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A Officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
A Officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
This material has been provided by Army Medical Services Museum, Keogh Barracks where the originals may be consulted.
Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
I don't know why, but I feel like there's more to this. It feels incomplete.
Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
If you feel theirs more, and your interested in researching it, then I would contact “ Army Medical Services Museum, Keogh Barracks” archives or possibly search thru the “on line” RAMC Archives.....they are quite extensive and you could also possibly contact them and ask if they have any further information on this story.
https://wellcomelibrary.org/collections ... s/digramc/
Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
A quick research of the date and timings and info in this letter, tells me his Battalion would have been part of the 4th Division, 12th Brigade....and as he mentions the various units in his Brigade/Division.
4th (British) Division
11th Brigade
1st Bn, the Somerset Light Infantry
1st Bn, the East Lancashire Regt
1st Bn, the Hampshire Regt
1st Bn, the Rifle Brigade
12th Brigade
1st Bn, the King’s Own (Lancaster)
2nd Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers
2nd Bn, the Essex Regt
2nd Bn, the Duke of Wellington’s
The actual battle and information:
The The lull was broken, however, by a sharp fight upon July 6, in which Prowse's 11th Brigade of the Fourth Division took, and permanently held, a section of the German line. This considerable action was fought at the extreme northern end of the British line, where it joined on to the French Moroccan troops to the north of Ypres. The sudden and swift advance of the 1st Rifle Brigade, the leading British battalion, seems to have taken the Germans by surprise, and, dashing forwards, they seized two lines of trenches and established themselves firmly within them. The 1st Somerset Light Infantry shared the credit and the losses of the charge. They were in immediate support of the Rifle Brigade, their task being to dig a communication trench. A hundred prisoners and a number of mortars and machine-guns were the immediate trophies. Three times during the day did the Germans counter-attack in force, and three times they were driven back with heavy loss. Their total casualties certainly ran into a thousand. On the other hand, both the Rifle Brigade and the Somersets suffered severely, partly from flanking machine-gun fire in the attack, but chiefly, as usual, from heavy shell-fire afterwards. Indeed, it may be said that a victorious battalion was too often an exhausted battalion, for since the German guns had the precise length of the captured trench, the more heroically it was held the heavier the losses. Until the artillery of the Allies should be able to dominate that of the enemy, it was difficult to see how ground could be gained without this grievous after-price to be paid. On this occasion it was paid to the full, but the ground was permanently occupied, and a heavy blow was struck at the Bavarians and Prussians who held that portion of the line.
Part of the 12th Brigade (Anley) took over some of the captured trenches from the 11th, and came in for some of the German anger in consequence. The 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers were very heavily shelled, losing their commanding officer, Colonel Griffin, the machine-gun officer, and the adjutant on the morning of July 7. A sap ran up to the trench, and this was the scene of desperate bomb-fighting, the Fusiliers expending eight thousand bombs in two days. So great was the pressure that part of the 1st Warwicks came up in support. There were several infantry advances of the enemy, which were all crushed by the British fire. No dervishes could have shown more devoted courage than some of the Germans. In one rush of sixty men all were shot down, which did not prevent another forty from emerging later from the same trench. Gradually they learned that their task was impossible, and the position remained with the British. Altogether the Lancashire Fusiliers lost 8 officers and 400 men in this action.
4th (British) Division
11th Brigade
1st Bn, the Somerset Light Infantry
1st Bn, the East Lancashire Regt
1st Bn, the Hampshire Regt
1st Bn, the Rifle Brigade
12th Brigade
1st Bn, the King’s Own (Lancaster)
2nd Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers
2nd Bn, the Essex Regt
2nd Bn, the Duke of Wellington’s
The actual battle and information:
The The lull was broken, however, by a sharp fight upon July 6, in which Prowse's 11th Brigade of the Fourth Division took, and permanently held, a section of the German line. This considerable action was fought at the extreme northern end of the British line, where it joined on to the French Moroccan troops to the north of Ypres. The sudden and swift advance of the 1st Rifle Brigade, the leading British battalion, seems to have taken the Germans by surprise, and, dashing forwards, they seized two lines of trenches and established themselves firmly within them. The 1st Somerset Light Infantry shared the credit and the losses of the charge. They were in immediate support of the Rifle Brigade, their task being to dig a communication trench. A hundred prisoners and a number of mortars and machine-guns were the immediate trophies. Three times during the day did the Germans counter-attack in force, and three times they were driven back with heavy loss. Their total casualties certainly ran into a thousand. On the other hand, both the Rifle Brigade and the Somersets suffered severely, partly from flanking machine-gun fire in the attack, but chiefly, as usual, from heavy shell-fire afterwards. Indeed, it may be said that a victorious battalion was too often an exhausted battalion, for since the German guns had the precise length of the captured trench, the more heroically it was held the heavier the losses. Until the artillery of the Allies should be able to dominate that of the enemy, it was difficult to see how ground could be gained without this grievous after-price to be paid. On this occasion it was paid to the full, but the ground was permanently occupied, and a heavy blow was struck at the Bavarians and Prussians who held that portion of the line.
Part of the 12th Brigade (Anley) took over some of the captured trenches from the 11th, and came in for some of the German anger in consequence. The 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers were very heavily shelled, losing their commanding officer, Colonel Griffin, the machine-gun officer, and the adjutant on the morning of July 7. A sap ran up to the trench, and this was the scene of desperate bomb-fighting, the Fusiliers expending eight thousand bombs in two days. So great was the pressure that part of the 1st Warwicks came up in support. There were several infantry advances of the enemy, which were all crushed by the British fire. No dervishes could have shown more devoted courage than some of the Germans. In one rush of sixty men all were shot down, which did not prevent another forty from emerging later from the same trench. Gradually they learned that their task was impossible, and the position remained with the British. Altogether the Lancashire Fusiliers lost 8 officers and 400 men in this action.
Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
Sorry, I’m doing a lot of the research for you (you got my interest up)
Here’s a story of ONE of the officer’s killed with the Regiment.......and it tells us that ONE CAPTAIN survived and was in command......Capt Blencowe
Here’s a story of ONE of the officer’s killed with the Regiment.......and it tells us that ONE CAPTAIN survived and was in command......Capt Blencowe
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Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
Found another record for Captain A.J.W. Blencowe
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Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
Found a photo of him in the trench’s. He’s the man sitting, looking at the camera
Captain A. J. W. Blencowe, Military Cross, Commanding Officer of "B" Company, 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in "B" Company's High Command trench in France, December 1914-May 1915.
His award of MC
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/iss ... 2/data.pdf
His full name was
Arthur John Walcot Blencowe
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His award of MC
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/iss ... 2/data.pdf
His full name was
Arthur John Walcot Blencowe
Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
More information and photo......He was award SIX MID (Mentioned in Despatches) and the Military Cross
Arthur John Walcott Blencowe MC 1880-1949 Lieutenant Colonel 2nd Batt. Lancashire Fusiliers
Arthur John Walcot Blencowe
1880–1949
BIRTH 6 Dec 1880 • Marston (St Lawrence), Northamptonshire, England
DEATH 9 JAN 1949 • Brackley, Northamptonshire, England
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Arthur John Walcot Blencowe
1880–1949
BIRTH 6 Dec 1880 • Marston (St Lawrence), Northamptonshire, England
DEATH 9 JAN 1949 • Brackley, Northamptonshire, England
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Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
Part of his military records
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Re: A officer's account during the Second Battle of Ypres
Some more documents, and you can see he was “wounded” a number of times
CLIPPED FROM
The Guardian
London, Greater London, England
23 Jun 1915, Wed • Page 8
CLIPPED FROM
The Guardian
London, Greater London, England
01 Jan 1916, Sat • Page 4
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The Guardian
London, Greater London, England
23 Jun 1915, Wed • Page 8
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The Guardian
London, Greater London, England
01 Jan 1916, Sat • Page 4
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