South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Second Lieutenant Norman John WARD - 11th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Killed in Action Friday, August 11th, 1916 aged 21


Military History

     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Memorial              
France & Flanders British War & Victory Medals Thiepval Memorial
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
24 May 1916 in France ~ Kenilworth War Memorial
    Kenilworth Kings Messengers
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Commissioned  
Battle of Delville Wood (Somme)  26 May 1916 from Artist Rifles OTC (Gazette)  
     
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units Other War Memorials                         
near Bazentin-Le-Petit Pte 5143 28th Bn London Regiment Artists Rifle OTC Roll of Honour
     

Circumstances of Death

Norman is listed as being killed in action on 11 Aug 1916. The short 11th Battalion war diary entries for the 10th & 11th suggest that Norman was actually killed on the 10th nor the 11th. The diary entries, which do not make pleasant reading, are transcribed in full below:

Bazentin-le-Petit - 1916-Aug-10
: Hostile artillery less active during today. Battn relieved the 6th Bedford Regt in the Front Line about 500 yards of trench running E&W 200 yards N of Bazentin-le-Petit & facing Germans in 300 yards of Intermediate line being tenaciously held. The intermediate line was part of a line taken by a previous Division, in length about 500 yards. The 101st Bde tried but failed to take it with heavy losses.

The 6th Bedford Regt next tried and failed with about 75 casualties. The 10th L.N. Lancs was successful in taking about 200 yards of the right of it on morning of 10th inst. (it cost them about 120 casualties) after 3 hours tough fighting mostly with bombs.

During the evening the hostile artillery fire was very intense. D Coy in close support on NW edge of Bazentin-le-Petit, sustain casualties, 1 Officer killed – 2nd Lieut Ward, 1 wounded (shell shock) 2nd Lt Vaughton.

Bazentin-le-Petit - 1916-Aug-11: Hostile Artillery very intensive throughout the day, 8" & 5.9" Hows [Howitzers] and 77mm guns searching our support trenches mostly. Our casualties were other ranks killed 13, wounded 43, missing 7 Total 63. A large number of men were buried by H.E [High Explosive] shells this accounts for the missing. Four bodies were afterwards dug out and pieces of other men unrecognizable. This was a trying day for the troops.


 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
30 Dec 1894 in St. Pancras 18 Nov 1900 at St Philip's, Bethnal Green       
   
Parents Names Abode
John James and Amelia Ann Ward  Glencoe, Barrow Road, Kenilworth                  
   
Schools Colleges
Eleanor Road School, Hackney - 1900 ~
   
Address History Employment History
1894 - St. Pancras 1901 - Pupil at Eleanor Road School
1901 - 75 Graham Mansions, Hackney 1911 - Scholar  
1911 - Glencoe, Barrow Road, Kenilworth 1914 - Auctioneer with Cooke's & Southorn
1916 - Glencoe, Barrow Road, Kenilworth  
   
  • Awarded the Red Cross First Certificate at the Abbey Hotel, Kenilworth on 3 October 1914