December 1914 and died the next day.

His name is listed on Panel 5 of The Menin Gate Memorial.

Henry William Springett

On the 21st of November 1914 the Germans opened a heavy bombardment on the positions held by 1st DCLI opposite Messines Ridge. Henry Springett, a native of  Bodmin, was hit by sharpnel and died where he lay.

He is commemorated on Panel 20 of The Menin Gate Memorial.

The Menin Gate Memorial, August 2009

Born in Long Buckley, Northampton, Arthur Munns had joined the Grenadier Guards in 1896. On reaching the rank of Cpl he transferred to the Irish Guards in 1900.

He arrived in France in August 1914 and shortly before his death he had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions near Ypres on November 6th.

On 18th November following his death his Company Commander wrote to the Irish Guards Regimental Colonel :” This is just a line to tell you that CSM Munns was killed yesterday. He is a very great loss and was my one stand by. I cannot tell you how gallantly he always behaved and I recommended him for a mention in despatches only the other day. I do not know what we shall do for senior NCO’s. Sgt Major Rodgers and the CQMS are the only ones left now…”

Arthur Munns is remembered in Panel 11 of The Menin Gate Memorial.

Pte George Wigg's grave,Becourt Military Cemetery,August 2010

Information on George Wigg’s grave. August 2010.

Photo on George Wigg's grave. August 2010.

Pte Wigg is buried in the same cemetery as my Great Uncle so when I saw photographs on his grave I thought I’d take some pics on the chance that his relatives might see them. George was the son of the late William and Mary Jane Wigg, of Frostenden, Wangford, Suffolk.

Pte H Woodward,Berks Cemetery Extension, Aug 10

Pioneer battalions bore the brunt of many of the work details and tasks essential to the British war effort on and near the front-line. The 6th South Wales Borderers undertook many during the early months of 1917: improving defences,repairing a light railway line,building stables and constructing huts for bath units.

Not surprisingly given the strain of war and their endless fatigue the soldiers involved were sometimes the victims of accidents. Pte Woodward died of accidental injuries received near Ploegsteert on the 13th of February 1917.  He is buried in Berks Cemetery Extension.