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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Private 32979 Charles Thomas FIELD - 6th Battalion Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry


Killed in Action Monday on October 9th 1916 aged 31


Military History

     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders British War & Victory Medals Thiepval Memorial
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
After 1 Jan 1916 in France ~ Hatton: Memorial Cross  |  Roll of Honour  |  Mens Club
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Enlisted Other War Memorials
Battle of Le Transloy (Somme) After 10 Oct 1915 at Warwick  
     
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units  
west of Transloy Pte 19323 Royal Warwickshire  
     

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Charles is listed as being killed in action on 9 Oct 1916 however the war diary does not show any casualties that day, in case he was killed before the 9th, most likely on the 7th here is a transcription from the war History of the Attack on 7th Oct 1916 followed by the war diary entries for the 8th and 9th Oct 1916.

7 Oct 1916 - History of the Attack

7 Oct 1916: About 11/30 A.M. On the morning of the attack an hostile aeroplane flew over our lines. This aeroplane no doubt saw the concentration of troops for the attack as considerable hostile shelling broke out about 1/30 P.M. A 77mm Battery was the battery that apparently had been detailed for this portion of the Enemy’s front. The shelling was searching the front British trench the assembly trenches in the rear either side of the Sunken Road running N from Millars Son and considerable concentration of the road itself the latter was kept up for about 6 hours making the road very dangerous to travel up and down.

At 1.45 PM (Zero Hour) the leading waves moved out of the British line and crawling up to the wire which was some 40 yards in front of our trench lay down, and as the Germans had manned the parapet some 60 yards to the front and was delivering a very hotfire from six machine guns and rifles, our troops answered; shortly afterwards the advance began again some men were able to crawl through the wire, other men we're able to move round through gaps, office by placing their feet on the top strand of the wire were able to get through.

The wire obstacle was one single length of barbed concertina wire extending along the whole of the frontage of the Battalion’s left Company, it was about 2’ 6” in height and appeared more of an alarming obstacle than it actually was.

During the period Zero to Zero plus 4 minutes, Enemy’s Machine Gun fire was very intense, at the latter time it was silenced, the Enemy left their trenches and ran back towards their second line unarmed, during their retreat our Lewis guns did considerable damage to them, few Germans got back, and the enemy in the Front line were bayoneted or surrendered.

The advance from the first German trench to the second (Misty Trench) was accomplished with comparatively little loss, although some casualties occurred by snipers on our extreme right who took advantage of that flank being temporarily in the air; shortly after commencing digging in a portion of the Division on our right pushed forward their attack and joined up with our troops and thereby made our extreme right secure.

I should like to bring the following forward for reward [attachment not including in diary]. END

8 Oct 1916 - War Diary

8th: Consolidating new position captured the previous day.

9.00pm - Relived by 2nd Battn Yorks & Lancs Regt.

12 MN - Relief completed, on relief Battn marched to Bernafray Wood and halted for breakfast. END

9 Oct 1916 - War Diary

9th - 9am: Battalion paraded and proceeded by Route march to Camp at Sandpits on the Bray-Albert Road point about E.24.d Sheet Albert. Distance about 6 miles.

2.15pm - Arrived at Camp. END


 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
Jul Qtr 1885 at Berkswell  
   
Parents Names Abode
William and Mary Jane Haseley
   
Wife Marriage Details                                               
Nellie Field nee Nicholls Marriage Not Yet Found
   
Schools Colleges
  ~
   
Address History Employment History
1886 - Berkswell 1911 - Gardener
1891 - Balsall Common  
1901 - Haseley  
1911 - Haseley  
1916 - Lower Heyford, Northants