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Private George Coulton

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Private George Coulton Private George Coulton 3rd Battalion, 6th North Staffordshire Regiment Regimental Number 4339 th th 140 Company and 49 Company Machine Gun Corps Regimental Number 44077 George Coulton was born on August 28th 1891 and baptised at Netherseal St Peters on 25th October in the same year.1 He was the fourth son of Albert Coulton and Mary Coulton (nee Grundy). 2 He had three brothers (Frederick, James and Thomas) and three sisters (Annie, Alice and Violet). 1 Ancestry.co.uk C of E Baptisms 1813-1916 Seale, St Peter, Netherseal 1875-1916 George Coulton 2 Family tree courtesy of Jill Hempsall. Information from ancestry.co.uk 1 | P a g e The 1901 Census shows the family living on Dog Lane. Father Alfred was a 34 year old Coal Miner – a Hewer working on the coal face. George’s older brother Frederick was only aged 13, but he was already working as a Farm Cowman. 3 3 Ancestry.co.uk 1901 Census Records 2 | P a g e By 1911, George was living in Newton Regis with his Aunt and Uncle, John and Annie Stretton, and their family. He was aged 19 and working as a Bricklayer’s Labourer. 3 | P a g e On 8th November 1915, George enlisted with the 3rd Battalion, 6th North Staffordshire Regiment. He signed up at Burton on Trent for a 4 year Service in the Territorial Force. In the Spring of 1915 enlistment into the forces averaged 100,000 men per month, but this wasn’t sustainable. The upper age limit was raised from 38 to 40 in May 1915 in an effort to keep numbers up, but it became clear that voluntary recruitment was not going to provide the number of men required.4 The government passed the National Registration Act on 5th July 1915 as a step towards stimulating recruitment and to discover how many men between the ages of 15 and 65 were engaged in each trade. All men in this age range, who were not already in the military, were obliged to register, giving their employment details. The census showed that there were almost 5 million males of military age who were not in the forces, of which only 1.6m were in reserved occupations (those jobs that required particular skills, for example Coal Miners, Doctors, Teachers and those working in the iron and steel industries). It is worth noting that George seems to have chosen to enlist, despite the fact that he was a Coal Miner and therefore in a reserved occupation. 4 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army 4 | P a g e 5 Attestation Papers for Enlistment 5 Ancestry.co.uk British Army WW1 Service Records 1914-1920 5 | P a g e Medical inspection report for George. He was considered fit for service in the 3/6th North Staffordshire Regiment. 6 In October 1915, the Group Scheme (also known as the Derby Scheme) was implemented to raise enlistment numbers. Men aged 18 to 40 were informed that under the scheme they could continue to enlist voluntarily, or attest with an obligation to come if called up later on. 6 Ancestry.co.uk British Army WW1 Service Records 1914-1920 6 | P a g e Men who attested under the scheme, who were accepted for service but chose to defer it were classified as “Class A”. Those who agreed to immediate services were “Class B”. The men who attested under the Derby Scheme were classified into married and single status and into 23 groups according to their age. Had George attested in Class A and deferred his call up, he would have been in Group 7 - which had a mobilisation date of 8th February 2016.7 As George enlisted on November 1915, it would suggest that he was a Class B – he signed up and agreed to immediate service. Although not in very good condition (because of fire damage caused by a German bomb hitting the War Office Repository in September 1940), there are numerous records available on-line that show details of George’s military service. It can be seen from his Military History sheet that he spent November 1915 to August 1916 here in the UK – presumably training to be mobilised abroad, along with the rest of his battalion. The 3rd Battalion were a Reserve unit initially based at Lichfield. By May 1915 they were based at Seaham, County Durham and then moved to Forest Hall, North Tyneside – this is assumedly where George would have been stationed during his time with the North Staffordshire Regiment.8 9 On 23rd July 1916 George was transferred to the Machine Gun Corp – initially to the 140th Regiment. Army Form B268a indicates he was ‘discharged in consequence of re-enlistment with the Machine Gun Corp’. As part of the transfer from the North Staffordshire Regiment to the Machine Gun Corp, Army Form W3068 had to be completed, detailing the articles of clothing in possession of a man leaving a Regiment (see page 7). It gives an insight into how little a soldier actually had in the way of clothing. 7 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-group-scheme-derby- scheme/ 8 https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/units/1715/north-staffordshire-regiment/ 9 Ancestry.co.uk British Army WW1 Service Records 1914-1920 7 | P a g e Discharged and transferred to the Machine Gun Corp 10 George’s military character listed as very good and he was regarded as a good worker. 10 Ancestry.co.uk British Army WW1 Service Records 1914-1920 8 | P a g e A list of clothing and necessaries that George had with him upon transfer to the MGC. 11 11 Ancestry.co.uk British Army WW1 Service Records 1914-1920 9 | P a g e The Machine Gun Corps12 In 1914, all infantry battalions were equipped with a machine gun section of two guns, which was increased to four guns by February 1915. The experience of fighting in early clashes and in the First Battle of Ypres proved that the machine guns needed special tactics and organisation. Machine Gun Training Centres were set up in Wisque, France and Grantham, England. A single specialist Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was set up in October 1915 and the gunners from each brigade transferred to this new Corps. A base depot was established at Camiers in France. Shortly after the formation of the MGC, the Maxim guns they had been using were replaced by the Vickers Machine Gun. It weighed 28.5lb, was cooled by water held in a jacket around the barrel (weighing another 10lb) and fired from a tripod weighing 20lb. Bullets were held in a canvas belt holding 250 rounds and would last 30 seconds at the maximum rate of 500 rounds per minute. Two men were needed to carry the equipment and two for the ammunition. A Vickers machine gun team also had two spare men. 13 On 6th August 1916 George went with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) to France, leaving Folkestone and heading for Boulogne. He joined the Machine Gun Corp’s base camp at Camiers on 7th August. On 9th August George joined 140 Coy in the field which was, according to the War Diaries, at Neufmoulin, France. The diaries show that they were training for different scenarios. “9th August. Weather Hot. Training: Artillery formations. Box respirators inspected by Divisional Gas Expert. 10th August. Rain. Practise attacked on enemy trenches. Experimented with employment of Machine Guns in forward positions e.g. shell holes in No Man’s Land. Assisting RE (Royal Engineers).” Two of the War Diary pages are shown below. 12 http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/machine-gun-corps-in-the-first-world-war/ 13 Imperial War Museum – British Vickers Machine Guns 10 | P a g e 14 14 Ancestry.co.uk UK,WW1 Diaries France, Belgium & Germany 1914-1920 140 Infantry Brigade: Brigade MGC 1916Jan-1918Feb 11 | P a g e 12 | P a g e George’s Casualty Form (Army Form B103) indicates that on 9th September 1916 he was sent to hospital suffering from Pyrexia (fever). He re-joined his Company on 15th September. On the 15th September 1916, the 140th Coy were involved in the Battle of High Wood. The battle for High Wood’s 75 acres started on 14th July and raged nearly continuously for 64 days. It came to be known as ‘the hell of High Wood’ and ‘the rottenest place on the Western Front’. In the end, the British finally managed to overwhelm the Germans on 15th September.15 The 140th Coy of the Machine Gun Corp played their part on the last day of the battle. 15 15 https://owlcation.com/humanities/World-War-1-History-High-Wood-The-Sommes-75-Acres-of-Hell 13 | P a g e The War Diary page below details 140 Coy’s involvement in the Battle of High Wood. 16 16 Ancestry.co.uk UK,WW1 Diaries France, Belgium & Germany 1914-1920 140 Infantry Brigade: Brigade MGC 1916Jan-1918Feb 14 | P a g e Transcription: From 15th September 1916 at High Wood: Fine. 47th Division attacked German lines in High Wood at 6.20am. 140th Brigade on right captured 1st objectives. Attack by 141 Brigade held up on the left of High Wood. 3 sections MG Coy carried out intense overhead indirect fire on Switch Line and ground beyond from 6.20 to 6.25am. 12,000 rounds fired.
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