Military History

Joseph was originally listed as missing and his death was later accepted as being on 31 Jul 1917 and the war diary entry for that day is transcribed below in full.

[Map Reference] 28.A.12.d [NE of Poperinghe] – Line – 31 July: Zero Hour 3.15am our barrage came down in German line. 1^st Scots Guards and 2^nd Bn Irish Guards took the blue line and pushed on to the black line where some resistance was encountered and No.3 Coy 1^st Bn Coldstream Guards, coming forward with the leading wave of the battalion men did material assistance including the enemy. No 2 Coy were employed in mopping up behind the 1st Scots Guards and 2^nd Bn Irish Guards. These two battalions remained in and consolidated the black line. The 1^st Bn Coldstream Guards formed up behind the black line and after a halt of 1 hour and 15 minutes (approx) there, the 1^st Bn Coldstream Guards (with 3^rd Bn Grenadier Guards on the right, between them and the Staden Railway) advanced to attack the green line, their objective,  which was octane within 40 minutes of their advance from the black line. There the battalion dug in on the heavy shell fire.

At 9.15am the 1^st guards brigade went through the green line and attacked the green dotted line.

The casualties were comparatively slight and many prisoners were taken. 1 officer (Lieut T.K. Barnsley) was killed and 4 (Lt. O.S. Leigh-Bennett, Lt G.G. Boyd, 2/Lt R.S. Maitland-Edwards, 2/Lt C.I.P Smith-Ryland) were wounded. Other ranks (approx) Killed 22, wounded 140 and missing 17. END