by Simon_Fielding » Sun Feb 23, 2014 10:10 pm
There is a set of pension papers indicating earlier enlistment in the 9th Bn from August - October 1914.
Stacke =
Meanwhile in England the danger of invasion was no longer considered so menacing as in , ,»—
1914 ; for the New Armies were in being. It became possible to release the Territorial Divisions from / / TH
home defence, and to despatch them to the active service overseas for which they had volunteered.
On March 29th the move of the South Midland Division to France began. The transport &
of the Battalions of the 144th Brigade (c) left Maldon East by train for Southampton in the early
hours of March 30th, and on the following evening (March 31st) the l/7th and l/8th Worcestershire "/©TH
followed the other two battalions of their Brigade down to Maldon East Station and entrained for
the front. The two Worcestershire battalions embarked at Folkestone (d) after dark, reached
Boulogne in the middle of the night (e) and then marched three miles to camp.
On the afternoon of April 1st the two Battalions entrained (/) at Pont de Briques Station,
meeting there the transport, which had been landed at Havre.
The troop trains carried the two Battalions to Cassel, where the South Midland Division was
being concentrated. After detraining at Bavinchove Station at 3 a.m. on April 2nd the Battalions
marched to their allotted billets, the l/7th Battalion at Hardifort and the 1/Sth at Terdeghem.
_ Next day (April 3rd) the Brigade was inspected by General Sir Horace Smith Dorrien, commanding
the Second Army. Then on April 5th the Division marched forward in soaking rain
some twenty miles to billets by Bailleul. Five days of training and route marching followed, after
which on April 10th the Territorial Battalions marched forward to the forward area near Armentieres
for practical instruction in trench warfare. The l/7th Battalion were attached to the 18th Brigade
and the l/8th to the 19th Brigade. The two Battalions were billetted respectively at Armentieres
and Erquinghem, and the Territorial platoons were attached in succession to companies of the
battalions then holding the line.
Platoon after platoon was initiated in the routine of trench warfare by the old soldiers who
had endured the Winter months. Apart from sniping and bombing there was but little activity
around Armentieres, and the only casualty suffered by either Battalion during that probationary
period occurred on April 14th, when 2/Lieut. R. K. Armstrong (g) was wounded.
Then the South Midland Division was entrusted with a definite section of the line, the front
between the River Warnave and the Wulverghem-Messines road, covering Ploegsteert Wood. On
April 17th the 144th Brigade took over the right hand sector of the new Divisional line. The l/8th
Worcestershire marched northward from Armentieres to billets in Divisional reserve at Nieppe
while the l/7th Worcestershire went into the trenches for the first time as a complete unit (h).
On April 19th came the first fatal casualty, one man (i) of the l/7th Worcestershire being killed.
On the same day Lance-Corporal J. R. Beagin of the Battalion signallers showed great gallantry
while laying a telephone wire across exposed ground. He came under heavy fire and was severely
wounded ; but he pluckily completed the work. His gallantry was rewarded with the D.C.M. (j).
(a) Battn. was in front-line March 22nd—30th and April 7th—15th. From March 30th to April 7th Battn. was
billetted in Essars, and after April 15th in Bethune.
(b) Casualties: 2nd Worcs.—March 22nd—30th. Battalion casualties nil. On March 24th, Lieut. Odling, R.E.,
was killed while working in the front line. On March 29th, the Battn. Dressing Station was hit, and the
Medical Officer, Lieut. A. M. Smith, R.A.M.C. was severely wounded. April 6th—16th, 3 killed, 8 wounded.
(c) The "Gloucestershire and Worcestershire" Brigade is here referred to by its subsequent number for the sake of
simplicity. Actually the Territorial Divisions and Brigades were not allotted numbers until after their arrival
in France.
(d) l/7th Battn. embarked on S.S. " Onward " l/8th Battn. embarked on S.S. " Invicta." The officers who embarked
with the two Battalions were :—
111th Battalion :—Lt.-Colonel A. R. Harman, Major A. S. W. Dore, Captain and Adjt. G. M. C. Davidge, Captains
E. F. Du Sautoy W. Adam, F. M. Tomkinson, A. H. Butcher, N. P. Goodwin, F. G. Chamberlin, Lieuts.
A. G. Rollason, H. Adshead, T. C. F. Harris, R. Homfray, R. G. Addenbrooke, R. A. Leighton, R. W. Hoare,
2/Lieuts. H. G. W. Wood, F. D. H. Burcher, G. G. Watson, C. E. W. Simes, W. R. Prescott, J. G. Dixon,
A. G. Gwilliam, E. J- Gore, G. S. Tomkinson, D. B. Drake, R. K. Armstrong, Lieut, and Qmr. R. W. Nield.
l/8th Battalion :—Lt.-Colonel W. K. Peake, Major R. H. H. Creak, Major F. A. W. How, Captain and Adjt. P. R.
Whalley, Captains S. H. Clark, L. Kewrood, H. T. Clarke, A. S. Creak, W. E. L. Cotton, R. H. Burlingham,
E. S. Jones. Lieuts. P. M. Kerwood, F. W. Hemming, W. L. Curtler, J. P. Bate, M. M. J. Neville, j . N.
Bendyshe, H. G. Newman, G. J. L. Slater, 2/Lieuts. C. C. Davies, H. G. C. Carter, K. M. Mylne, H. P. Borlase,
J. J. Paskin, C. R. Pawsey, H. S. Wilson, J. R. Blake, R. J. C. W. Hawtrey, A. Plaistowe, Major and Qmr. D.
Sallis.
(e) l/7th Battn. landed at midnight. l/8th Battn. landed at 1.15 a.m.
(/) ?/7th Battn. entrained 3 p.m. l/8th Battn. entrained 9 p.m.
(g) l/7th Battalion. (h) The Battn. relieved the London Rifle Brigade. (i) Private A. Boot.
(j) This was the first ' immediate award ' given in the 48th Division. Unfortunately the brave corporal later (2nd
June) died of his wounds.
p.67
On April 21st the two Worcestershire battalions changed over, the l/8th relieving the l/7th (a).
17TH On April 25th the battalions again changed over, the l/8th moving back to billets in Ploegsteert
village. Two days later orders were received for the Brigade to shift its position somewhat to
* the right. The shift was effected by moving the l/7th Worcestershire from the left to the right
of the Brigade front, and on April 30th the Battalion took over (b) the trenches immediately south
/OTH of the River Warnave (c). The l/8th Worcestershire relieved the sister Battalion in those trenches
on the last day of April. Thenceforward for some two months the two Battalions held alternately
that same line of trenches.
When out of the line the two Battalions were billetted either in Brigade reserve at Ploegsteert
or in Divisional reserve at Pont de Nieppe.
(a) Who went into billets at Pont de Nieppe.
(6) From the 2nd Monmouthshire of the 4th Division.
(c) Left flank of the Battalion on the line of the river. The l/4th Gloucestershire, hitherto on the right of the Battalion,
were now on the left flank.
p.68
Researching the 75 men of the Great War Memorial of St Anne's Church, Bewdley, Worcestershire .