Military History

Wilfred is listed as being killed in action on 12 Oct 1917. The 51st Company war diary entry for that day is transcribed below. Please note that we did not transcribe a number of paragraphs to do with logistics as they were not relevant to Wilfred.

Dispositions of guns for the attack which took place on the morning of the 12/10/17.

Six guns were withdrawn to barrage positions at U.18.c.2.8. Emplacements well made as well as it was possible in shell holes. These six guns were laid on SOS lines 500 yds in front of the front line by 8:00 PM on the night of the 11^th/12^th. About one hour before 0 hour the front line guns were withdrawn to the forming oppositions in front of the road running from U.12.b.3.6 through Tranquille House, Condie House to U.13.a.30.35.

Guns were allotted to Battalion as follows:
2 Guns under 2/Lt  J.D. Mann to 8^th South Staffs
2 Guns under Lt  C. Wright to 7^th Lincolnshire
2 Guns under 2/Lt  A.C. Noble to 7^th Lincolnshire
2 Guns under Lt  A. Duncan to 10^th Sherwood Foresters
Zero was 5.25am morning of the 12^th.

The Machine Guns kept close up to the leading Infantry waves which proved to be the safest place. The enemy offered little or no resistance except on the front of the 8^th South Staffs Regt at Aden House which offered a stubborn resistance. The advance of this flank was therefore on the right of Aden House. The two guns with the 8^th South Staffs eventually got into position near Turrene Crossing at V.1.c.90.25 & V.1.c.95.25 both with excellent fields of fire, the latter in position to command Aden House in case of necessity. One of the guns going forward with the 8^th South Staffs eventually got into position with one man, Private Fleming carrying gun and two boxes of ammunition.

The two guns went forward on the left flank of the 7^th Lincolns under Lt C. Wright. One of these teams met with casualties at the start of the attack only two off the team being left, the man carrying the tripod and the N.C.O. in charge of the team. These two pushed on to the final objective where they found the one gun under 2/Lt J.D Mann with only one gunner left. The other gun under Lt. C. Wright reached Turenne Crossing and took up a position there commanding the railway & Visfweben Road.

The two guns allotted to the right flank of the 7^th Lincolns were under the command of 2/Lt A.C. Noble who unfortunately became a casualty before the attack the. The N.C.O in charge pushed forward onto Taube Farm according to instructions. Resistance was offered at this farm so he mounted his guns in rear of it. The two guns with the 10^th Sherwood Foresters pushed right on with the first wave of the infantry at Gravel Farm where they took up positions as follows, one gun enfilading our front to Turenne Crossing the other gun enfilading Memling Farm.

The attack was a great success & all objectives were reached. The conditions could hardly have been worse the whole of the ground was torn up by shell fire and there was no cover with the exception of isolated pill boxes. Owing to the recent heavy rain the ground was a quagmire.