Robert Godbolt - Great War Memorial

A scroll commemorating the death of Robert Godbolt currently (June 2018) forms part of an exhibition on Feltwell in the Great War which is being staged in the church of St Mary, Feltwell.

 

The Roll of Honour in the same church records Robert Godbold.

 

But the War Memorial in the churchyard of St Mary records him as Robert Godbold.

 

That man on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website is:-

Private GODBOLT, ROBERT

Service Number:……………… 18128

Died:………………………….. 15/09/1916

Unit:……………………………9th Bn., Norfolk Regiment

Commemorated at THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

Source: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/748801/godbolt,-robert/

 

Soldiers Died in the Great War records that Private 18128 Robert Godbolt was Killed in Action on the 15th September 1916 whilst serving in France and Flanders with the 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. No place of birth or residence is shown. He enlisted at Norwich.

 

The Medal Index Card for Private 18128 Robert Godbolt, Norfolk Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/8/40535

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3351796

He qualified for the 1915 Star, having landed in France on the 23rd September 1915.

He also qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The relevant Medal Roll confirms he only served with the 9th Battalion.

His card notes that he was “K in A 15-9-16”.

 

His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Other Ranks Army Service Records were stored.

 

No match on Picture Norfolk, the county image archive.

 

No obvious Missing Person enquiry received by the International Red Cross in either surname.

 

The Army Register of Soldiers Effects records that he was Killed in Action on the 15th September 1916. The balance of his pay was sent in February 1917 to his Grandmother and sole legatee, Mrs Hannah Nicholls. In October 1919 Hannah would also be paid his War Gratuity.

 

The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for 18128 Robert Godbolt who died on the 25th September 1916.

probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=Godbolt&Su...

 

From the edition of the Eastern Daily Press dated Thursday October 19 1916.

 

Mr. Ashfield Godbold, the Heath, Feltwell, has received official information that his second son, Private Robert Godbold, has been killed in battle. He was in the Norfolks and was 21 years of age.

 

Thomas William Gent from this village, also died in this action and is remembered on the War Memorial,

 

1896 – Birth and Baptism…………..

 

The baptism of a Robert Ashfield Goldbolt, born 28th March 1896, took place in the Parish of St Mary and St Nicholas, Feltwell on the 7th June 1896. Parents were Ashfield, a Labourer, and Emma Louisa. The family reside in the parish.

Source: www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818f8ffe93790eca32d2af...

 

There was no straight match in the Civil Birth records for Robert Godbolt, but based on the details in the Baptismal Roll and the Census I took a look for births of a Robert recorded in the Thetford Registration District in the first two quarters of 1896. One stood out – the birth of a Robert Ash Godbold was registered in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1896.

 

1901 Census of England and Wales

 

There was initially no obvious match for Robert on this census – I had to find him on the 1911 census and work back using the details of the other family members. Even then it was not straightforward. The Genealogy source I use for basic census look-ups had transcribed the family surname as “Godholt” and looking at the scan of the original page I would say they did well to even get that, so stylised is the census takers handwriting.. The family were living in Chapel Yard, Feltwell. Parents were Ash, (30, Ordinary Agricultural Labourer, born Feltwell) and Emma, (aged 29, born Brandon, Suffolk). Their other children living with them are:-

Charles……aged 7…..born Brandon

Robert…….aged 5…..born Feltwell

Ash……….aged 2……born Feltwell

 

The death of an Emma Louisa Godbolt, aged 37, was recorded in the Thetford District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1910.

 

1911 Census of England and Wales

 

The 15 year old Robert Godbolt, a Cow Keeper on Farm, born Feltwell, was recorded living at a dwelling on Chapel Street, Feltwell. This was the household of his widower father, Ashfield, (aged 40 and a Farm Labourer & Rabbit Catcher, born Feltwell). Also in the household are his unmarried sons:-

Charles……aged 17…born Brandon, Suffolk…Horseman on Farm

Ashfield…..aged 12….born Feltwell

Percy……..aged 9……born Feltwell

Fred………aged 6……born Feltwell

 

 

On the day……………………….

 

The attack was to be made by the 9th Norfolk Regiment, to the right of the 1st Leicester Regiment, each with a front of about 250 yards. They lined up in a sunken road behind the main trenches, which were manned by battalions of the Suffolk Regiment and the Sherwood Foresters. As they waited to attack at 5.50 am, the tanks moved forward. There were three supporting the 6th Division, of which two broke down, while the third tank (in front of the Norfolks) was badly shot up by German machine gun fire and lost its bearings. Accounts vary as to what exactly then happened. One version states that the unsighted tank began firing into a trench packed with the waiting Norfolks until Lieutenant Crosse leapt out to wave the tank away.*

 

Another version states that “its periscope was shot away, its peep-holes blinded, was riddled with armour-piercing bullets, and had to come back without achieving anything”

 

Whether or not the Norfolk Regiment had already suffered ‘friendly fire’ casualties, the tragedy was that a 200 yard gap in front of the battalion had been left unscathed by artillery so that the barbed wire (which should have been crushed by the tank) was still in place. Despite that, the Norfolk men still went over the top to attack the German lines at the Quadrilateral. Any artillery barrage on the German trenches had by then passed over and they attacked up a slope into withering fire.

 

Amazingly, Major Bradshaw and about 40 men reached as far as the wire by 11.45 am and attempted to dig in. The rest of the battalion who had survived were scattered in shell holes behind. They were ordered to try to work round the flanks of the Quadrilateral to allow reserves to make a direct assault. The manoeuvre was unsuccessful and the Norfolk Regiment was withdrawn at midnight.

 

As the 14th Durham Light Infantry arrived from the reserves, they discovered the trenches ‘full of dead and wounded Norfolks and Suffolks’. They helped recover the wounded in pitch darkness while clearing the trenches and improving the position

 

Cecil Upcher had been lucky not to have been included in the attack (he was attached to battalion HQ), as he would almost certainly have been another casualty. He commented in a letter the following day: “It is sickening the poor old 9th got it again in the neck. They never have the luck. The men were marvellous, going up under violent rifle fire at the walk, most of them smoking pipes or cigarettes. I think 4 officers were killed so the percentage was small – Decaux, Bashforth, Phelps and another possibly. Being only more or less a spectator this time from the front seats I saw a good bit and some of the splendid things that were done.”

www.hiddenlives.org.uk/blog/2016/06/2nd-lieutenant-jfc-ba...

* Lyn Macdonald: Somme (London, 1983), page 276 – Crosse was one of those wounded in the action

 

There's a thread here which gives some info about 15th September 1916 (including a blue-on-blue with a tank): 1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=162861

Lynn MacDonald (in her great book "Somme") says of the action: They had planned to send three tanks into subdue the Quadrilateral 20 minutes before the troops went over at zero hour. One tank broke its tail on the way up. Another developed engine trouble. The third appeared but, unlike the solitary tank which so dramatically subdued the Germans resistance at Delville Wood, it made a tragic error. Lurching along beside what its crew took to be a Germans’ frontline trench they sprayed it with machine gun fire. The trench was packed with soldiers. The kill was enormous. But it was a British assembly trench and the soldiers were men of the 9th Norfolk’s waiting to go over the top. It was Captain Crosse who put a stop to that. He leapt out of the trench and rushed up to the tank whose guns were still blazing. It was difficult to make himself heard above it pandemonium, but furious gesticulation was enough. The tank swung away and was last seen tuning to the north, moving parallel to Straight Trench. Straight Trench was the German front line running between the triangle and the Quadrilateral.

 

A personal diary of a Dennis Douglas from Cawston who was wounded on this day has been transcribed here:-

www.cawstonparish.info/ww1diarydd.htm

 

September 1916:

We were moved up in stages and by the 10th of the month, had dug in, at the appropriately named “sand pits”. The shelling, which had increased with everyday, now was like steam trains thundering over our heads. Sleep was something to dream about.

 

On the 14th we moved up to a once wooded area. It was a shell pocked landscape of half buried tree stumps. We had little or no cover and set about digging in. Major Turner and Captain Robinson were organising the effort to construct some kind of shelters, when a shell scored a direct hit on their, so called, command post. I noticed George had become seriously withdrawn and ghost like. This was the first action of any consequence he had been in. We had little time to collect our thoughts or dead and injured. At 10pm we were ordered to move up to our start line for the morning attack.

 

September 15th 1916, 1am:

Eventually we made it to the line of trenches held by the Suffolks. The chaos was total and it took our senior officers an age to get some sort of order. At 5.50am a strange mechanical thing ground its way through our line. Like some mobile pill box. Later I was told this new metal war machine was called a Tank. Sometime later we were ordered to form up and prepare to advance; I kept a watchful eye on George. When the time came Lientenant Garnham blew his whistle and we climbed over the top.

My heart was pounding fit to burst, and I was feeling light headed. I lost sight of George and just kept heading forward in a low, stumbling stoop. All around me was the whizzing of bullets and the crash of shell fire. The churned up earth felt more like a porridge mixture. At last I caught sight of George in a group of men being led by Major Bradshaw. As I tried to reach them I felt a sting in my right leg and was spun round and fell to the ground. For a moment I looked up into the sky and wondered if this was my lot. I must have passed out, as the next thing I remember, two privates from the Suffolks were dragging me towards their trench.

 

22nd September 1916 continued:

Still today I do not know what has happened to George. Some of the lads who survived with me, believe he was lost with Major Bradshaw in front of the strong-point called “Quadrilateral”. Before leaving France I heard the battalion had been stopped by uncut wire and over half had lost their lives. So many friends and George were unaccounted for.

 

(The George referred to is Private 40010 George Dennis Douglas who also came from Cawston)

 

What is known is that on 15th September the battalion was engaged in very heavy fighting as part of the Battle of the Somme and had taken up a position near the village of Ginchy in order to attack a German strongpoint called ‘the Quadrilateral’. As part of this attack the British were to use a new weapon for the first time; the tank was to be used to help punch the way through. It was hoped that the very presence of such a weapon would help to carry the day but unfortunately for the Norfolks the new weapon was to prove disastrous.

 

Tank tactics had yet to be worked out and little or no exercises had been conducted between the infantry and the tankies. Instead of being used en masse the tanks were used in penny packets all along the line and their effectiveness was thus reduced. Three tanks were supposed to precede the Norfolks twenty minutes before they went over the top. Two of these broke down. The third became totally disorientated and mistook the Norfolks forming up trench for the German front line and began to saturate the whole length of the trench with machine gun fire. A great many Norfolks were killed or wounded before one of the company officers managed to stop the tank and point it in the right direction. Despite these enormous losses the battalion managed to advance but was held up in front of uncut barbed wire that a preliminary bombardment was supposed to have cut. Here they were pinned down for most of the day, all the time being subject to German shellfire and casualties rose. On this single day the battalion suffered 432 casualties, about half their strength.

 

www.oldbuckenham-pri.norfolk.procms.co.uk/pages/viewpage....

 

Tank Involvement.

 

C Company (part) intended to get 6 tanks into action on 15th September 1916

 

4 section (part),

C19, 705, “Clan Leslie”, Maj Holford Walker A

C20, 523, Lt MacPherson G

C22, 533, Lt Henriques B>/i>

 

705 and three female tanks were photographed in Chimpanzee Valley prior to the battle

IWM Q 5576: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205194579, X1.p78, X42.p2, X60.p36

705 was also photographed and filmed moving up ChimpanzeeValley:

IWM Q 5572: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205191441

IWM Q 5573: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205184938, on-line image unavailable (Oct 2013), X1.p80

IWM Q 5574:

IWM Q 5575: www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205196000, X42.p3

 

 

705, 523 and 533 were to support the 6th Divisions attack on the Quadrilateral, a gap was left in the artillery barrage to allow them to advance and subdue the enemy whilst the infantry advanced.

 

705 and 523 both failed to make the start.

 

533 started on time apparently fired on the 9th Norfolks, and may have prompted the Germans to bring down a barrage on them; a British officer remonstrated with the tank and it set it on the correct path. It reached the Quadrilateral and fired on the Germans therein, the Germans replied and armour piercing sMk bullets penetrated the tank, wounding several of the crew. The tank withdrew whilst the infantry advance was halted by heavy German fire and the intact wire.

 

At 1pm 513 and C20, 523 both set out to support a renewed attack on the quadrilateral, the attack was cancelled but not before both tanks were penetrated by Smk bullets and 2Lt Macpherson was mortally wounded.

Source: sites.google.com/site/landships/home/narratives/somme1916...

 

C22 (no 533 - female). Tasked to clear the Quadrilateral to the north east of Ginchy. Moved up in concert with C19 arriving at the start point in good time. The fuel had fallen to less than half a tank but 16 gallons were obtained by his Section Commander (Archie Holford Walker) by 2.30 am. Henriques recce the route and ground before leaving the RV at 4.00 am. Tank reached a point 500m behind the front line by 5.00 am and then stopped. By 5.45 am tank was up to the British trenches but then reversed 20m to avoiding the infantry in the area being hit by German artillery fire aimed at the tank. As tank moved up to the start point, the tank crew fired on 9th Norfolks (believing they were enemy) and created several casualties. Tank Comdr was directed on his route by a Coy Comd of 9th Norfolks and arrived on the objective at zero hrs, 500m forward of the British lines. There tank enfiladed the German objective, with machine gun fire, whilst the infantry advanced. Tank then moved north; whilst so doing, it was badly damaged by German armour piercing bullets, the crew were injured and Henriques and his driver were partially blinded. The tank withdrew once the Infantry arrived on the location, to avoid the tank being captured; however the tank was hit by German artillery fire

· 2Lt Basil Lucas Quixano Henriques. Born 17 Oct 90, Basil was educated at Locker's Park School (as did Macpherson some years later), Harrow and University College Oxford, Henriques dedicated his life to public and social care in the East End of London. In early 14, he founded a boys club and convinced his future wife, Rose Loewe,to found a similar club for girls the same year. A tall man (6 ft 3 in) he was commissioned into the East Kent Regt and was attached to the MGC with George Macpherson on 14 Apr 16. He married Rose on 19 Jul and deployed to France on 24 Aug 16. Having recovered from the wounds to his face and legs, and overcome severe depression, Henriques was posted to Bovington where he instructed on tank and tactics. He later served with G Bn as a Recce Officer and was awarded Italian Silver Medal in Jan 18. Ax exceptionally spiritual man, he published “Prayers for Trench and base” for use by Jewish soldiers. On relinquishing the Army, he and Rose established St George’s Settlement Synagogue from where they ran a pioneering youth club; the club being opened by the local MP Clement Attlee with whom Basil served at Bovington. A JP, Basil was Chairman of the East London Juvenile Court from 1936 to 1955. He was awarded the CBE in 1948, for his youth work, and knighted in Jan 1955, for his lifetime of service. He died, following a heart attack, on 2 Dec 61. In his will he left funding for many charities but also to establish a scholarship for a graduate of University College Oxford to support his studies on theological and social work.

· 2230 Cpl R Paterson deployed to France on 24 Aug ’16 and probably the left hand gearsman. Possibly 200532 Cpl Roger Paterson.

· 2930 Gnr Reginald Harry Fisher born Reepham Norfolk in late Mar 97. A butcher's assistant, he volunteered for service in early Mar 16. Attested at Norwich, he joined the MMGS at Coventry. Moved to Bisley on 16 Mar, approved for MMGS on 20 Mar and transferred to MGC 1 Apr. Wounded during the opening days of the Battle of Arras but not evacuated. Attended gunner trg at 2 Tk Bde 6lb School from 19 to 26 May and then at the Tank Driving School at Wailly from 11 to 16 Jun. He was appointed LCpl on 21 Nov 17 and can therefore assumed to have fought at Battle of Cambrai. Granted UK leave from 15 to 30 Dec 17. Remained with C Bn for the remainder of the war, reaching the rank of Sergeant in No 6 Coy. He moved with C Bn into Germany after the war; in Jan 19 returned to Germany and transferred to 12th Bn where he served with the BAOR. Sought release from service as he had volunteered for the duration of the war only. He later returned to Norfolk and in 1925 he was still living at the Mark Place in Reepham.

· 2932 Gnr F Raynor deployed to France on 24 Aug ’16. Possibly 200594 Pte Frank Raynor Tank Corps

www.firsttankcrews.com/tankcrewsc19c24.htm

 

Done