Private William Charles Massey. 1915

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Private William Charles Massey. 1915

Postby carol » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:01 pm

I am looking for information about my Great Uncle William Charles Massey. He was born in Pensax in Worcestershire in 1893 and was killed in the 2nd World War in France in 1915. His memorial is at Le Touret, Pas De Calais.
I am researching my family history and would like to know more about Great Uncle William. If anyone has any information about him or even a copy of an old photgraph of him, I would be grateful if you could contact me.

Many Thanks

Carol
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Postby scully » Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:06 pm

Carol,

Private William Charles Massey (17417) was serving with the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment when he was killed in action on the 10th march 1915. This was during the Battle of Neuve Chappele. Below is an extract from the regimental history for the 10th March 1915 which you may find of interest.

Regards, Louis

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle (1st Battalion Worcestershire Regt.)

The morning of the 10th March 1915 was dull but fine and, apart from a few ranging shots, all was peaceful till, precisely at 7-30 a.m., the massed British artillery—some five hundred guns—simultaneously opened fire.

That bombardment was the heaviest experienced till then in any war, and the troops in the British front line saw the German trenches which they had faced all the Winter disappear in a whirlwind of flame and smoke. For half an hour the German lines were bombarded: then the artillery lifted from the trenches to the village in rear, and the battalions of the 23rd and 25th Brigades clambered out of their trenches and advanced to the assault.

On the right of the 8th Division's front the battalions of the 25th Brigade met with but little opposition, and at 8-30 a.m. they swept through the village. Further they could not go, for our own artillery were still bursting a curtain of shells between the village and the Bois du Biez.

A reconnoitring patrol (one subaltern and two men) from the 1st Worcestershire had accompanied the leading battalions with orders to push on when they halted and reconnoitre the line over which the advance of the reserves was to be made. The shell-fire east of the village prevented the patrol from proceeding direct to the Bois du Biez: but by working round to the left the patrol found a way along a lane to the Layes brook and thence to the ground north of the wood. Save for some stray bullets their advance was unopposed. The ground north of the wood was unoccupied by the enemy. After making a hasty reconnaissance of the ground in front, the patrol returned to the ruins of Neuve Chapelle Church to await the Battalion: for according to the original instructions the reserve Brigade was to pass through Neuve Chapelle at 9-30 a.m.

But the Battalion did not reach the Church at 9-30 a.m. On the left the attack had not succeeded and the forward movement of the reserves was in consequence delayed.

On the front of the 23rd Brigade the artillery bombardment had not succeeded in demolishing the enemy's defences; and the attacking battalions had suffered heavily in unsuccessful assaults. In support of the attack Lieut. Conybeare's trench-mortar detachment engaged a small redoubt which formed the apex of the salient in the German line near the "Moated Grange." The six absurd mortars fizzed and banged away merrily. One of them was hit by a shell, one blew up and another soon showed signs of following suit ; but the remaining three mortars continued to fire. The enemy endeavoured to counter their bombardment by boldly hoisting a machine-gun on to the parapet, but on that machine-gun the mortars miraculously secured a direct hit. Then the Germans tried to break out from their redoubt, but Lieut. Conybeare himself shot down one officer and three men; and the remainder abandoned the attempt. Finally the survivors of the garrison of the redoubt put up the white flag: a great triumph for the despised "Archibalds" (Lieut. Conybeare was awarded the M.C.).

It was after noon before the redoubt surrendered. By that time, after much confused fighting, the 23rd Brigade had succeeded in capturing all the German trenches opposed to them. Lieut. Conybeare then moved off with the remnants of his mortar battery and rejoined the Battalion.

The 1st Worcestershire had moved forward from their billets at 9 a.m. down the main La Bassée road, but before the old British front line was reached orders were received to halt at the cross-roads at Rouge Croix. There the Battalion waited till 11 a.m. when a move was made forward to the old trench line. There again a halt was ordered and a long delay took place, the Battalion fretting in idleness until 2 p.m.

In front of them the open ground around the village was dotted with working parties, with wounded men walking back and with the usual debris of battle; while in every direction German shells were bursting.

The general situation was unknown, and neither the British reserve battalions nor their commanders were aware of the golden opportunity which was being wasted. The stubborn resistance of the enemy on the northern flank near the "Moated Grange" was paralysing the attack, and the open gap north of the Bois du Biez had not been exploited.
The fighting on the left flank continued, and at 2 p.m. orders were received that the Battalion was to send forward two companies to reinforce the troops of the 23rd Brigade at a captured redoubt designated on the British maps "Point 6." Accordingly "B" and "C" Companies of the Battalion, under the 2nd-in-command, Major J. F. S. Winnington, moved off in extended order across the open to that redoubt. They occupied the redoubt and held it for two hours under heavy fire and with no slight loss; Captain Linton was wounded, Lieut. Benningfield killed, and Lieut. Matthews and many of the rank and file were hit. The lives of three men who fell wounded in the open were saved by Lance-Corporal R. Blakeman, who at great risk dragged them under cover (L/Cpl. Blakeman was awarded the D.C.M.).

Presently the fighting round the orchard died down. The two companies were ordered to rejoin the 24th Brigade, and returned to the Battalion.

The short spring day was drawing to a close before orders came (4.20 p.m. according to the Divisional account; 5.30 p.m. according to the Battalion Diary) at last for the 24th Brigade to advance: not towards Neuve Chapelle village but eastwards past the north of the village towards Pietre. The Brigade moved forward into the gathering dusk. Hedges and ditches made progress difficult and troops of the 7th Division crossed the line of advance (The reserve Brigade of the 7th Division was endeavouring to wheel northwards). Consequently there were many checks and much difficulty in keeping direction.

Eventually, as darkness fell, the leading companies approached a group of cottages (these were the cottages marked on the British maps as Points 85 and 86; but it appears to have been erroneously reported that the Brigade had reached the outskirts of Piétre) and were brought to a stop by bursts of rapid fire. There was some confused movement and much firing. Orders were passed down to entrench, and the troops scraped cover with their entrenching implements in the heavy clay. Two companies of the 1st Worcestershire formed the front line under Major Winnington, the other two being held back by Colonel Wodehouse in support. On the left of the Worcestershire were the 2nd East Lancashire and on the right flank were the 1st Sherwood Foresters.

The attack of the morning had taken the enemy by surprise, and had actually effected that break in his defence for which the British staff had hoped. 'When the reconnoitring patrol of the Battalion had reached the open country north of the Bois du Biez there had been no enemy troops there to oppose an advance; but the opportunity had been missed, and in the ensuing delay the enemy had been able to bring up reinforcements and to establish a defensive line, based on a chain of works previously constructed, from Mauquissart to the Bois du Biez. Throughout the night of March 10th/11th the German infantry worked hard to complete their defences, and by dawn they were entrenched and protected by wire along their whole front.

But on the British side the arrangements for communication between the fighting troops and the staff had not been adequately thought out and had already broken down. The intermingling of units and the advance in the darkness had caused general confusion and loss of direction and during the night the troops in the front line received no orders as to any further advance. In default of instructions they busied themselves in providing such cover as could be improvised against the continuous shell-fire.
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