Military History

Betram is listed as being killed in action on 14th September 1916 during the attack on Turk Street in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The 9th Battalion war diary entries for the period 13th to 15th September are transcribed below.

Authville - 13 Sep 1916: Battalion reinforced by 24 other ranks from 33rd I. B. D [Infantry Brigade Depot?] at Etaples.

Turk Street - 14 Sep 1916: On the morning of the 14th the Battalion relieved the 6th York & Lancaster Regt in the front line trenches, the latter moving into Brigade Reserve.

The Battalion was disposed as follows for the impending attack. C & D Coys were in Hindenburg Trench C Coy on left D Coy on the right the frontage being from R.31.c.76 to 31.D.07 - 200 yds.

These two Company’s had for their objective firstly Turk St. and then the Wunder Werk which were to be fallen, in conjunction with the 8th Duke Wellingtons & who were acting with us on our right flank.

The 6th Yorkshire Regt who were on our left were having a bombing demonstration with one Coy on that flank. C+D Coys were to attack in four waves, a wave consisting of a Platoon with its compliment of bombers, the front waves were to push on to the final objective dropping caretakers in Turk St. The 4th wave was the clearing up party.

Two Platoons of B Coy were to clear Prince St chiefly by bombing & protect C Coys flank, the remaining two platoons were in support to C + D Coys. A Coy was in Battalion Reserve in Lemberg Trench.

The Coys were moved into the trenches satisfactorily through desultory shelling. Lieut C.B. ROBINSON being killed. Difficulty was experienced in issuing the various stores owing to the crowded trenches and the distance of the dumps from the front line.

The intense bombardment was timed for 6.30pm, 3 minutes being devoted to Turk St, when it lifted for another 3 minutes to the Wunder Werk. The first lines were timed to leave the trenches at 6.28pm. At 6.28pm our First lines left Hindenburg trench and were greeted by spasmodic firing from Turk Street. Very lights of greenish colour were also sent up from that trench.

An enemy M.G. had just begun to bark when our bombardment opened on Turk St, the M.G. heard no more. Our men stood & watched the bombardment & on lifting were into the trench. Doubtless we lost men from our own shells owing to the closeness of the bombardment to which they advanced but we certainly did not suffer from rifle or M.G. fire.

The German[s] had by now put in his barrage which was very effective & caused practically all our casualties, his shooting was good and he was very quick in getting it on. Wunder Werk fell with as complete a success as Turk St and the men immediately started to consolidate.

Capt O.V. Guy and 2/Lt N.T. Hartley were the only officers to reach the final objective & they were not unscathed, Capt Guy was hit by shrapnel in 3 places and 2/Lt Hartley was wounded in the arm.

8^th Duke of Wellingtons on our right had been equally successful & during the night the captured positions were consolidated. The 32^nd Bde M.G. Coy got up their guns very quickly.

The 6^th Yorkshire Regt met with strong opposition and did not gain much ground. Lt.Col Forsyth, DSO was killed.

Turk Street - 15 Sep 1916: Fairly quiet, at night Battalion was relieved by the 7^th Duke of Wellingtons, 49^th Div. The relief was made difficult by fairly heavy shelling of our C.T’s and a bombing raid by the enemy against the 6^th Yorkshires on our left flank. The relief was completed finally by 3.30 [am] and the Battalion sleeps for the night in dug-outs at Crucifix Corner.

Our casualties were heavy & as follows:

Battalion went into action, strength 20 Officers and 780 Other Ranks.

Killed Lt C.B. Robinson, 2/Lt J.J. Fyffe, 2/Lt B.H. Townsley, 2/Lt C.W.J Davison, 2/Lt E.A. Field, 2/Lt R.H.M Pierce, 2/Lt E.M. Adlington, Capt B.S. Evers.

Wounded: 4 officers.

Killed: 33 N.C.O’s and men
Missing: 33 N.C.O’s and men
Wounded: 240 N.C.O’s and men