Postwick War Memorial 3

A great deal of research has already been done on the WW1 only names on the memorial at the Roll Of Honour site - :

www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Postwick.html

 

Any information taken from that source is identified as (RoH) and is not intended to infringe any copyright.

 

BALDERSTONE Edmund Augustus …………….(RoH)

Corporal 21328. 8th Battalion Border Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 5th July 1916. Born Lexham, Norfolk. Enlisted Norwich. Commemorated: Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. Pier and Face 6 A and 7 C.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=772119

Norlink

 

The 1901 and 1891 Censuses have no match for an Edmund or an Augustus. The 1901 Census has one Balderstone recorded as being born at Lexham, but her name is Mary and by the time of the Census she is in North Yorkshire as a live in servant. Mary does not appear to be on the 1891 Census.

 

Edmund gets a mention on a family tree web-site, which confirms he was born East Lexham 17th August 1888 and died on the Somme, 5th July 1916.

balderstonesofnorfolk.co.uk/wc_idx/Descendants of John BALDERSTONE.pdf

 

After being engaged in a disastrous action near Ovillers on the 3rd, the 8th Borders appear to have been out of the line on the 5th, but more research is needed to confirm this. (The battalion were in the 75th Brigade of the 25th Division).

www.1914-1918.net/border.htm

forum.irishmilitaryonline.com/showthread.php?t=9058

 

 

BARKER Stephen Clare …………………………..(RoH)

Private 22759. 9th Battalion Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 15th September 1915. Born Postwick. Enlisted Norwich. Could not find on CWGC.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=769542

 

The CWGC entry tells us he was 20, gives the year of death as 1916 rather than 1915, and tells us that he was the son of Mr & Mrs Robert Barker, High House, Postwick.

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

 

On the 1901 Census, the 5 year old Stephen is living at Marsh Road, Postwick - the village of his birth. This is the household of his parents, Robert, a 39 year old Teamman on Farm who comes from Postwick, and Caroline, (also aged 39 and from Postwick). Their other children are Bertie, (aged 7), Lily (aged 13), Louis, (aged 10), Mary (aged 2), and William, (aged 14 and a Stable Boy on Farm).

15th September 1916 Battle of the Somme

The last great Allied effort to achieve a breakthrough came on 15 September in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette with the initial advance made by 11 British divisions (nine from Fourth Army, two Canadian divisions on the Reserve Army sector) and a later attack by four French corps.

The battle is chiefly remembered today as the debut of the tank. The British had high hopes that this secret weapon would break the deadlock of the trenches. Early tanks were not weapons of mobile warfare—with a top speed of 2 mph (3.2 km/h), they were easily outpaced by the infantry—but were designed for trench warfare. They were untroubled by barbed wire obstacles and impervious to rifle and machine gun fire, though highly vulnerable to artillery. Additionally, the tanks were notoriously unreliable; of the 49 tanks available on 15 September, only 32 made it to the start line, and of these, only 21 made it into action

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Flers-Courcelette

 

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....

 

151 Soldiers of the 9th Battalion appear to have died on this day on the CWGC database.

William Aldis, age 25 of Alpington, Norfolk

Herbert Aldis, age 22, his brother, of Alpington, Norfolk

Kenneth Alexander, age 23, of Long Stratton

Frederick Bailey

William Baker, age 29, born Shropham nr Thetford, resident Watton

W M Bale, age 23 of Broome, Bungay

Robert Barber

Stephen Barker, age 20, of Postwick, Norwich

Richard Barnes

2nd Lt John Bashford

Percy Bayes

William Beck, age 19, of Brundall

Arthur Betts

Edward Betts, age 33, of Great Melton

William Bezance, age 21, of Great Yarmouth

John Bird, age 27, of Seething

William Bloomfield, age 20, of Roydon, Diss

John Blowers, age 40, of Castleacre, Kings Lynn

Augustus Bolderstone, age 22, of Burnham Thorpe

Burrel Bond

H Bradbrook, age 20, native of Overstrand

Albert Brock, age 27, Hardwick

A W Brooks, age 32, North Pickenham

Paul Samuel Brooks, age 35, Filby and Norwich

James Brown

Bertie Brown, age 29, from Norwich

Arthur Bryant, age 22, of Winfarthing

Richard Bullard

Frederick Burton

James Bussey, age 26, of Langley

William Butcher

Richard Carver

W Carver

Albert Caston

James Catchpole, age 22, of Dickleburgh

Alfred Clarke,

Frederick Clarke, age 21, of Gorleston

C Clarke

Geoffrey Collins, age 20, of Great Yarmouth

Charles Constable, age 19, Albany Road, Catton, Norwich

Albert Copeman

James Curry

W Dann

Robert Davey, age 32 from Bermondsey, London

Frederick Dawson, age 20, of Burnham Thorpe

Captain William De Caux

W Dewing, age 19, of Great Walsingham

George Dixon

D Doran

George Douglas

Company Sergeant Major Samuel Earnshaw, age 32, of Grant Street, Norwich

Sidney Easter

George Ellis

Arthur English

E L Fawkes, of Narborough

Herbert Fisher, age 21, of Stoke Holy Cross

Leonard Foster

F A Fox

Edward Francis

Robert Futter

Fernby Gamble

John Garner, age 21, of Bluebell Road, Eaton, Norwich

Thomas Gent, age 24, of Feltwell, Brandon

H W Gibbons, age 22

Robert Goatson

Robert Godbolt

Lieutenant John Goddard, age 21, of Harrow, Middlesex

M F Gotts

Austin Gower age 24 of Wortwell

John Green, age 27, of Castleacre, Kings Lynn

Henry Grimmer, age 23, of Haddiscoe

Arthur Groom

Louis Gunton

Francis Gurney, age 20, of Fenny Stratford, Bucks

Charles Gutberlet

George Hagon

Arthur Halls, age 25

William Harnwell

A W Harrison

J E Hayes

Frederick Helsdon

Sam Hendry

William Heyhoe

Christopher Horn, age 24, of Thetford and Garboldisham

Matthew Howling, age 21, of Brisley, Elmham

W Huggins

E R Hunt

Sidney James

Frederick Kenny

Charles Kettle, age 32, of Felbrigg

George Kitchen, age 37, of Diss

E A Lambert, age 24, of Saxlingham

C E Larkins

Joseph Larter, age 28, of Swainsthorpe

G Lawes

Charles Lawrence, age 21, of Harpole, Northamptonshire

Sidney Laws, age 21, of Stradsett

Alfred Layton

Harry Leggett, age 26, of Wymondham

Ernest Leman

Douglas Lidington, age 37, of London

Edwin London, age 25, of Great Yarmouth

Charles Love, age 19, of Elmham

Thomas Masters, age 26, of Docking

R Mayes

A Meachen

Cecil Meek

Alfred Merton

George Mooney, age 23, of Pimlico, London

John Moore

Hugh Morter, age 27, of Hoveton St Peter

James Moy, of Kings Lynn

Charles Nash

Cecil Newton

F Nunn, age 20, of Eccles near Attleborough

John Osborne, age 22, of Harpley

James Palmer

Walter Peake, age 21, of Roydon, Diss

William Peeling

William Pidgeon

William Pinner, age 31, of Little Snoring and East Harling

Sergeant Benjamin Povey, age 30, of Newbury, Berks

B A Preston, age 30, of Bale, Melton Constable

Ernest Pye

W Quantrill, age 19, of Millers Lane, New Catton, Norwich

Frank Raines

Herbert Ramm

W F Read, age 18, of Swaffham and West Raynham

Sergeant Albert Reece, age 28, of Cardiff

Robert Reeve

Harry Rowell

F Rush

Walter Sargent, age 24, of Maida Vale, London

Rudolph Saunders

Sidney Smith age 24, of Northrepps and Norwich

George Smith

Benjamin Snelling

Frederick Sowells

Reginald Staff

Aubrey Stone

Henry Suffling, of Kentish Town, London

George Temple

Thomas Tooley

George Townshend

William Turner, age 26, of Thorpe Market

Bertie Wakefield, age 23, of Guist

Archie Ward

Thomas Warnes

George Watson

Richard Webb

 

There are five more men from the 9th listed as dying on the 16th September, with three buried in cemeteries associated with the casualty clearing stations set up to deal with the seriously wounded of the Somme battles. The other two are listed on the Thiepval monument as having no known grave.

 

DREWRY George ………………………(RoH)

Private 1460. 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 20th September 1914. Aged 25. Born Norwich. Enlisted Fakenham. Son of George and Bridget Drewry, of 1, Harbour Rd., Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich. Commemorated: La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, Seine-et-Marne, France.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=878446

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

 

The 1901 Census finds the 14 year old George working as a Milk Car Driver. While this doesn’t quite tie in with him being 25 in 1914, I suspect it is the right individual. Having been born in Great Plumstead, (Not Norwich), he was by now living at Hall Lane, Postwick, with his parents, George, (aged 45 and a dairyman on farm, originally from Gt Plumstead), and Bridget, (aged 40 and from the same village). The rest of their children are Dorothy, (aged 5), Kate, (aged 16), Mary, (aged 8), Robert, (aged 21 and a Milkman on Farm), and Walter, (aged 12),

 

There are many units serving with the British Expeditionary Force, (BEF) who have the battle honour Action on the Aisne Heights, 20th September 1914. This includes the 1st Northumberland Fusiliers. However the internet seems to be less than forthcoming. It would appear that following defeat on the River Marne earlier in September, the German Army retreated to the line of the River Aisne, whose steeply rising heights, and the excellent arterial road, the Chemin des Dames along the top seemed an idealdefensive position. The French and the BEF pursued them , and between the 10th to 15th September, they crossed the river and fought their way onto the heights, seizing part of the Chemin des Dames. The only reference I came across to the events of the 20th, was a reference to 6th Division troops, newly arrived in France who were marched up to the Chemin des Dames on the 21st to relieve a number of units who’d taken a hammering fighting off the sustained German counter-attack the previous day.

 

EDWARDS William Bruce ………………….(RoH)

Private 41657. "W" Company, 1st Battalion, Essex Regiment. Formerly 5464 Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 14th April 1917. Aged 38. Born and lived Postwick. Enlisted Norwich. Son of John and Mary Anne Edwards, of Postwick. Norwich. Commemorated: Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bay 7.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1541240

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

 

The 1901 Census has the 22 year William B Edwards living at Marsh Road, Postwick and working as a Carter on Farm. This was the village of his birth. The address was the household of his parents, John, (aged 69 and a General Farm Labourer), and Mary A, (aged 59), both natives of Postwick. Also living with them are son Henry, (aged 40, Single, and a General Farm Labourer), and Samuel, (age 23, Single and a Cowman on Farm).

 

Thu., Apr 12, 1917

The Bn. marched from billets at FOSSEUX to ARRAS (abt 10 miles) and on arrival was at once ordered to proceed with the remainder of the 88th Bde to relieve the 37th Bde near MONCHY-LE-PREUX. The Bn arrived at ARRAS at 3pm and left to carry out the relief 4 miles off at 6.30pm. Owing to intense congestion on the road and other delays the relief was not completed until 3am on 13th.

Prior to leaving ARRAS orders had been issued for an attack on the German line in company with the 1st NFLD to be made on the 13th at an hour to be notified later.

The attack was to be made from an Assembly trench which was to be dug on the night of the 12/13 by 2nd Hants, 4th Worcs were in support to the attack.

Owing to the late hour at which the Brigade relief was completed & consequent impossibility of making adequate preparation for the attack the operation was postponed.

At daylight therefore on the 13th the Brigade was situated as shown in the attached map.

At 11am orders were received to make the attack at 2pm. These orders also were cancelled a few minutes before Zero.

During the night 13/14 the 2nd Hants dug the required assembly trench and operation orders were issued to the Bn. by Lt. Col. Halaham. App. B.

At 5.30am on 14th the barrage fell and the battalion left the trench & carried out the assault.

In spite of a certain weakness of the barrage the objective was gained and by 6.30am all companies had reported that they were busy digging in.

In the mean time "X" Coy detailed to form a flank guard to the thence attacking Coys had at once come in contact with the enemy.

Therefore acting under Capt. Foster's orders No. 5 Platoon got into shell holes at about 0 1b 8.1 and opened fire. No. 8 Platoon being checked by machine gun fire from ARROW COPSE No 7 was directed to outflank this copse with the result that No 8 could again get forward , capturing the 2 machine guns & driving the enemy out of the copse. The small wood at O 2a 7.5 was also in hostile occupation but was cleared by Lewis Guns & Rifle Grenades. The Company then moved forward to the N. end of the copses where all platoons came under fire from a line of hidden machine guns. The company now began to form the chain of strong points as detailed in operation orders.

 

From this point no further definitive news could be gathered as to the fate of this company. A few men eventually rejoined the battalion & from their statements it is certain that all Platoons their proper positions where they were at once attacked by very superior German forces & were finally overwhelmed in these positions at a time between 6.30 and 7.30 am.

The main attack by the remaining 3 Coys having reached their objective by 6.30 am started to dig in and reports were sent back to Bn. Hqrs that large forces of the enemy could be seen in the BOIS du SART & the BOIS des AUBE PINES and that all covering parties were sent forward were at once coming under heavy machine gun & rifle fire.

It became apparent rapidly to the Coy commanders that an immediate counter attack was being prepared and this also was reported to Bn. Hqrs. These reports were confirmed by two Coy commanders in person returning wounded from the main attack. [Capt Tomlinson, Capt Caroline]

Steps had already been taken to get the Artillery on to the points where the enemy was reported to be massing but owing to the destruction of the wires by shell fire it was an hour before the guns opened fire.

By 7.30am the counter attack had fully developed in all its strength of at least 9 battalions. The weight of the attack seams to have come from the N. East & thus fell on "X" Coy. This Coy in spite of a stout resistance was gradually overwhelmed. Vide app. C.

From 7.30 onwards no reports, messages or wounded men arrived at Bn Hqrs or the Aid Post it is therefore apparent that "X" Coy having been overrun the hostile forces got between MONCHY & the attacking Companies of the Essex & NLFD. No men have returned from these Companies.

As soon as it became clear that MONCHY itself was being attacked patrols were put out from Hqr party to hold street barricades in MONCHY. No German succeeded in entering MONCHY. It must be remembered that during all this time the town was under an intense enemy barrage thus rendering it almost impossible to reinforce or support the two Battalions & making the work of the respective Hqrs parties extremely arduous.

Except for a certain amount of support from the 4th Worcester & 2dn Hants they fought on alone & these two battalions broke up a German attack designed not to drive them back but to retake MONCHY itself.

Appendix C. contains a copy of the Special Order issued by the G.O.C. 88th Bde.

Of the Officers who went into action the following is killed : 2/Lt. L. Cousins.

The following are wounded :- Capts R.E.G. Caroline, J. Tomlinson, Lieuts ?.W.J. Taylor

R. Eastwood. 2/Lt's H. Ockendon, S. ?. Andrew, F.W. Barker.

The following are missing :- Capt H.J.B. Foster, Lt C.R. Brown, 2/Lts A.L. Piper, S.N.R. Eyre, C.H. Feline H.R. Newth, P.W. Coombs, L.F. Portway; G.W. Turk.

Total casualties 17 officers & 644 OR. out of a strength of 31 officers & 892 O.R.

 

 

Sun., Apr 15, 1917

The remnants of the Battalion were now withdrawn & went to billets in ARRAS.

 

1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=594...

 

LEGGETT Cecil George …………………….(RoH)

Rifleman 45201. 16th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps. Formerly S/303537 Royal Army Service Corps. Died of wounds in France & Flanders on 27th October 1918. Born Harlesdon, Norfolk. Enlisted Norwich. Son of Mrs. Holmes, of Church St., Bawburgh, Norwich. Buried: Awoingt British Cemetery, Nord, France. Ref. I. F. 18.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=536637

 

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

 

There are two likely Cecil Leggetts on the 1901 Census for England and Wales, but neither were born in Harlesdon. One, aged 7 was living with his Grandfather at Pulham St Mary, while the other was aged 21 and lived on Bury Street, Norwich with his 74 year old widowed mother. Of the two, I presume its more likely our chap was the 7 year old, but none of this provides a link to Postwick.

 

The Battle of the Selle 1918, (17th to 25th October) had involved the 16th Battalion, as part of 100 Brigade, 33rd Division.

www.ordersofbattle.darkscape.net/site/warpath/divs/33_div...

www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_selle.html

 

 

PRIMROSE (The Rt. Hon.) M.C. Neil James Archibald …(RoH)

Captain (The Rt. Hon.). 1st/1st Battalion Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars. Killed in action on 15th November 1917. Aged 34. Second son of 5th Earl of Rosebery (the former Prime Minister) and Countess of Rosebery; husband of Lady Victoria Primrose (now Lady Victoria Bullock), of Swynford Paddocks, Six Mile Bottom, Newmarket. Privy Councillor and Member of Parliament for Wisbech Division, Cambs. since 1910. Awarded the Military Cross. Buried: Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel. Ref. D. 49.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=653139

 

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

No obvious match on the 1901 Census for England and Wales, but if he was a career soldier, he could have been serving overseas at that time.

 

Created a Privy Counsellor in 1917, he was killed in November at Gezer during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign while leading his squadron against Turkish positions on the Abu Shusheh ridge during the Third Battle of Gaza.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Primrose_(politician)

 

fp.underw.f9.co.uk/bucksrems/casualties/m1131.html

hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1917/nov/19/death-of-...

 

There is a photograph of Neil Primrose in the Library of Congress collection on Flickr

www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3121124446/

The British Jewry Book of Honour lists three Rothschilds who had commissions in the regiment during the First World War. One of them, Major Evelyn Achille de Rothschild, was wounded on 13 November 1917 in the cavalry charge at El Mughar in the Palestine campaign and died four days later. His cousin Neil Primrose also fell. He was the son of Hannah Rothschild who, to the chagrin of both families, married the 5th Earl of Rosebery. Neil Primrose, Evelyn de Rothschild's cousin, also served in the Royal Bucks Hussars in Palestine. He was killed on 15 November 1917.

www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/snillop.htm

 

www.firstworldwar.com/source/jerusalem_masterman.htm

 

 

TURNER Alfred Edward…………………..(RoH)

Serjeant 16837. 7th Battalion Norfolk Regiment. Killed in action in France & Flanders on 13th October 1915. Aged 30. Born Blakeney, Norfolk. Enlisted Norwich. Son of Edward Clifford Turner and Anna Turner. Commemorated: Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 30 and 31.

CWGC: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1771046

 

Or Could be: www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=31860

Name: TURNER, ALFRED EDWARD

Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Norfolk Regiment Unit Text: 9th Bn.

Age: 30 Date of Death: 21/09/1916 Service No: 15323

Additional information: Son of John and Elizabeth Turner, of Walcot, Norfolk; husband of Mrs. N. Turner, of Colby, Long Rd., Aylsham, Norfolk.

Grave/Memorial Reference: I. H. 9. Cemetery: GROVE TOWN CEMETERY, MEAULTE

 

The 9th Battalion soldier was living at Bell Yard, White Street Martham at the time of the 1901 Census, having been born at Rollesby. He was aged 15 and employed as a Hay Trusser. This was the household of his parents, John, (a 44 year old Domestic Coachman), and Elizabeth, (aged 45). Their other children are Andrew, (aged 8), Charles, (aged 16 and a “Stoke Freeder on Farm”), and Rosetta, (aged 5)

 

No obvious match on the 1901 Census for the 7th Battalion man

 

Norlink - No Picture in the Archive.

 

Done