The Morant Memoirs

THE MORANT MEMOIRS

by Kevin Richardson

This summary covers the first three months with the 10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry on the Western Front from May to the end of August 1915. It is based on the memoir of 10 DLI’s commanding officer, Colonel Hubert Morant.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ You can download this work and share it with others as long as it is credited, but you can’t change it in any way or use it commercially © Kevin Richardson. Email [email protected]

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THE MORANT MEMOIRS 1

12358 Private Fred Richardson

The reason for my interest in this work is that my grandfather 12358 Private Thomas Frederick ‘Fred’ Richardson served with the 10th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) and was reported “wounded” in the Illustrated Chronicle published 24 August 1915 2 and the Durham County Advertiser 3 September 1915.3 Hubert Morant was the Commanding Officer of 10 DLI, and his memoirs provide a first-hand account of his experience at the front during the early months of his service. Private F Richardson served in the DLI between 8 August 1914 and 31 October 1916 but his service and pension records have not been traced therefore exact details remain unknown.

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 Background  Context  21/22 May 1915  12-20 June 1915  24-29/30 June 1915  18-27/28 July 1915  30/31 July-6 August 1915  10-14 August 1915

This summary covers the first three months on the Western Front from May to the end of August 1915.

BACKGROUND

4 August 1914: Britain declared war on Germany. Field-Marshall Lord Kitchener appealed for volunteers to form a new army. The men of County Durham responded in great numbers and the Durham Light Infantry was tasked with providing new battalions. The first was the 10th (Service) Battalion, formed at Newcastle on 22 August 1914, as part of K1. The battalion was attached to the 43rd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division. It was disbanded in France 12 February 1918.4

1 Durham County Record office (DCRO) D/DLI 7/1230/3 “My Experiences and Impressions since the Declaration of War” HHS Morant, the story of the 10th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry in the First World War by its commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Morant http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ 2 Photograph states “wounded” 3 Durham County Advertiser p.3 column G: “Pte F. Richardson arrived home wounded in both legs.” 4 www.1914-1918.net/dli.htm

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Army Order No.324, issued 21 August 1914, authorised the formation of six new divisions of K1. Initially numbered the 8th (Light) Division, it was renumbered the 14th (Light) Division as Regular Army units became available to create the division. By May 1915, the recruits were judged to be ready for action and the division moved to France 21 May 1915 to serve on the Western Front throughout the war.5

14th [Light] Division

Prior to June 1918, the division comprised the following infantry brigades: 6

41st Brigade

 7th Battalion, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps

 8th Battalion, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps

 7th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort’s Own)

 8th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort’s Own)

 9th Battalion, the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort’s Own)

42nd Brigade

 5th Battalion, the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

 5th Battalion, the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

 9th Battalion, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps

43rd Brigade

 6th Battalion, the Somerset Light Infantry

 6th Battalion, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

 6th Battalion, the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

 10th Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry

Machine Gun Companies were formed in February 1916 and Trench Mortar Batteries in April 1916. Specialist troops such as Pioneers, Divisional Artillery,

5 www.1914-1918.net/14div.htm 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14th_(Light)_Division

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Engineer Units, Field Ambulances, and the Army Service Corps formed part of the Division.7

10 DLI travelled from Newcastle to Woking, then in September 1914 commenced training at Aldershot, Witley, and Corunna Barracks at Aldershot, before leaving the town for Folkestone, 21 May 1915. They arrived at Boulogne, France the same night.8

CONTEXT

The advances of 1914 were stopped and the war of entrenchment followed along the whole length of the front from Switzerland to the North Sea. By the end of 1914 and beginning of 1915, the Belgian Army held the most northern part of the front line around Dixsmuide, the British shared the line with French forces around Ypres, within Belgian Flanders and into northern France and the French held the rest throughout France and a small area of German soil. The British, French, and German armies took part in battles, engagements, and skirmishes throughout the early part of 1915 in France from Givenchy in January, Neuve Chappelle in March, Fromelles, Rue de Bois and Festubert in May and Givenchy again in June. In Belgium, actions at St. Eloi on 14 and 15 March, and Hill 60 from 17 to 22 April, taunted the Germans into a great offensive later to be known as the Second Battle of Ypres. This battle raged from 22 April to 25 May and is most notable for the first use of poison gas by the German forces (22-24 April) and locally, the introduction of our territorial units of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division to the Western Front (22 April). The British replied with the first attack on Bellewaarde on 16 June, then a series of actions at Hooge to the east of Ypres. The 3rd Division was involved on 19 July, the 14th Division on 30 July, and the 6th Division on 9 August. This preceded the great British and French offensive at Loos which took place from 25 September to 8 October. 9

The Western Front from Belgium to northern regions of Pas de Calais and Nord, France saw the full might of the destructive capability of modern, industrial warfare and the losses of men and materiel were felt on an unprecedented scale. It is within this scenario that Kitchener’s volunteers, men of his New Army, the citizen battalions from areas such as the coalfields of County Durham marched on the 22 May 1915.

7 www.1914-1918.net/14div.htm 8 “The Durham Forces in the Field 1914-1918 Vol.2 - The Service Battalions of the Durham Light Infantry” Captain W Miles, 1920. Note: Morant reports that they left Aldershot for Folkestone at 8pm on the 21st arriving at Boulogne at about 1am. 9 www.warpath.orbat.com/battles_ff/1915.htm [site no longer live]

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21/22 MAY 1915: ARRIVAL IN FRANCE AND THE WESTERN FRONT

The men of 10 DLI could hear the noise from artillery batteries as they exchanged their murderous fire.10 They moved through the towns and villages of Volkerinckhove, Noordpeen, Caestre. On 8 June at Bailleul, the battalion was employed in the construction of trenches and breastworks, then onto Canada Huts, Dickebusch, where they were shelled occasionally. They marched onto huts at Rozenhill and then the trenches near St. Eloi where they were subject to their own guns firing upon them.11 Welcome to the Western Front!

12-20 JUNE 1915: TRAINING FOR TRENCH WARFARE 12

12 June, 10 DLI marched to Danoutre where they were attached to the 46th (North Midland) Division for eight days of training in trench warfare. Here, Second Lieutenant Fairbairn was killed by a rifle grenade, seven other ranks (ORs) were killed and 13 were wounded. Later research records the following casualties:

14 June:

 18914 Private C Forster aged 28 died of wounds, buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension

 13442 Private T Stalker aged 35 died of wounds, buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension

17 June:

 19458 Private J Blenkinsopp died of wounds, buried at Packhorse Farm Shrine Cemetery

19 June:

 15188 Private P Welsh aged 30 died, buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension

10 Morant p.16 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.33] 11 Morant p.19 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.38] now called friendly fire 12 Morant p.20 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.39], Officers Died in the Great War (ODGW), Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW), the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), Miles reports 21 casualties p.14

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20 June:

 Second Lieutenant GE Fairbairn aged 26 died of wounds, buried at Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension

 4/8712 Private G Lumsden aged 20 killed in action, buried at Packhorse Farm Shrine Cemetery

 17511 Private T McHugh killed in action, buried at Lindenhoek Chalet Military Cemetery

 24300 Private W Ritchie aged 20 killed in action, buried at Packhorse Farm Shrine Cemetery

 20789 Lance Corporal H Wallace aged 36 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

There are nine casualties recorded by Officers Died in the Great War (ODGW) and Soldiers Died in the Great War (SDGW), rather than the eight reported by Morant. The explanation for the addition casualty may be that Lance Corporal H Wallace was reported as “missing” at the time and not confirmed as killed in action.

The tour for trench training coincided with British attacks at Bellewaarde (16 June) and Hooge (19 June) and a trench occupied by 6th Battalion, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was blown up by the Germans, tremendous rifle fire followed but no attack materialised. 40-50 casualties resulted from this explosion.

10 DLI then moved to billets known as Peaceful Farm, two miles west of Poperinghe. Morant stated:

“Our training over we were to enter into the real thing at last.” 13

Two officers, Wylie and Morant, went to inspect the trenches which the battalion was to occupy, riding through the wrecked market town of Ypres. The Brigade HQ and an Advanced Dressing Station were based in the cellars of the Ecole de Bienfaisance, formerly a government school which the German artillery was attempting to destroy, along with the rest of the town. 10 DLI was to take over trenches occupied by 5th Battalion King’s Own Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI), and partly from the Rifle Brigade. The trenches had recently been captured from the enemy and had not been fully reconstructed. There were dead Germans and some

13 Morant p.21 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.40]

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British corpses in the trenches. Sniping and a hostile bombardment cut short their visit.

24-29/30 JUNE 1915: FIRST TOUR OF THE TRENCHES

24 June, 9.30am 10 DLI marched to Ypres, and at 8.30pm they were met by guides at the Lille Gate. Each company was led into its trench. A non-commissioned officer (NCO) was killed by a stray bullet (Corporal Emmerson, see below). The disposal of the Brigade was:

 6 Somerset LI – Railway Wood sector on the left

 10 DLI – Y Wood sector on the right

 6 KOYLI – GHQ Line

 6 DCLI – Ramparts in Ypres

A map in Morant’s memoirs14 shows the positions of 10 DLI companies. The frontage held by the battalion was about 600 yards, and with about 700 men occupying the trench, it was held very densely. There were no dugouts, only sandbag shelters.

27 June, during the morning and again at 8pm, Major Chapman’s trench was heavily bombarded. There was heavy sniping. The trench occupied by D Company, was whizz-banged, B Company’s trench was bombarded and evacuated. Carrying and digging parties suffered during this bombardment. The battalion was relieved 29/30 June.

Morant arrived at the Brigade HQ in the Ramparts at 5.00am. The building had been set on fire by the German bombardment. Casualties of the first tour of the trenches included two officers killed, Major Chapman and Captain James, and two wounded, Captain Saunders and Second Lieutenant Sewert. There were 54 wounded amongst the ranks, 13 killed. Later research records the following casualties:

24 June:

 20736 Corporal RG Emmerson killed in action, buried at Perth Cemetery (China Wall)

14 Morant no page number [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.41]

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25 June:

 Captain W James aged 31 killed in action, buried at Bedford House Cemetery

 16609 Private H Dunn aged 26 killed in action, buried at Perth Cemetery (China Wall)15

26 June:

 12414 Lance Corporal H Wilkinson aged 20 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

27 June:

 Major HR Chapman killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12719 Private R Vasey killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

28 June:

 17726 Private G Walker aged 19 died of wounds, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20664 Private R Baker killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12810 Private TW Curry aged 23 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 17432 Private T Lowe aged 21 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 21380 Lance Corporal T Turner aged 42 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

29 June:

 21474 Private JW Ramsey died of wounds, buried at Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery

15 Recorded as 26 June 1915 by CWGC

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 23101 Private J Bell aged 26 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 19537 Lance Corporal WP Elliott aged 23 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20729 Private W O’Brien killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 24305 Private T Preston aged 22 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12767 Private T Reay killed an action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20806 Private AE Smith aged 32 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

Later research records that there were two officers and 16 ORs killed in action or that died of wounds during this period, rather than the 15 reported by Morant.

The following week, two ORs died of wounds. It is possible that they succumbed to wounds received during their tour of the front line. They were:

3 July:

 12547 Private F Cummins aged 39, buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

4 July:

 20718 Private T Stones aged 20, buried at Etaples Military Cemetery

During their rest period, the battalion was employed on fortifying a line of farmhouses at a location west of Vlamertinghe south of the main road. At night a few working parties helped to construct a redoubt at Ypres, behind the White Chateau.

18-27/28 JULY 1915: SECOND TOUR

18 July, the battalion moved up to the front for its second tour and spent the first four days in reserve on the Ramparts at Ypres during which time the 3rd Division blew a mine at Hooge and reoccupied the crater. The enemy retaliated with a huge bombardment.

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22 July, 10 DLI relieved the Somersets in Railway Wood. It was thought that there would be a German attack 26 July but this did not materialise and the battalion was relieved “in peace” by the Oxfords during the night of the 27/28 July. 16

Casualties: Morant questioned whether two officers were casualties. Later research records that there were no officer fatalities but three other ranks were killed in action:

20 July:

 12038 Sergeant S Stoddart killed in action, buried at Bedford House Cemetery

25 July:

 19306 Lance Sergeant J McGrother aged 34 killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 15248 Sergeant R Newton killed in action, commemorated on Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

10 DLI marched to billets [bivouacs] west of Vlamertinghe and north of the Vlamertinghe-Poperinghe road.

29 July at 3am, the battalion received orders to be ready to move at 30 minutes notice. That morning the Germans attacked the crater and trenches at Hooge with liquid fire. The British forces retired 400-500 yards to the edge of Zouave and Sanctuary Wood to the 41st Brigade’s sector. At 11.45am, orders were received to march to the Lille Gate, Ypres seven miles away. The Ramparts were reached by 2.30pm. A heavy artillery exchange ensued and a counter attack was proposed.

30/31 JULY-6 AUGUST 1915: THIRD TOUR 17

30 July at 11pm, 10 DLI relieved units of the 41st Brigade in Zouave Wood [see map18] and intense shelling commenced, which continued until dawn. A British bombardment had been a “complete fiasco…entirely ineffective” and no progress had been made against the German machine guns. In fact, Morant learnt later that the guns had not been registered on these new German positions.

16 Morant p.29 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.53] 17 Morant p.30-38 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.55-70] and Letter dated 29 October 1928 Morant to Edmonds [online p.56] regarding the Official History 18 Morant no page number [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.58(2)]

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At 8.30pm 10 DLI was ordered to leave the Lille Gate with guides to “the scene of the action.” On arrival, Morant was summoned to the Brigade HQ and told by General Nugent to prepare for an attack at dawn. Fortunately, this order was cancelled and “a colossal slaughter” was avoided. A, B, and C Companies relieved the Rifle Brigade, and D Company was placed in reserve in dug-outs in Sanctuary Wood. Zouave Wood and the surrounding trenches were a mass of corpses of Rifle Brigade and the King’s Royal Rifles Corps. In fact, the 41st Brigade was “practically wiped out and demoralized.” The DCLI held the right of Zouave Wood, and 10 DLI the left. About midnight a tremendous bombardment began and shells streamed into Zouave Wood, machine gun and rifle fire played on both Zouave and Sanctuary Woods. By dawn the bombardment ceased.

Following this activity, and not knowing the exact situation on the ground, 31st Division HQ asked Morant “if we still held the front edge Zouave Wood.” Morant sent D Company from Sanctuary Wood forward to the north apex of the Zouave Wood where they found part of the trench along the north east of Zouave Wood adjoining 10 DLI C Company evacuated by the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (DCLI). D Company therefore occupied it. There was no offensive action required. During the night of 31 July/1 August enemy shelling commenced at 9pm and continued until 1am. It was more intensive than the previous night but no enemy attack followed.

1 August 1915, in the morning, Morant visited the trenches held by 10 DLI and found many Rifle Brigade dead. Heavy sniping into Zouave Wood continued all day and Captain RW Braithwaite was killed.19 DCLI lost more heavily than 10 DLI. 200 reinforcements, provided by a pioneer battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, were sent up the line. At 5pm, Morant visited his HQ to find a few men packing up. Apparently, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) had gone back about a mile to another dugout, and presumably these officers were following them. Without any further instructions, orders or advice Morant returned and “settled down for another night.” This turned out to be the worst yet experienced.

At 9pm an intense bombardment began:

“Every sort of noise was made, the bulk of the shells again falling into Zouave Wood. Braithwaite had been killed during the day by a rifle bullet, Martin was blown to bits in the telephone dugout, Ritchie, Marchant, Atkinson and Emley were wounded. Our men sat tight in their trenches which were very bad but the wounded poured into my HQ where a Doctor called Mackenzie did splendid work. The bombardment ceased about 12 or 1am. Again HQ was not shelled. A Company had had the worst time

19 ODGW records his death 31 July rather than 1 August 1915

Page 11 and lost about 70 men. Parke left in command. Our losses were two officers killed and six wounded and about 170 men killed and wounded during the two nights.

Company Sergeant Major Harrington, A Company was badly shocked and concussed. He had been behaving very gallantly setting a fine example.

Martin and Braithwaite killed, Unthank, Atkinson, Cherry, Emley, Marchant, Ritchie, wounded.”20

2 August, relief came with the arrival of one or two companies of the Somerset Light Infantry. A Company was relieved first and sent into Sanctuary Wood.

3 August, the remainder of the Somersets arrived and took over the front line, the rest of 10 /DLI withdrew into reserve at Sanctuary Wood that evening. The area was much quieter but machine gun and rifle fire inflicted some casualties.

4 August, Morant reconnoitred the area and after the Royal Engineers had marked out a line, the battalion dug out a supporting trench to the wood, always known as Durham Trench. Over two nights Lieutenant CE Pumphrey had placed wire entanglements along the whole length of the front.21

6 August, in the evening 10 DLI was relieved by the 6th Division (which included 2 DLI) and the battalion left for bivouacs west of Vlamertinghe. The town was shelled as they marched through.

Later research records that two officers and 32 other ranks were killed in action or died of wounds over this period:

30 July:

 12445 Private GT McGarr killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

31 July:

 Captain (temporary) RW Braithwaite aged 39 killed in action killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12316 Private JD Adams killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

20 Morant p.35-36 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.64-66] 21 Miles reports this as 1 August 1915

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 16655 Private JD Armstrong killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12085 Private P Boyle killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 16226 Lance Corporal WC Carling aged 23 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 11793 Private F Cooke killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 11870 Private H Davies aged 20 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 24284 Private G Davis aged 18 killed in action, buried at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

 12374 Lance Corporal JT Forster killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12081 Private M Hannah killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12001 Private J Henderson aged 32 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12794 Private AH King aged 19 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20774 Private T Mulligan killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 14090 Private H McPhearson killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 13288 Private R Park aged 22 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 8695 Lance Corporal CE Perkins killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 11940 Private W Pollitt killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

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 12423 Private E Singleton aged 31 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12473 Sergeant F Stevens killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12422 Private W Surtees killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 9907 Private C Telford killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 21478 Lance Corporal F Trevitt killed in action, buried at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

 12982 Private R Wilson aged 29 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 17961 Private A Wright aged 27 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

1 August:

 Captain (temporary) JK Martin aged 31 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12310 Private JW Anderson aged 25 killed in action, buried at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery

 12381 Private R Davison killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12383 Private HW Lumley killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12474 Private J Shaw aged 28 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 7817 Private T Stone aged 29 killed in action, buried at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery Special Memorial22

22 CWGC records his death as 2 August 1915

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2 August:

 18290 Private C Hagan killed in action 23

 20590 Private T Watson killed in action, buried at Sanctuary Wood Cemetery Special Memorial

3 August:

 10495 Private F West aged 33 died of wounds, buried at Lijssenhoek Military Cemetery

At Vlamertinghe, there was little shelter against the elements and it rained during the first night. 9 August, the battalion was ordered to be ready to move at 30 minutes notice. They returned to the trenches the following day having had little rest. Following a week long bombardment, at dawn, the 17th and 18th Brigades, Sixth Division attacked the lost positions at Hooge. 2 DLI was supported by the Sherwood Foresters and Shropshire LI and took the enemy trenches without much difficulty but suffered heavily in the subsequent bombardment. An order to retire was not received and about 100 ranks of the 2 DLI hung on all night. They suffered 498 casualties.24

10-14 AUGUST 1915: FOURTH TOUR: Y WOOD SALIENT 25

10 DLI relieved the 5th Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. The trenches in front of Y Wood had been destroyed after the German bombardment of the Hooge trenches. Dead were lying unburied. In view of the potential for further artillery bombardment, the line was thinly held with D Company in the Salient, and C Company at positions H.17 and H.18. After two nights these companies were relieved by B and A Companies. The line was whizz-banged by the enemy and shelled by the British artillery killing several men.

14 August, Morant was wounded in the right leg by a shrapnel bullet. He was evacuated to the Field Ambulance at Poperinghe then the Casualty Clearance Station (CCS) at Abeele. On 16 August, he had the bullet removed. From the CCS he went via hospital train to Boulogne, then to Etaples to the Duchess of Westminster’s Hospital for further treatment to the wound. 25 August he travelled by hospital train to Calais, thence by hospital ship to Dover and onto King Edward VII

23 CWGC – I have not been able to trace this soldier here 24 Morant p.39 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.72] 25 Morant p.40-43 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.74-78]

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Hospital, Grosvenor Gardens, London. On 1 September, he was transferred to Lady Aberconway's Hospital for Officers, in Belgrave Square. 13 September, Morant was seen by a medical board and granted leave until 13 December.26 He seems to be back in the trenches in the Wieltje Sector by 15/16 December 1915.27

Meanwhile, back to August and 10 DLI was relieved by the KOYLI and went into the Ramparts at Ypres in reserve.

15 August, nearly all the ranks were employed on digging duties when the Ramparts were heavily shelled. With Lieutenant Colonel Morant wounded, Major St. John was left in command. After a couple of days at the Ramparts, the battalion went back to Railway Wood. 28 It was relatively quiet but nevertheless 15 ORs were killed in action or died of wounds. They were:

10 August:

 11881 Private W Watson aged 26 died of wounds, buried at Le Treport Military Cemetery

11 August:

 14972 Private M Bowman aged 30 died of wounds, buried at Etaples Military Cemetery

 3/11628 Private S Bailey killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20741 Private B Readshaw killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

13 August:

 17881 Lance Corporal JF Benbow aged 30 died of wounds, buried at Le Treport Military Cemetery

 9150 Private J Boyers killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

14 August:

 18291 Private J Dixon died of wounds, buried at Etaples Military Cemetery

26 Morant p.43-46 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.78-80 then 86] 27 Morant no page number [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.105] 28 Morant p.46 [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.86] and Miles p.16

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 3/10954 Private J Fleetham aged 27 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12041 Corporal W Gargate aged 24 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 12293 Private R Heslop aged 21 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

 20973 Private W Lloyd aged 21 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

16 August:

 26125 Private TW Wheatley died of wounds, buried at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery

17 August:

 12369 Private TW Clark aged 24 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

19 August:

 12150 Corporal O Greenslade aged 21 killed in action, commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial

24 August:

 24314 Private WJ Brown aged 32 died of wounds, buried at Watou Churchyard

The next major action for 10 DLI was to be 25 September 1915, and an account by JB Resher dated 29 September 1915 is provided in the memoirs, since Morant was in hospital undergoing treatment for his wound. 29

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12358 Private Fred Richardson

Returning to my personal interest, I do not know the exact date when my grandfather was wounded since his service and pension records have not been traced. I can only surmise that he was one of the many wounded during the engagements

29 Morant no page number, [DCRO D/DLI 7/1230/3 http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/material/21/ p.81-85]

Page 17 between 14 June and 24 August 1915. There are questions which cannot be answered:

 When was he wounded?

 Where was he treated?

 When was he discharged?

 To which battalion was he posted upon his return to service?

There is a record that he served with 2 DLI viz. the roll of individuals entitled to the Victory and British War Medals granted under Army Orders 301, and 266 of 1919 Roll B Supplementary Sheet No. DLI/8859. However, a report prepared by Jack Cavanagh (of the Western Front Association) in April 2004 for my uncle, Morris Richardson, states that Private Fred Richardson was wounded by shellfire probably 12 March 1916 whilst serving with 10 DLI at Agny, near Arras, France. Presumably, it is this wound which led to him being discharged on 31 October 1916. We are uncertain from where this information was referenced which raises further questions as to his service, 2 DLI and/or 10 DLI?

12358 Private Fred Richardson was awarded the Silver War Badge30 and the 1914- 15 Star, the British War, and Victory medals. 31

30 Roll of Individuals entitled to the War Badge 25 June 1918 Badge no. 423687 31 Medal Roll card index