Advice and guidance needed - Worcestershire Rgt 1918

[pebbles]

Hiya,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me. I'm researching my great great uncle, Thomas William Waite. He enlisted in the ASC as a baker in June 1915 - this is information from the CWGC site.

However, when he died between 11-17 April 1918, he was in the 2nd Bn Worcestershire Regiment in F&F - service number 48825.

I understand that the period he died in was during the German Spring Offensive.

I was wondering how he would come from being in the ASC to being in the Worcestershire Rgt? If he was drafted in to replace casualties, would he have been still listed as Worcestershire rather than ASC? Is there any place that I can go to find this out?

I'm also very intersted to find out where the Rgt were fighting during April 1918. I have just come back from the memorial at Ploegsteert, and had always assumed that meant that he would have been fighting in the area - however now after seeing the scale I understand that they may have been covering a much wider area.

Any advice on where to begin would be very much appreciated, as would any knowledge on the time period.

Thanks in advance!

[Kevin Lynott]

Pebbles,
SDitGW doesn't show an ASC number(thats not to say there isn't one) have you dug out his MIC online through the National Archives website? That will show his ASC number. Also his records may have survived and arre available at the same location which may show the date and reason for his transfer.
In February 1918 the British Army under went major changes as the causalties were becoming unsustainable and the prime minister Lloyd George had slowed down to a trickle the replacements being sent to France. In order to bring battalions up to battle strength each infanytrry division was reduced from 12 to 9 battalions and large groups of men changed cap badges overnight, presumably this also happened to the supporting arms as well.
On the morning of 14th April 191818 the fifth day of the Germans offensive on the Lys, the positions held by the British were fragmented, the 2nd Worcs entered the line to the east of Neuve Eglise during the evening of 11th April 1918. The Germans attacked south of their positions and outflanked them threatening the village of Neuve Eglise behind them. Severe fighting took place in and around the town over the next two days and by the 14th the Bn headquarters were surrounded in the towns Marie. The Germans set up machine guns on three sides of the village and it would only be a question of time before the village fell to the Germans. Lt Crowe led a party of ten men and outflanked two German machine guns on some high ground to the west of the village, he led two of the men forward and rushed the Germans capturing the guns. For this action Lt Crowe was awarded the VC. The relief was only temporary, ammunition was running low and more of the enemy were pouring into the village. The remnants of the HQ of 2nd Worcs extracted themselves from the village and fought a fighting withdrawl down the Dranoutre Road. By 4:30pm the HQ staff and 100 men had fought their way out. Meanwhile the rest of the Bn a short distance to the east the remaining Coys of 2nd Worcs were assailed by superior German numbers. They fought on until ammunition was exhausted and many were compelled to surrender.

kevin


Kevin

[pebbles]

Hi Kevin - thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I do have Thomas' medal card - all it says on it is as follows:

Waite -Thos. W - Worc Regt - Pte - 48825
Victory: L/102B29 Page 6494
British: " "

There is nothing else on it with regard to an ASC number. Would it be possible for him to have two separate medal cards, do you think?

The only evidence I have of the ASC part is from CWGC. I do think that it is accurate, as Thomas was a baker before the war so enlisting as a baker makes sense! I am baffled as to the rest though, and what he was doing from 1915 onwards.

Can I ask where you got the information about the 2nd Worcs from as well? I'd searched extensively but not found anything near as much detail as you have, I'd be interested to read more if it's easily available.

It sounds very much like Thomas went missing during the period that you've described, I can't imagine the chaos that must have been surrounding them.

Do you know of any other sources that I may be able to use to find out more about both Thomas in the army and his regiments?

Thanks again,

Rachel

[Kevin Lynott]

Peebles
Yes it is possible for him to have two separate medal cards, some men even had have more than two cards.
The information about Thomas being a baker before the war would have been provided to the CWGC by his family/wife and is not from an 'official' source.
The information re the 2nd Bn actions around that time is based on my research into Kidderminster men of the Bn killed in the same action as Pte Waite and would have either been from the Official History of the Worcs Reg by Stacke or the Official History of the War which have been reprinted by Naval and Military Press.

Kevin

[pebbles]

That's brilliant Kevin thank you for the help. I'll have a look for the book you mention to get further detail abotu them.

Just one last question I promise!I've not found a service record for Thomas so am guessing it was destroyed - do you know if the Worcestershire Rgt hold their own records at all?