Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave of Memorial
France and Flanders	British War & Victory Medals	Arras Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
13 Feb 1918	~	Wellesbourne
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other Miitary Information
German Spring Offensive (Battle of St. Quentin)	5 Jan 1917 at Stratford on Avon	6 Jan 1917 to Military Reserve (only 17)
		12 Mar 1917 Mobilised
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Nov 1917 - 2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters
north of Bapume	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Cyril is listed as being killed in action on 23 Mary 1918 although his death was initially listed as between the 21st and 23rd. The war diary for that period is transcribed below:

 

21/3/1918 - Enemy bombardment consisting of every description of shell including Gas shells opened out at 5am and remained on our lines until 9.30am it then lifted and the expected attack developed. The enemy came in mass formation and though the battalion had suffered heavy casualties during the bombardment he wa held in check until 10am when he overwhelmed the front lines and reached the support line. A Coy in left support put up a gallant fight but could not stop the enemy. A few men managed to gain the reserve line at Battn HQ and they will HQ Coy and B Coy in SKIPTON reserve strong point held the enemy in check and Skipton strong point was kept intact by the Battn until 3pm. This was done by means of small local counter attacks by the HQ Coy and bombing parties who worked well down the trenches. At 3pm the enemy having taken Lagincourt on our left flank. A defensive flank was formed facing in that direction. The right resting on Skipton Strong Point and the left 1000 NE of Morchies. This line was held by the remnants of the Battalion and a few details from the 9th Bn Norfolk Regt and 1st Leicestershire Regt with framing this line.

Major H Tylden-Wright, Major W Wilson and Capt T Thornton MC were wounded by Machine Gun fire from our right rear where the enemy had also broken through. Maj Tilden-Wright remained at duty until the evening. The enemy having broken through on the right of the 51st Division (our right) it was found necessary to withdraw to the VAULX-MORCHIES line. The withdrawal was successfully accomplished in good order by 9pm. From the new line listening patrols went forward and gave warning of enemy approach but all was quiet until 5.00am the 22nd March when the battalion was relieved by 1st Leicestershire and after relief went back to a position near the Maricourt Copse, Beugny Road and took position facing NE 1200 yards N of Beugny. The strenght of the battalion was then 5 officers and 130 other ranks. At 2pm the battalion moved from this position and took up another facing NE on the Vaulx-Morchies Road about 1500 yards from Vaulx. A counter attack to be made by the B's and the remainder of the Norfolks was cancelled owing to being to weak. Owing to the troops on our right retiring the Battn took up a position facing NE about 200 yards SE of the VAULX-MORCHIES Road. This position was held until 3.30pm when it became untenable and the Battn withdrew to the position taken up in the morning near the Maricourt Copse, Beugny Road. During the withdrawal Capt KN Bion MC was killed by M G [machine gun] fire and the command of the battn was taken over by Capt AH Giles MC.

The last position was held under heavy shell fire and M.G fire until 3.00am on the 23rd when the battn was relieved by the 1st R W Kents, 19th Division. During the evening of the 22nd our tanks came into action and succeeded in breaking up a big concentration of the enemy about 1500 yards to our immediate front. Our artillery also did good work in this respect firing on enemy troops in the open and causing many casualties. After the relief the remainder of the Battn (4 Officers and 110 Other Ranks) marched back through BUEGNY, FREMICOURT and BAPUME to the camps near BIHUCOURT where the Brigade were being formed. The battalion was taken over by Capt C. Allerton DSO who, with details back from leave and remainder of the Bn prepared to take up a position NE of BIHCOURT facing SAPGNIES and MORY where it was reported that the enemy had broken through. Patrols were sent out as far as MORY and it was reported the enemy was held up at this place. The 41st Division counter attacked and retook MORY later in the day. END