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The Royal Naval Division 1914-1919 World Naval Ships Forums Archive


The Royal Naval Division 1914-1919


Posts 1 to 37


When the First World War began, the Reserves of the Royal Navy were found to have a surplus of thousands of sailors even though the warships were fully crewed. This war would be conducted mainly on land so there was an obvious solution. Reserves, reserve personnel from the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Fleet Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and a brigade of Royal Marines, Royal Navy and army personnel were brought together at Crystal Palace to form the Royal Naval Division (RND) in September 1914. The RND was commonly known as "Winston's Little Army" because it was founded by Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty. The Royal Naval Division fought alongside the army but at first the Admiralty retained control. This contributed to tensions around the RND, as did their observance of naval traditions; for example, the RND used naval ranks, they flew the white ensign, they were allowed to grow beards and they remained seated during the toast to the King's health. The names of the battalions reflected naval history. Initially they were: 1st Brigade: Collingwood, Hawke, Benbow, Drake 2nd Brigade: Howe, Hood, Anson, Nelson 3rd Brigade (Royal Marines): Portsmouth, Plymouth, Chatham, Deal The RND transferred to France in May 1916. The following month the Division was transferred to Army control. From this time they were known as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division and they were supplemented by army battalions: 188th Brigade: Anson, Howe, 1 and 2 (Royal Marine) Battalions 189th Brigade: Drake, Hood, Nelson, Hawke 190th Brigade: Honourable Artillery Company, 7 Battalion Royal Fusiliers, 4 Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, 10 Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers The Royal Naval Division was demobilised in France in April 1919 after an inspection and an address by the Prince of Wales. In June 1919 the Division took part in its final parade and was disbanded. I'm afraid that joining the navy didn't work out as a way to avoid the slaughter on the Western Front. They went too. Total casualties killed wounded and missing were 44829
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And famously fought at Gallipoli alongside the 29th Div. Using .303 rifles that took a different bullet to the .303 issued to the 29th Div. Just another disastrous mistake made at Gallipoli.

[B]Summary history of the division [/B] At the outbreak of the War, there was a surplus of some 20-30,000 men on the Reserves of the Royal Navy who would not find jobs on any ship of war. It was recognised that this was sufficient to form two Naval Brigades, and a Brigade of Marines. The Royal Marine Brigade was formed at once, and was moved to Ostende on 27th August 1914, although it returned 4 days later. On 20th September it arrived at Dunkirk with orders to assist in the defence of Antwerp. The two other Brigades moved to Dunkirk for the same purpose on 5th October 1914. In the haste to organise and move the units to Belgium, 80% went to war without even basic equipment such as packs, mess tins or water bottles. No khaki uniform was issued. The two Naval Brigades were armed with ancient charger-loading rifles, only 3 days before embarking. The Division was orginally titled the Royal Naval Division, and was formed in England in September 1914. At this stage, it had no Artillery, Field Ambulances etc. [B]The Defence of Antwerp[/B] RND units that withdrew from Antwerp returned to England, arriving 11th October 1914. Approximately 1,500 troops of the 1st Royal Naval Brigade crossed the Dutch frontier and were interned in the Netherlands. After a lengthy period of refit and training (scattered in various locations, and still short of many of the units that ordinarily made up the establishment of a Division), the Division moved to Egypt preparatory to the Gallipoli campaign. [B]Gallipoli[/B] By the end of the Division's part in the Gallipoli campaign, very few men with sea service remained. The Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29th April 1916, and was redesignated the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19th July 1916. The Division moved to France, arriving Marseilles 12-23rd May 1916, after which it remained on the Western Front, participating in the following actions: The Battle of the Ancre (tenth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) Operations on the Ancre The Second Battle of the Scarpe (second phase of the Arras Offensive) In the above action, the Division captured Gavrelle. The Battle of Arleux (third phase of the Arras Offensive) The Second Battle of Passchendaele (eighth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) The Action of Welch Ridge The Battle of St Quentin (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The First Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918) The Battle of the Canal du Nord (third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Passage of the Grand Honelle This unique Division was demobilised in France by April 1919. It had suffered over 47,900 casualties. Order of Battle [B]1st Royal Naval Brigade[/B] By April 1915, this was redesignated 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the Brigade was redesignated 1st Brigade. The Brigade was broken up on 2 July 1916, the staff joining the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. 1st (Drake) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916) 2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916) 3rd (Benbow) Bn (joined August 1914, disbanded 9 June 1915) 4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 30 May 1915) 5th (Nelson) Bn (joined by April 1915, left May 1916) 7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1915. Split into 1/Hood and 2/Hood Bns during the period 1 June - 5 July 1916. Left July 1916) 12th (Deal) Bn (joined 12 March 1915, left 30 May 1915) [B]2nd Royal Naval Brigade[/B] By April 1915, this was redesignated 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade. In July 1915, the Brigade was broken up. It reformed on 2 August 1915, and was redesignated 2nd Brigade. It was further redesignated the 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade, on 7 July 1916, and on 19 July 1916, 189th Brigade. 1st (Drake) Bn (joined by 5 July1916) 2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined May 1916) 4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined 30 May 1915, disbanded 9 June 1915) 5th (Nelson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by April 1915, rejoined May 1916) 6th (Howe) Bn (joined August 1914, left July 1916) 7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 2 August 1915 and rejoined July 1916) 8th (Anson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by May 1916) Chatham & Deal Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 1st Bn , Royal Marines ten days later; left May 1916) Portsmouth & Plymouth Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 2nd Bn , Royal Marines ten days later, left May 1916) The battalions of both above Brigades were redesignated by April 1915. e.g. 6th (Howe) Bn became Howe Bn. 189th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 188th Brigade 8 May 1917 originally as 224th Brigade MG Company to but transferred to 189th on 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 189th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916) [B]Royal Marine Brigade[/B] By April 1915, this was redesignated 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the 4 Battalions of the Brigade were reorganised into 2; these units were then transferred to the 2nd Brigade. The Royal Marine Brigade ceased to exist. Royal Marine A. Bn (joined August 1914, left 31st August 1914) 9th (Chatham) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 10th (Portsmouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 11th (Plymouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 12th (Deal) Bn (joined 31st August 1914, left 12 March 1915, rejoined 30 May 1915) [B]3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade[/B] On arrival in France, 22 May 1916, the Royal Marine Brigade was reformed as this unit. On 7 July 1916, with the staff of the 1st Brigade, it was redesignated the 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. This was itself redesignated 188th Brigade on 19 July 1916. 6th (Howe) Bn (joined July 1916) 8th (Anson) Bn (joined May 1916) 1st Royal Marines (joined May 1916) 2nd Royal Marines (joined May 1916) 2nd Bn, the Royal Irish (joined April 1918) 2/4th (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined August 1915, left January 1916) 188th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 4 August 1916, transferred to Base Depot 17 May 1917. 223rd MG Company arrived 8 May 1917 initially with 189th Brigade, but transferred 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 188th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916) [B]190th Brigade[/B] The Brigade was formed in July 1916. 7th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined July 1916) 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Bedfords (joined July 1916) 1/4th Bn, the KSLI (joined August 1917, left February 1918) 10th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (joined August 1916, left June 1917) 1/1st Bn, the Honourable Artillery Company (joined July 1916, left June 1917) 1/28th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined June 1917) 2/2nd (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined October 1915, left January 1916) 190th Brigade Machine Gun Company (moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 190th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 25 July 1916) [B]Divisional Troops[/B] 14th (Service) Bn (Severn Valley Pioneers), the Worcesters (joined June 1916) Armoured Motor Machine-Gun Squadron (joined 17 March 1915, left late May 1915) 223rd Machine Gun Company (joined 7 September 1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 1 March 1918) No 63 Machine Gun Battalion (formed 1 March 1918) [B]Divisional Mounted Troops[/B] Royal Naval Divisional Cyclist Company (broken up June 1916) [B]Divisional Artillery [/B] CCXXIII (H) (1/IV Home Counties) Brigade, RFA (joined 9 June 1916, broken up 26 July 1916) Divisional artillery joined in July 1916, having been transferred from the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division, TF. CCCXV (2/I Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, left 11 February 1917) CCCXVI (2/II Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, broken up 31 August 1916) CCCXVII (2/III Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916) CCCXVIII (2/IV Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined July 1916) 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column V.63 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (joined from 29 July 1916, when a single weapon arrived; broken up 2 February 1918) X.63, Y.63 and Z.63 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (joined 5 July 1916; on 2 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) [B]Engineer Units, RE[/B] RE Detachment of 2 officers and 32 other ranks arrived France with the Royal Marine Brigade on 20 September 1914. 247th Field Company (Originally No 1 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 248th Field Company (Originally No 2 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 249th Field Company (Originally No 3 Company, joined on Gallipoli in July 1915; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 63rd Divisional Signal Company [B]Field Ambulances[/B] No 1 Field Ambulance No 2 Field Ambulance No 3 Field Ambulance These units were redesignated , e.g, 1st (R.N) Field Ambulance, on arrival in France RND Divisional Train ASC (joined in Egypt 26 March 1915, the two original Companies left 15 March 1916; replaced by complete Divisional Train in France 14 June 1916. Train renumbered 63rd on 19 July 1916, composed of 761, 762, 763 and 764 Companies ASC.) 19th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 31 March 1915, left 18 February 1916) 53rd Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 18 June 1916) Royal Naval Sanitary Section ( joined in Egypt 30 March 1915; remained in Egypt when Division moved to France) 63rd Sanitary Section ( formed 31 May 1916, left for First Army area 8 April 1917) [B]Divisional command [/B] Br-Gen. Sir G. Aston (21/09/1914) Sick Br-Gen. A. Paris (29/09/1914) Maj-Gen. A. Paris (03/10/1914) Wounded Br-Gen. C. de Rougemont (12/10/1916) Acting Maj-Gen. C. Shute (17/10/1916) Maj-Gen. C. Lawrie (19/02/1917) Maj-Gen. C. Blacklock (30/08/1918)

What an extremely thorough post! I understand that the division came together at the instigation of Churchill. I do know how thoroughly competently they fought at Gallipoli. I believe there that they were issued with the Mark 6 0.303 whereas the rest of the troops at Hellas had the Mark 7. Apparently different ammunition was needed for each model and this caused many problems there.

For those interested in researching family links to the RND, [B][url]www.findmypast.com[/url] [/B]may be the first place to look. [B]The Jack Clegg Memorial Database of Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War [/B] is a uniquely accurate and comprehensive register of the deaths of servicemen of the Royal Navy who served in the Royal Naval Division (RND) in the Great War, compiled from original service records and all other sources listing RND casualties. As the title suggests, this database is dedicated to the memory of CH/19403 Private John (Jack) Clegg RMLI, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, Royal Naval Division, who was "wounded and missing" at the Battle of the Ancre 13/11/16. The author, Jack Marshall, is the great nephew of Private Clegg. Pictures of Jack Clegg, as well as many other images relating to the Royal Naval Division are available to view for free on this site. [B]Definitive Roll of Honour for The Royal Naval Division[/B] Originating from a desire to list the names of all those killed with Private Clegg in the 1st Royal Marine Battalion on the Ancre 13/11/16, this database has been compiled in order to "set the record straight" and provide a definitive Roll of Honour for the RND. This database effectively rewrites the Royal Naval Division casualty lists, due to the great many errors and omissions discovered during research and compilation. Over the last six years, well over 100 cases were forwarded to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the names of approximately 70 RND servicemen have now been added to their Registers.

In 2003 the national memorial to the RND was returned from Greenwich to its original site on the corner of Horse Guards Parade opposite St James's Park in central London. It is tucked between the Old Admiralty Building (now part of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office) where Churchill worked when First Lord, and the Citadel (a naval communications centre from WWII still I think manned by matelots). The monument was officially unveiled in 1925 by Winston Churchill, but was dismantled and put into storage in 1939 when preparations were made for war. The memorial was rebuilt at Greenwich in 1951, but when links with the Royal Navy were severed with the closure of the Greenwich College the memorial was returned to its original site. On its return it was re-dedicated by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The memorial commemorates some 45,000 men of the Royal Naval Division who laid down their lives in the 1914-1918 war. The words on the memorial are taken from Rupert Brooke’s poems “1914. III. The Dead”. Blow out, you bugles, over the rich dead There's none of these so lonely and poor of old But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold These laid the world away, poured out the red Sweet wine of youth, gave up the years to be of work and joy, and that unhoped serene that men call age, and those who would have been their sons they gave, their immortality. Rupert Brooke was himself an officer in RMD and took part in the disastrous Antwerp expedition in October 1914. In February 1915, he set sail for the Dardanelles. On board ship he developed septicaemia from a mosquito bite. He died on 23 April 1915 on a hospital ship off the Greek island of Skyros and was buried in an olive grove on the island.

Brooke's funeral was attended by the high and mighty. That they took time off from the Gallipoli planning shows the high regard they felt for the man. And how apt his famous poem became: There is a corner of a foreign field ... ... A sad and tragic loss. I've often wondered what he might have created had he survived. Too many significant men died in WW1 Significant meaning that they were leaders in a particular field. For instance, Henry Mosely, the discoverer of the atomic number of the elements, was also killed at Gallipoli. He would have undoubtedly received the Nobel Prize had he lived. He was a signaller. What a loss. What where they doing allowing men like this to go to war???

through reading this post I have just found out what RFR finally means, thank you. I have my Grandfathers record and a lot of it is confusing. He joined the Navy as a boy2 in 1915 at aged 16. J46647 He trained on land and ships until he went to sea on the Berwick in June of 1916. He stayed with the ship till Aug 1918. Then went on the Attentive 2 (Morris) dont know what Morris means. He then changed to SS 120468 as a stoker and served on the Grafton and Tiger. Upon his release Dec 7th 1922 it says paid war gratuity HMS Europa and war gratuity HMS Grafton. Reccomended for R.F.R. and there is an Unemployment Ministry of Labour Stamp 25117. Does this mean he did not join the R.F.R.? and if he did is there a way of looking up these records too. Kind of a long post for a first time but am so confused with these records.! Any help would be appreciated. Regards, Dave Gee

Hello Limey Interesting in as much as serving on the Berwick, she was the cruiser that rammed and sank the Destroyer HMS Tiger. I presume the Tiger he served on was her namesake the Battle cruiser Tiger. Here are three of the ships that he served on. Also the destroyer Tiger thet was sunk by the Berwick. Bob.
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Re: Rupert Brooke. In the 1950s and 60s, a ship from the Med Fleet, usually a destroyer or frigate was detailed off to Skyros to attend ,clear,and maintain the gravesite each year. In 1953, a ship from the Commonwealth Fleet cruise, assembled after the Coronation Fleet Review, did the job, whilst Lagos and Diamond attended in 1957 and 1961 respectively. Skyros was not the holiday mecca it is today and I wonder if that tradition continues. Rob T

I'm sure it does. A man of this significance is probably known to all.

Okay Apart from collecting this and that, I've also got a small space for items relating to the Royal Naval Division including kit, badges, photos and stories. Will use this section to give some of these an airing so to speak This first one shows Lt E Copeland RND MG Bn The photo resided in my collection for a few years and then sold on, recently seen it go thru ebay for a sum quite more than that price originally sold for.... bugger LOL Danny
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This one shows a Royal Naval Division AB, dated about 1915 and before the introduction of the Tommies Steel Helmet. Danny
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G'day all' The words of Winston Churchill need no embellishment. Unveiling of the R.N.Division memorial 1925 We are often tempted to ask ourselves what we gained by the enormous sacrifices made by those to whom this memorial is dedicated.But that was never the issue with those who marched away.No question of advantage presented itself to their minds.They only saw the light shining on the clear path to duty.They only saw their duty to resist oppression,to protect the weak.to vindicate the profound but unwritten law of nations.They never asked the question "what shall we gain?" They only asked the question "where lies the right?".It was thus that they marched away for ever.And yet from their uncalculating exaltation and devotion,detached from all consideration of material gains,we may be sure that good will come to their countrymen and to this Island they guarded in it's reputation and safety,so faithfully and so well. Best regards Sid

For those interested in the history of the Royal Naval Division Leonard Sellers published a series of quarterly magazines from June 1997 (Issue 1) through to March 2003 (Issue 24). ISBN 1368-499X refers. This monumental work and absolute mine of information ran to 2443 pages and included three separate indexes. After publishing Volume 24 Len decided that it was becoming very labour intensive to print and publish the quarterly volumes although he stated there was still extensive material available and it was intended that future issues would be made on CD. Although I may be wrong I do believe that this idea was never pursued and the total work ran in the end to the original 24 volumes plus three indexes. A great work if any one is interested in the subject. Individual copies do come up for sale on E-bay but whether at this stage it would be possible to collect the full set is open to question. My copies were bound and I feel very privileged to own these volumes and very grateful to Len for the tremendous amount of work he put into the project. stontamar

I too have the printed editions from Len, whilst not bound and stored mine are in a binder of sorts and weighing heavily on a set of wooden shelves that make noises everytime you walk past them! Excellent source of information for the researcher Danny

AB John Allan, Clyde Z/3996 RNVR was a member of Anson Battalion of the Royal Naval Division. He fell on 24th April 1917 and his name appears in bay 1 of the Arras Memorial. He was a member of the family of a friend of mine who has the "Death Penny" that was sent to the family in commemoration. This is a resin copy I made of the disc.
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That is an amazingly good copy of the Death Penny-when I first saw it I thought it was real-did you copy it for a purpose

I first saw a death penny set into a headstone in a burial ground some distance from here. Mentioned it to my mate who produced the original of my copy and allowed me to take a mould of it. I made a couple of copies for myself and another ex Sapper who collects militaria. I also have a pewter copy but the definition is not so good as when they are resin cast. For info of others doing this kind of thing, the mould is made in RTV(Room Temperature Vulcanising) silicone rubber which sets quite quickly. With plasticene and card or hardboard a vertically placed disc could be copied. The resin is 'extended' by adding up to 50% by weight of inert filler powder and the brassy finish is achieved by rubbing on "Finger Gold" an oil paint product obtainable through art and craft outlets.

All too Hi Tech for me to assimilate I'm afraid-but it sure is a nice piece Mine are originals, to my Grandfathers. PS Maiwand jainso31

I raised a post recently about the dead mans penny it is in the W.W.1 anything else section. Cheers Stan

My small contribution to this section is a picture of The Hood Battalion badge. bert.
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[B][B]The Royal Naval Division[/B][/B] fought throughout the Great War and was in F&F from 1916-1918 in all the major battles including the Somme,Arras,Passchendaele,the German Spring offensive of 1918 and the Final 100 Days to Victory. The Division suffered almost 48000 casualties in that war. jainso31

The initial batch of RND comprising of RM, RFR & pre-war RNR & RNVR who mobilized in August 1914 were sent directly to camps in Walmer and Bettshanger in Kent where they waited under canvass for a call to action. Following the Battle of the Aisne, attention turned to the Channel ports because their importance in supplying the BEF. On 2 Oct. 1914 the Germans broke through near to Antwerp, driving back the Belgian army and threatening to seize the port. In response Churchill (as First Lord of the Admiralty) sent the RND to support and reinforce Belgian forces in the defence of Antwerp. The RND was in truth a slender military asset, hastily assembled without clear orders and lacking equipment. Following the disintegration of the Belgian defenders, the RND was ordered to retire to Zwyndrecht 14 miles west of Antwerp. However the situation was fairly chaotic and not all battalions received the order, and soon after all cohesion was lost. The RND expedition to Belgium suffered the loss of 7 officers and 53 men. Another 37 officers & 1,442 men made it over the border to Holland (where they were interned for the duration) and a total of 5 officers & 931 men were taken prisoner by the enemy. Meanwhile Crystal Palace had been established in mid-September 1914 as a training depot to deal with the surge in enlistment consequent on the outbreak of hostilities. Crystal Palace recruits were therefore used to rebuild the battalions lost and depleted in the abortive defence of Antwerp. As we know, the RND then went on to serve in Galliopli in 1915, and then in May 1916 it transferred to France. The following month the Division was placed under Army control and from this time on they were known as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division. Michael

AHOY THERE what an interesting and thorough post,, i have recently been to belgium and france and posted a thread on the subject ,and whilst i wouldnt want to take any thing away from our army counterparts , i am glad to find like minded souls who care enough to publicise, the RN In wwi i have been to a cemetry in ancre on the somme and seen for myself the sacrifice my forbears made as i am ex RNR my self and felt a great empathy with them more so than the army lads i did spend time with them in silent contemplation and my thoughts and prayers go out to them peter EX HMS SUSSEX RATING.............................
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For their first action on the Western Front the RN Division was exceptionally well prepared, as little as possible had been left to chance with orders and training carried out to ensure that officers and men understood what was required of them, and what to expect in the way of difficulties. The 189th Brigade formed up on the right of the Division, with its right flank on the road and railway line running immediately alongside the river. The Hood (on the right) and Hawke Battalions were in the lead with the Drake and Nelson Battalions in the second line. Behind them were 1st HAC and 7th Royal Fusiliers from 190th Brigade. To the left of the 189th, the 188th Brigade were to advance along the upper slope, with the Howe Battalion and 1st RMLI leading and the Anson Battalion and 2nd RMLI behind. The two remaining battalions of the 190th: 4th Bedfords and 10th Royal Dublin Fusiliers, were to their rear. A number of things had been learnt by the British throughout the summer of 1916, and the system of attack was for the first wave to take the German front line and to remain and consolidate it whilst the Battalions in the second line moved on to the preliminary objective in a leap-frogging motion. The change of leading troops would continue until all three objectives had been achieved. The objectives The British front line was where you will find the Ancre British Cemetery today. Almost immediately between here and the Station the Germans had their first trench system — a veritable maze of front line and communication trenches wrecked by shell fire. Just to the right of the cemetery is a point in the marsh that was known as The Mound From the railway station there is a road which runs up the ridge from the café towards Beaumont. Just above this is a ridge running behind the road which formed the Germans’ 3rd line of defence and the Division’s first objective on what was annotated on the maps as the Green Line. The Mound was to be taken by a designated company of the 1st HAC (Honourable Artillery Company) who were then to clear along the railway line to ensure that the far right of the attack was safe. The top of the ridge at the Beaucourt Trench formed the second objective or Yellow Line. From, here the Division was to press on to the Red Line and its final objectives which were the village of Beaucourt itself and the Muck Trench behind it. The entire attack would be (as usual) uphill and within the field of fire from machine guns from both flanks — one of the major reasons for the 36th Division’s inability to advance on 1st July across exactly the same terrain. Unlike the hot summer’s day which had opened the battle in July; November 1916 found the ground a quagmire. At 0545 hours under the cover of the artillery barrage the leading battalions made good progress but at the cost of severe casualties from enfilading fire. Lt Colonel Tetley, commanding the Drake Battalion was mortally wounded and the CO of the Hood Battalion: Lt Colonel Freyberg found himself leading not only his own men but those of Tetley’s Battalion as well. By 0645 hours Freyberg had managed to take his first objective along with hundreds of prisoners. On his left though the Hawke and Nelson Battalions had encountered very stiff opposition with the CO of the Hawke Battalion wounded and that of the Nelson killed (Lt Colonels Wilson and Burge). Lt Colonel Burge is buried in Hamel Military Cemetery To their left the 188th Brigade were having an equally difficult time with 1st RMLI on the extreme left losing every Company Commander in the opening charge. The Germans had been far from idle during their long stay in the area and they had constructed a well connected system of defence incorporating the local medieval tunnels and catacombs This meant that in places machine gun posts were well concealed and specially adapted to provide enfilading fire against any attackers. Three in particular, which had escaped discovery and were not shown on any of the British maps, had caused terrible damage to the attacks made by the 188th Brigade and the left of the 189th. Following General Shute’s decision to use the 190th Brigade to press forward, the intermingling of units on the hillside became even greater and the confusion no less so. In the valley Freyberg advanced again at 0745 hours with his two battalions and part of the 1st HAC. Within an hour and a half he was confident enough that he could take the village of Beaucourt. However; with the left flank of the Division still hanging in the air, General Shute told Freyberg to hold fast whilst the artillery continued with the bombardment and the 188th Brigade attempted further attacks across its front. By early evening darkness had fallen and the position remained as much as it had for the afternoon with Freyberg and his assortment of troops in a line from the railway at the southern edge of Beaucourt stretching across the front of the village and into the second German communication trench — Redoubt Alley. The rest of the advance had been badly held up in the front line but they were in contact with the 51st (Highland) Division on their left who had taken the infamous Y Ravine. In the 190th Brigade it was only 1st HAC who were still recognisable as a single unit, the remainder had become intermixed with other units. The fall of Beaucourt: 14th November 1916 On Freyberg’s right, II Corps had taken St Pierre Divion on the afternoon of the 13th and men from the 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment had been ferrying ammunition and grenades across the Ancre to replenish spent supplies. During the night the 111th Brigade from the 37th Division had been brought up to assist the 63rd in their assault on the untaken section of the Beaucourt Trench to the left of Freyberg’s group. The 13th Royal Fusiliers and 13th Rifle Brigade started their advance at 0620 hours but despite some gains it soon became apparent that nothing further was going to be achieved until Beaucourt had been taken. For the assault on the village, the 190th Brigade had assembled as many men as it could in the vicinity of Beaucourt Station, including 400 men from 1st HAC and about 80 of the 7th Royal Fusiliers. At 0745 hours they moved forward to make contact with Freyberg, who then led the men immediately into the attack. Despite the strong resistance in the trenches to the west of the village, Beaucourt fell remarkably easily with the gain of 500 prisoners. By 1030 hours Freyberg could report that he was in control of Beaucourt. Tanks The original planning for the attack had utilised a number of tanks, but it had soon been realised that with the ground so well churned by the bombardment that they would be more of a hindrance than an asset and they had been sent back to the rear. Now, on the second day, two were brought forward in an attempt to deal with the stronghold machine gun nest which continued to hold up the Division’s advance to the west of Beaucourt. Both tanks soon became bogged down in mud but not before one of them had advanced far enough to be able to use its 6 pounder guns to good effect, forcing the German garrison of over 400 to surrender. That evening the line of advance was pushed further forward around Beaucourt and the left was brought up to the Beaucourt Trench. It would take another few days of fighting to finally secure all that had been envisaged a few days beforehand. On the night of the 17th November it started to snow and the final assaults of the battle of the Somme were launched the following morning. …the assault was delivered in whirling sleet which afterwards changed to rain. More abominable conditions for active warfare are hardly to be imagined… For his skill and leadership whilst wounded more than once Lt Colonel Freyberg was awarded the Victoria Cross. Just prior to the fighting on the Ancre, the division received a new commanding officer after Major General Archibald Paris was wounded, Major General Cameron Shute, appointed on 17 October 1916. General Shute had an intense dislike for the unconventional "nautical" traditions of the division and made numerous unpopular attempts to stamp them out. Following a particularly critical inspection of the trenches by General Shute, an officer of the division, Sub-Lieutenant A. P. Herbert, later to become a famous humorous writer, legal satirist and Member of Parliament, penned a popular poem that summed up the feelings of the men of the RND: The General inspecting the trenches Exclaimed with a horrified shout 'I refuse to command a division Which leaves its excreta about.' But nobody took any notice No one was prepared to refute, That the presence of shit was congenial Compared to the presence of Shute. And certain responsible critics Made haste to reply to his words Observing that his staff advisors Consisted entirely of turds. For shit may be shot at odd corners And paper supplied there to suit, But a shit would be shot without mourners If somebody shot that shit Shute. PS the Division suffered 4000 casualties,incl.1600 killed in the two days of fighting jainso31

AHOY THERE I have found a picture of an unamed rating and his son " i wonder if he survived to see him grow up" and the second is a poppy wreath to symbolise the remeberance side of my replys "LEST WE FORGET" peter..................
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I hope that you liked my offering Peter on the RND on the Ancre in 1916-you omitted to say so.Should there be anything else of military interest-let me know.I think the CWGC Cemetary is in or at Beaucourt, in the north of the Dept.whereas I go south of the river to Villers Bretonneux. jainso31

Most probably, the cemetry visited by Peter (Somme Traveller) was the Ancre British Cemetery (2 kilometres south of the village of Beaumont-Hamel), on the D50 between Albert and Achiet le Grand. The cemetery contains the graves of well over 2,000 British soldiers (incl. 415 sailors & marines of the RND). A little more than half the total number of graves here are unnamed and the great majority of the dead buried fell on the 1st July, the 3rd September or the 13th November 1916. Also includes the grave of Lt. V.S.T. HARMSWORTH RNVR, Hawke Bn. RND,.died, aged 21 - son of Viscount Rothermere (Daily Mail). The ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION MEMORIAL for the capture of Beaumont-Hamel is also in the vicinity - it's a stone obelisk erected beside the main road from Arras to Albert, at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre. Michael

[B]Beaucourt Revisited [/B]- a poem by Lieut. A.P.Herbert RNVR recalling the losses which his battalion suffered during the attack at Beaucourt in November 1916. Herbert was on leave in February 1917 shortly after his regiment had once again been to Beaucourt, and it is believed that is when the poem was written. I wandered up to Beaucourt; I took the river track And saw the lines we lived in before the Boche went back; But Peace was now in Pottage, the front was far ahead, The front had journeyed Eastward, and only left the dead. And I thought, how long we lay there, and watched across the wire, While guns roared round the valley, and set the skies afire! But now there are homes in Hamel and tents in the Vale of Hell, And a camp at suicide corner, where half a regiment fell. The new troops follow after, and tread the land we won, To them 'tis so much hill-side re-wrested from the Hun We only walk with reverence this sullen mile of mud The shell-holes hold our history, and half of them our blood. Here, at the head of Peche Street, 'twas death to show your face, To me it seemed like magic to linger in the place; For me how many spirits hung around the Kentish Caves, But the new men see no spirits-they only see the graves. I found the half-dug ditches we fashioned for the fight, We lost a score of men there-young James was killed that night, I saw the star shells staring, I heard the bullets hail, But the new troops pass unheeding-they never heard the tale. I crossed the blood red ribbon, that once was no-man's land, I saw a misty daybreak and a creeping minute-hand; And here the lads went over, and there was Harmsworth shot, And here was William lying-but the new men know them not. And I said, "There is still the river, and still the stiff, stark trees, To treasure here our story, but there are only these"; But under the white wood crosses the dead men answered low, "The new men know not Beaucourt, but we are here-we know." Michael

Beautifully sad poem Michael-some biographical details of A P Herbert appende below. A P Herbert went up to New College, Oxford in 1910, to study law. He went down in 1914, having had several pieces of his light verse published, in Punch and elsewhere, and with the apparent intent of dabbling further in writing. In the summer of 1914 he was working at a mission in Bethnal Green; on the outbreak of war, like most of his contemporaries, he promptly joined the military. Unlike most University-educated men he did not become an officer - perhaps in response to the working-class men at the mission, who assumed that the "Oxford blokes would go off and take commissions [and] so be all right". He joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, rather than the army - his brother Sidney, to whom he was close, was a naval officer, and he felt this might make it more likely to run into him. The RNVR was flooded with recruits who had neither sea-training or sea-experience, and once the fleet had mobilised fully the Navy had no real use for them. In response to a foreseen need for naval landing parties to defend Belgian ports, these men were organised into the Royal Naval Division, and equipped as infantry. Herbert was drafted into this unit, commissioned in early 1915, and sent to Gallipoli in May. He saw action at Gallipoli, was invalided home, then served with Admiralty intelligence before rejoining the division in France in 1916. [B][B][B]It served in the last phases of the Battle of the Somme, and was virtually destroyed fighting in the capture of Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre - of the 435 officers and men of his battalion who went into the attack, Herbert was one of only twenty to be fit for service the next day[/B][/B][/B]. He was later wounded, in early 1917, and returned home, where he began writing The Secret Battle. He finished the novel in "a few weeks", but put it aside and made no moves to publish it until January 1919. It may have been slightly redrafted in the intervening months - he makes a passing comparison of the court-martial to his recollections of the royal stables in Spain, a place he visited shortly after the Armistice. jainso31

[QUOTE=jainso31;10039210] - he makes a passing comparison of the court-martial to his recollections of the royal stables in Spain, a place he visited shortly after the Armistice. jainso31[/QUOTE] Court Martial ? - I presume you are referring here to Sub. Lt. Edwin Dyett. By the way, just to complete the bio details of AP Herbert post war. In 1935 he became an independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University, sitting in Parliament for 15 years. He also loved boating, and during WW2 volunteered for service as a Petty Officer on Thames patrol (whilst still an MP). He was knighted in 1945, in Winston Churchill's Resignation Honours. Michael

Good morning Michael-I think Herbert's allusion to the court martial along with the Royal Spanish Stables-was that they both stank!!.I confess that I did not know that he was an MP in the WW2 Parliament,let alone that he was knighted post war-indeed cannot find such reference. [B][B]Herbert became the Independent MP for Oxford University in 1935. A campaigner for reform of the marriage and divorce laws, played an important role in the passing of the Matrimonial Causes Act in 1938. He was also a strong supporter of Neville Chamberlain and his Appeasement Policy. Herbert retired from the House of Commons in 1950. Other books by Herbert included two volumes of autobiography, Independent Member (1950) and My Life and Times (1970).[/B][/B] REF.Wiki jainso31

[QUOTE=jainso31;10039331]I confess that I did not know that he was an MP in the WW2 Parliament,let alone that he was knighted post war-indeed cannot find such reference.[/QUOTE] AP Herbert (24 Sep 1890 – 11 Nov 1971) was Mentioned in Dispatches with the RND at Galliopoli, received his knighthood in 1945 and furthermore was made a Companion of Honour in 1970.' Plenty of information is available on the internet, just Google 'Sir Alan Patrick Herbert'. Michael

[B][B]He served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. He served at Gallipoli and was mentioned in dispatches[/B][/B]. He drew on that experience for his novel The Secret Battle, published in 1919. During the Second World War, in addition to his parliamentary duties he served in the Royal Navy on patrol-boats in the Thames.[B][B] He may have been the first serving Member of Parliament to serve in the Royal Navy without being an officer: he was Petty Officer Herbert from 1940 to 1945.[/B][/B] In 1935, with the aid of Frank Pakenham, he became an Independent Member of Parliament for Oxford University, from where he was returned until the University seats were abolished in 1950. [B][B]He was sent to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1943 with Derrick Gunston and Charles Ammon as part of a Parliamentary Commission to investigate the future of the dominion, and supported the cause of independence over confederation as a result.[/B][/B] [B][B]He was knighted in 1945 in Winston Churchill's Resignation Honours. [/B][/B]The Times noted "his individual niche in the parliamentary temple as the doughty vindicator of the private member's rights, including not least the right to legislate." I see[B][B] he was a CH [/B][/B]but did not look hard enough for a citation. jainso31

[QUOTE=KizmeRD;10038996]Most probably, the cemetry visited by Peter (Somme Traveller) was the Ancre British Cemetery (2 kilometres south of the village of Beaumont-Hamel), on the D50 between Albert and Achiet le Grand. The cemetery contains the graves of well over 2,000 British soldiers (incl. 415 sailors & marines of the RND). A little more than half the total number of graves here are unnamed and the great majority of the dead buried fell on the 1st July, the 3rd September or the 13th November 1916. Also includes the grave of Lt. V.S.T. HARMSWORTH RNVR, Hawke Bn. RND,.died, aged 21 - son of Viscount Rothermere (Daily Mail). The ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION MEMORIAL for the capture of Beaumont-Hamel is also in the vicinity - it's a stone obelisk erected beside the main road from Arras to Albert, at Beaucourt-sur-Ancre. Michael[/QUOTE] hi mike 10 out of 10 for that 1 again i bow to your knowlage about the subject and area

I'll be visiting a CWGC cemetery later this week (Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany). It's a large cemetery which also contains the graves of 21 RND marines and sailors - they were PoW's and all bar one died after the Armistice during the Spanish Flu outbreak, very sad. (I'll be taking photos of their headstones for my collection). Michael





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