An 18 pounder British Field Gun.
A postcard of the day produced in London. People at home still tended to glamourise the War and its caption reads -
In the hands of a skilful crew it can fire so rapidly that 3 shots will be in the air at the same moment.
By automatic adjustment the gun does not need re-sighting after each shot.
[From postcard owned by this website.]
|
1st OCTOBER. The 151st Inf Bde were ordered to attack the Flers line at 3 p.m.
The 150th Inf Bde was
ordered to support and were ordered to move up. The Btn occupied Clarke's Trench and the Intermediately Trench.
Thus placing the Btn in the shelled area again and immediately in front of the Field Gun Batteries.
No possible
military advantage could have been secured by this move.
The Btn was scattered and suffering absolutely unnecessary
discomfort and casualties and was not able to be moved quickly had it been required.
1416 Pte Bell Joseph, Ray. Born Marske N Yorks and enlisted at Middlesbrough.
Died of wounds at home. Age 22. Buried at Middlesbrough Linthorpe Cemetery.
5162 Pte Bye Thomas. Born and enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died of wounds.
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
2nd OCTOBER. The Btn was sent back about 11 a.m. The whole Btn was ordered as a working party at 1 p.m to
repair roads.
This consisted cheifly in scraping mud off the roads and filling up shell holes with very inferior
bricks from Basentin Le Petit, which ground to mud again immediately after a single limber had passed over.
It poured with rain the whole day and no shelter was available for the men.
|
On the 3rd October 1916 the 4th Battalion moved via Albert to Baizieux for training.
By the 22nd they were back at the trenches near Martinpuich.
|
3258 Pte Green Gordon. Home at - Dalton Thirsk, place of enlistment. Died of wounds at home.
Age 19. Buried at Dalton [St John] Churchyard
3rd OCTOBER. The Btn moved to billets in Albert, where they had to wait in the rain for 2 hours while
Canadian troops vacated the building. However the billets were good and men were enabled to get dry and sleep on a
dry floor.
4th OCTOBER. The Btn moved to Camp in Baiseux Wood.
The Diary gives a summary of the casualties sustained since 15th Sept:-
Officers killed.
Capt T.S. Rowlandson. 2nd Lts R.B. Abrahams. W.J Hayton. H.N Laing. E.L. Perris. E Richardson.
Died of wounds, 2nd Lt R.S. Omand.
Wounded - Capt. W.W. Constantine.
|
|
Lt W.L. Batty. Lt T.G. Thornton. Lt J. Miller. Lt G.A Tugwell. Lt R.F. Williams [RAMC].
2nd Lts A.S. Brentnall.
C.B Prior Wandesforde. A.D Scott. M.W. Macnay. R.S. Forest. V.A. Bell. H.E. Aust.
J. Robson. C.J. Minister. H.L. Harrison. R.M. Howes. D.F. Hirsch. R.G. Scott. J.B. Hudson.
Other Ranks - Killed 64. Died of Wounds 8. Wounded 250. Missing 47.
Capt William Whitesmith Constantine. MC.
One of the three Constantine brothers of Harlsey Hall, East Harlsey,Northallerton who were all Officers in the Battalion.
He was a Battalion Capt at the start of the War and was forwarded for mention in Despatches for action on the
3rd May 1915 at Ypres, where he was among those gassed on the 24th May 1915. He was wounded again, October
1916, and for his conspicuous gallantry at this time was awarded the Military Cross.
The London Gazette of the 14th Nov 1916:-
"Though wounded before the attack commenced, he insisted in leading his Company to the final objective, where, though
wounded again, he continued with the greatest determination to control his Company. He set a fine example."
He was promoted to Major in January 1917. When he returned to duty is not known, for at some date, presumably after
the 4th Battalion was decimated on the Aisne in May 1918, he was transferred to the 9th Battalion, King's Own
Yorkshire Light Infantry. He was again wounded in Sept 1918 and ended the War as Lieut Colonel.
[Photograph and information kindly contributed by his Grandson, Christopher Constantine and Great Nephew
Simon Barnard.]
|
St Sever Cemetery, Rouen.
Situated on the Southern outskirts of Rouen, the area was the base for several Hospitals during the
whole course of the War.
16 men of the 4th Yorks Battalion are buried here and in the Cemetery Extension.
[Picture courtesy of - "WW1Cemeteries.com".].
|
Diary - "Considering the ground won and the fact that the right flank was always in the air and on the night attack
on the 26th both flanks the casualties are not excessive."
5th OCTOBER. The day spent in refitting and reforming the Battalion. Men were bathed, but the shirts given
to them were "lousy and verminous and dirty."
6th OCTOBER. Training. Lewis Gunners and Bombers.
Men who were admitted to hospital wounded have been discharged back to the Battalion absolutely unfit for duty.
It is disgraceful that this should happen.
1481 Pte Allenby Percy, William. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died at home on the 6th.
Age 21. Buried at Middlesbrough in Linthorpe Cemetery.
3169 Pte Bainbridge Bewick. Home in Hutton Rudby, Yorks, Enlisted at Darlington,
Co Durham. Died of wounds on the 14th. Age 24. Buried at St Sever [Hospital] Cemetery Extension, Rouen
2774 Pte Dungay Edward, Arthur. Home at Tilney St, Lawrence, Norfolk. Enlisted at
Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died of wounds on the 18th. Age 28. Buried at Etaples Military [Hospital]
Cemetery.
|
|
