By now the weather had become very hot, with temperatures
soaring into the 80s Fahrenheit, and this was to remain the case for the next
two weeks. Conditions were generally quiet and 2Lt. Bob Perks (see 25th
July) later reflected on how much conditions in the area had changed (I am greatly indebted to Janet Hudson for
her kind permission to quote from Bob Perks’ report),
“July 28th found us enjoying our third morning
camped or rather bivouacced on top of what was officially called O.B. l x 20-
26 which being interpreted means the original British front line from which
troops who took Fricourt started on July 1st. Very pleased with ourselves we were too. We had feared we should have been in the
thick of it two days earlier, and here we were with the promise of a probable 5
or 6 days stay and a willingness to stay “for the duration” as the men said. It is true our first night had been disturbed
by gas alarms due to gas shells arriving on our left but none had really come
near us, and only two stray shells of the ordinary type ever visited us. It was also very true that we were, so to
speak, continually “on tap” if any large counter threatened or any energetic
general coveted a piece of Bosche trench we should be called upon. On the other hand, that was a feeling we were
quite used to and soon forgot especially in this case those of us who had previously
been in that part when one proceeded under shell fire over an appalling
shambles and an obviously very recent battlefield. The transformation was wonderful. We now wandered over the Bosche trenches as
if they were model dug in England,
but what comforted us most was our view of water pipes being laid and an
English steam roller making a road through the original German front line. You don’t know how home-like an English steam
roller can look. My men burst into
cheering when we first met it. It was
while I was watching this and wondering how far we must have advanced to make
its work safe, the bolt fell. As usual when we expected a long stay, we moved
at a few hours notice.”
 |
2Lt. Bob Perks
Image by kind permission of Janet Hudson
|
Pte. William James Jakeway
(see 15th December 1915)
wrote home to his family, “I haven’t much news this time, but you will be glad
to know I’m still all right and in the best of health. We are fairly giving the
Hun a good smashing up, and, as far as I know, every battalion of the Duke’s
has had a go at them. I expect John will be telling you all the news, how we
captured the village and a few hundred prisoners. I think the Germans are
proper cowards for they fight like tigers and kill as many of our fellows as
they can and when they find themselves beaten they throw their arms up and say ‘Mercy
Kamerad!’, but the Yorkshire lads have given them plenty of cold steel, which
they don’t like. We had rather a stiff job on at one place, for we were up
against the Prussian Guard; but we gave them ‘guards’ and they will never
forget it”.
 |
| Image and additional information by kind permission of Andy Wade and MenofWorth |
As reported by 2Lt. Perks, in the afternoon the Battalion
moved forward, marching by platoon, with intervals of 200 yards between, via
Round Wood, where they met their guides at 6.30pm, and Contalmaison, to
positions in what had been the old German second line trenches, east of
Pozieres. These movements were carried out under heavy German shelling and one
men was killed on the way to the line. The death of L.Cpl. James Kettlewell (see below)
was reported by Col. Hayne as he commended Pte. Enoch Wilson Rhodes (see
below), one of the Battalion stretcher-bearers, for his bravery. He
described how, “At Contalmaison on the way to the trenches a shell killed his
partner and he was thrown over a cart. Though badly shaken, he at once tied up
a man who had had his hand blown off and then proceeded to the trenches”. Pte. Rhodes
himself would later write to the mother of L.Cpl. Kettlewell:
“It is with deep regret that I have to inform you of the
death of your son, L.Cpl. James Kettlewell. He was killed by a shell on the
28th ult. whilst going into action, but I can safely say that death was
instantaneous and that he suffered no pain and was laid to rest in the British
soldier's cemetery in a village where he met his death. I had not known him
long only being drafted to this Battalion a few months. I was his partner and
was at his side when the shell burst. He was a gallant soldier and always ready
to help the wounded when called and there is no one feels the loss of so true a
pal as I do. He had a good name, both from officers and men of the Regiment,
and it came as a shock when I informed them of his death, but, you can always
rest assured, he was a true soldier and knew no danger where duty called him.
He was a stretcher-bearer and was recommended only recently for his gallant
conduct and was made Lance-Corporal the night previous to going into action.
The men and officers join in deepest sympathy on the loss of so worthy a pal”.
L.Cpl. James Kettlewell
had been an original member of the Battalion, having enlisted in November 1914.
He was from Thornton-in-Lonsdale and had worked on the Midland Railway. He was
originally buried in Contalmaison, close to where Lt. Isidore David Marks had
been buried (see 10th July),
but, like Marks, his remains would be exhumed in July 1919 and re-interred at
Gordon Dump Cemetery near Pozieres.
 |
| L.Cpl. James Kettlewell |
Over the previous days British and ANZAC forces had made
significant gains in and around Pozieres, though at enormous cost, and were in
occupation of sections of what had been the German second line defences along
the crest of Pozieres Ridge. Australian troops were now established in Pozieres
after days of fierce fighting and, though still under regular and severe German
artillery bombardments, had secured much of the village and also some parts of
the double line of trenches, known as O.G. (Old German) 1 and 2 which ran from
north-west to south-east in rear of the village. It was in a section of these
trenches, east of Pozieres, that the Battalion was to be positioned.
Col. Hayne had been instructed to ensure that “a supply of
flares, rockets, green Very lights and ordinary Very lights” were taken up to
the front line. Also, a party of two
officers and 50 men from 11th West Yorks was attached to 10DWR to
assist in carrying bombs and ammunition up to the front line. These measures
were part of the prepartions for attacks to be launched by the Battalion, which
was to be part of a larger assault made by the Australians to the left. Orders
had been received for the Battalion, in the early hours of the following day, to
make a bombing attack to proceed as far as possible up Munster Alley, which had
been a communication trench leading to the old German second line switch line
of trenches. Col. Hayne entrusted the task to ‘D’ Company, with the attacking
party to be led by Lt. Frederick Hird
(see 16th February). Hird
had originally served with Tunstill’s Company but had also spent some time
attached to 69th Brigade Trench Mortar Battery before returning to
the Battalion. He was to be accompanied also by other former ‘A’ Company men,
including CSM Albert Edgar Palmer (see 15th July) and Sgt. William Jones (see 6th April 1915). These men had apparently been transferred
to ‘D’ Company to bolster it after the Company had suffered considerable
casualties in the actions around Contalmaison earlier in the month.
However, ahead of the bombing attack, a party from the
Battalion was despatched to secure the point at the junction of Munster Alley
and O.G.2 (known as Point 41) from which the attack was to be launched. This
task was instructed to 2Lt. Perks and he gave a vivid description;
“What happened to the rest of the Battalion and the rest of
B Coy (this was Perks’ Company) I
don’t really know as I was in charge of a special little party on my own. They were all somewhere near but such was the
state of the trenches – bits of trench and lots of shell holes that I never got
into touch with any but one Company, not my own (this was ‘D’ Company). I was
detailed to take a party of 25 including two Lewis Gun teams and two snipers to
hold the end of a communication trench which was held by the Bosche further
up. I heard a good deal about this post
and the number of times it had been lost and regained before I started, but it exceeded
expectations and I have heard since my guide took me to the wrong place! I may say here I was near Pozieres and an
Australian I have met since told me I must have gone near the village to get to
my post. On my rejoining that I never
saw it, he assured me there was nothing left to attract my notice.
To return to Munster Alley, the name of my communication
trench, so called I imagine because the Munsters first held it. Within half an hour of my taking over the
position it was dark so that my idea of how the land lay was very slight, but I
thought it prudent to continue as I had begun sorting out the extraordinary
half-buried muddle of rifles, bombs, ammunition etc, - the debris of many
attacks and retreats but also my only arsenal.
After about another half hour, I turned my attention rather to some
disturbing facts. During my first hour,
three Australian officers, from the troops on my left and in support, had come
up one after the other and all told me the same tale and each made my knees
more shaky. They all agreed that the
Bosche had three times driven us out of that place, nightly for the last three
nights in fact, and twice driven attacking parties starting from my barrier
back further than they had started from.
The first explained they, the Australians, had three times to help the
English and as the last occasion was a five hours business and more than
finished off their bombers would I introduce a new programme tonight? A little later the second came along and
pointed out that the trench on my right hardly existed and was not held. He assured me it was the Bosche habit, and
very easy too, to work round in the dark and attack on my right and in my
rear. This is better understood by
looking at my diagram.
Disregarding for the moment the dotted lines on the left,
the diagram shows Munster Alley with the two barricades and my position with
dotted lines on my right where I imagine the continuation of my trench once
might have been. There were support
trenches of course somewhere behind me, but obviously for night surprise bomb
attacks, I was open on three sides. This
became of increasing interest when my third Australian visitor had had his
say. He told me that the Australians
were going to attack that night and try to take up a position about where my
left hand dotted lines are. He pointed
out that a successful Bosche assault on my corner then would tend to cut them
off and suggested that the enemy knowing this and expecting our troops to be
concentrated on the left for our attack would make a determined assault on me
and my 25 men.
From then onwards, the tension and state of nervous
excitement got steadily worse. At length
our guns began their bombardment chiefly on the left and our excitement reached
an awful pitch when some of the little garrison including myself saw outlined
by the light of shells behind them gigantic Germans standing in a row on their
parapet on our left front. While I was
trying to get machine guns and rifles to bear on these fitful apparitions and
generally “clear for action” the guns redoubled their efforts and the Germans
lit up the scene with Very lights. I
afterwards learned that the Australians had gone over at this point and met
perfectly prepared Bosche standing on his parapet, but at the time we quite
thought he was going to visit us.”
The impact of the recent fierce fighting on the Somme involving local men
must have become even more apparent to readers of the local newspapers as they
carried ever more reports of casualties and there were several references to
men from Tunstill’s Company.
SUTTON - PRIVATE
HENRY TAYLOR KILLED
Mrs. Taylor, of Sutton Lodge, has received a letter from
Company Quartermaster Frank Stephenson as follows:-"I am very sorry to
inform you that your son, Private Taylor (see
5th July), was killed in action on the 5th inst. If it is any
consolation to you, I might say that your son was killed whilst heroically
attacking the German trenches, and his regiment covered itself with glory.
Although he was not in my Company, coming from the same district, and knowing
him personally, I though it best to write you, as it might be a few weeks
before you are officially notified through the War Office. Wishing you all
sympathy in your sudden and sad bereavement, Yours truly, (signed) C.Q.M.
Stephenson, A. Company, 10th West Riding Regiment." |
| Pte. Henry Taylor |
SKIPTON'S ROLL OF
HONOUR - PTE. CLIFFORD GEORGE UNWIN
News of the death from wounds of Pte. Clifford George Unwin
(see 11th July), son of
Mr. Samuel Unwin, formerly of Skipton, but now of Keighley, was received last
weekend. Before joining the Army on his 22nd birthday in September, 1914,
deceased was a twister and loomer at Messrs. Rose, Hewitt, & Co., and lived
with his married sister, Mrs. McEnnerney, in Dawson Street, Skipton. He joined
the 10th Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment and had been at the front
several months. His death is referred to by another Skipton soldier, Pte. John William Atkinson (see 21st July), who in a letter to his wife at 29, Cavendish Street, Skipton, says:-
"We have a Skipton lad out of our battalion who has died from wounds. I am
sorry to say his name is Clifford Unwin. I expect you will know him."
Pte. Atkinson
is a stretcher bearer attached to the 29th Division, 69th Brigade, and in the
same letter he says:- "We are still out of the trenches and we can do with
staying out a bit after the work we have had. We have received some splendid
congratulations on our work. Our troops are still advancing all along the line,
so I don't think the war will last much longer."
 |
| Pte. Clifford George Unwin |
Mr and Mrs James H. Bradley, 105 Keighley Road, Cowling have been informed
that their eldest son, Willie Bradley, 10th Battalion West Riding
Regiment, has received a flesh wound by shrapnel in the arm above the elbow and
a bullet wound in the arm below the elbow, which fortunately missed the bone.
Pte. Bradley enlisted in September 1914 and went to France in August last.
While in training he joined the Military Band, having been a member of the
Cowling Brass Band. Since going to France he has acted as a stretcher
bearer. He has two brothers serving in France.
 |
| Pte. Willie Bradley |
KIRKBY MALHAMDALE AND
THE WAR
We regret to have to report that Mrs. Earnshaw, of Airton,
has been informed by the War Office that her son, Pte. Farrand Earnshaw (see 1st July), had been
missing since July 1st. Pte. Earnshaw was the youngest brother of Sergt Kayley
Earnshaw, D.C.M., whose death was reported in June. He was living with his
mother up to the time of joining the army in March last. Great sympathy is felt
throughout the dale for the family, and especially for the mother. |
| Pte. Farrand Earnshaw |
 |
Sgt. Kayley Earnshaw DCM
Image by kind permission of Sue Lugton
|
BOLTON-BY-BOWLAND -
The Stricken Brave
Private Richard D. Ellison (see 8th July), who joined Captain Tunstill's men, is
another name which has unfortunately to be added to our list of killed whilst
in action. Pte. Ellison had been in France in the fighting line for many
months, and was employed as a gardener at Bolton Hall for a short time prior to
the war breaking out. His home was at Rawtenstall in Lancashire.
DENT - Special
Services
A memorial service was held in Dent Parish Church on Sunday
evening, in memory of the soldiers who have fallen in the war. There was a very
large congregation and an impressive service opened with the voluntary 'O rest
in the Lord' (Mendelssohn). The Rev. E.S. Curwen, vicar, preached the sermon
and made special reference to Signalman John Bruce Davidson (see 14th July), of the 10th
West Ridings, Duke of Wellington's, who died in Hospital in France on the 14th
inst. He had been a member of the church choir both as a boy and as adult, and
had been highly respected for his willing and obliging manners. The hymns
chosen for the occasion were 'Lead, Kindly Light,' 'Now the Labourers task is
o'er,' and 'On the Resurrection Morn.' Special sermons were preached on Sunday
afternoon and evening last in the Wesleyan Chapel, Dent, by Mr. Stephen Harris,
of Over Kellet. There were good attendances. |
| Pte. John Bruce Davidson |
SAWLEY - FIRST
SOLDIER FATALITY
The death occurred on Friday afternoon at Frensham Hospital,
Surrey, of Private Thomas Rigby (see 21st
July), of Sawley, as a result of wounds received in the 'big push' in
France. He was 26 years of age, and the third son of Mr. Thos. Rigby, of
Lawson's House Farm. One of the first in the district to join Mr. Tunstill's
party, he became attached to the Duke of Wellington's and became a
stretcher-bearer. After serving many months in that capacity he was invalided
home suffering from poisoning as a result of drinking bad water. After spending
eleven weeks in the hospital he returned to France and, along with two other
comrades, was removing wounded soldiers on the battlefield when all were struck
with shrapnel. Rigby was struck in the arm, but what became of the others he
was not able to relate. Singularly his injured limb was dressed at the base
hospital by his sister-in-law's brother, formerly a schoolmaster at Langcliffe.
On being brought to Frensham hospital he was visited by his parents, who found
him in capital spirits, in spite of the fact that he had undergone a couple of
operations. He was anxious to get to a hospital nearer home, and as his parents
left, he expressed his thanks that he had escaped so fortunately. Later on
Thursday, however, other symptoms set in, and as a result he died on Friday
noon. He was a young man of fine physique. His loss is greatly deplored by his
relations and many friends. |
| Pte. Thomas Rigby |
COWLING SOLDIER'S
HEROIC FATE
Last week Mrs. Benson of Crag View, Cowling, received a
private letter from Quartermaster Sergeant Frank Stephenson, informing her that
her only son, Pte. Fred Benson (see 11th
July), of the 10th Battalion Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment, had
been killed in action on Tuesday, July 11th in the great offensive in France.
Another Cowling man, Corp. John Hartley, has since forwarded
to Mrs. Benson full details in the following letter:- "Dear Mrs. Benson, -
I have a sorrowful duty to discharge, to give you details of the circumstances
under which your son met his death. On Monday afternoon a part of our brigade
attacked a village for which there had previously been heavy fighting by other
brigades. We were in support, and as dusk fell we moved out through a heavy
barrage of fire to reinforce and to consolidate the position. That night and
next day passed quietly. During the evening Fred and another lad went on
listening post duty a little in front of the trench where we had dug ourselves
in. A little later they gave the alarm and turned round to get back into the
trench, but before they had gone a yard they were both hit by the Germans. A
small enemy patrol had crept up within a short distance unobserved till quite
close. Both staggered back somehow into the trench. A minute or two later when
the alarm was over, I and two others got them out and did what we could, but it
was to no avail, for he must have been bleeding internally. He was in some pain
for a minute or two during which he said four times "Take me", he
then drifted into unconsciousness and a few minutes later passed quietly and
gently away. He was hit in the back just above the left hipbone and the bullet
passed through and out at the right groin. I was supporting his head when he
died. We were relieved a few minutes later and had reluctantly to leave him
there with his waterproof sheet over him. We went to get a stretcher to carry
him out, but none were available. He will probably have been buried by now by
the salvage Corp. We were all so upset. All the boys in the platoon wish me to
convey to you their sincere sympathy in your loss, which is also in a less
degree ours, for he was a cheerful, willing comrade. We shall all miss him very
much. He was in great spirits, as were we all because of our successes of the
past few days. We were all much affected by his and the other chap's death.
Again, assuring you of our sincere sympathy. Yours in sorrow, John
Hartley."
Pte. Benson enlisted in Kitchener's Army along with 17 other
Cowling young men in August 1914, and after the usual period of training went
to France in September. Before enlisting, Pte. Benson was employed as a weaver
at Messrs. J. Binns & Sons, Ltd., Carr Mills.
A memorial service was held at the United Methodist Church
on Sunday morning, and was conducted by the Rev. C. E. Penrose, pastor, Pte.
Benson, having passed through the Sunday School as a scholar. The choir sang
the anthem 'The Homeland' and Miss Whitaker, the organist, played Beethoven's
'Funeral March' and 'O rest in the Lord.' A memorial service was also held at
the Parish Church, conducted by the Vicar. A similar service was held on Sunday
evening at the Ickornshaw Wesleyan Church, conducted by Mr. Ward, of Nelson.
SKIPTON MEN WOUNDED
Pte. Charlie Branston (see
5th July) , of the West Ridings, son of Mrs. Branston, of 27,
Brook Street, Skipton, has received a gunshot wound in the knee and is being
nursed in the Australian General Hospital in France. Before enlisting, he was
employed at Messrs. Lipton's Ltd., Skipton. |
| Pte. Fred Benson |
 |
CQMS Frank Stephenson
Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton
|
 |
| Cpl. John Hartley |
 |
| Pte. Charlie Branston |
As the war drags its slow length along, the local 'Roll of
Honour' grows, and this week another brave name has to be added. This is that
of Sergeant John Thomas Limmer (see 10th
July), who was killed in action in the great advance. The information has
been sent by his brother, Pte. Walter Limmer. Sergeant Limmer was in his 33rd
year, and was in the A Company of the 8th Yorkshire Regiment. The death has not
been officially confirmed, but in the letter referred to, which was received
last week but is undated, his brother says:- "I have been talking to the
two Sergeants out of the same company as Tom, and they both told me that he was
quite well and cheerful up to the time he was killed, and that he did not
suffer at all; he was killed outright, the bullet going right through his
heart."
Sergeant Limmer was born at Lazonby, in Cleveland, and came
to Grassington 13 years ago; he leaves a wife, child and widowed mother for
whom there is great public sympathy.
 |
| Sgt. Tom Limmer |
 |
Pte. Walter Limmer
Image by kind permission of Henry Bolton
|
No comments:
Post a Comment