South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Captain Stratford Walter LUDLOW - 1st/8th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment


Killed in Action on Saturday 1st July 1916 aged 22

stratford ludlow


Military History

     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France & Flanders 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Serre Road Cemetery No. 2
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
23 Mar 1915 in Havre, France ~ Dorridge, St. Philip's
    Knowle Soldiers Chapel
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Enlisted Knowle War Memorial 
Battle of the Somme Commissioned 1 November 1911  
    Other War Memorials  
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units St Alphege Church, Solihull 
Beaumont Hamel ~ Worcester Catherdral
    King's School, Worcester 
  • Captain Ludlow was the Officer in Charge of C Company

Military Service History

  • 1 Nov 1911 - Commissioned as 2nd Lt in 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshite's (Gazette) from King's School, Worcester OTC
  • 1 Aug 1913 - Promoted to Lt (Gazette)
  • 1 Dec 1914 - Promoted to Capt (Gazette)
  • 23 Mar 1915 - Joined the British Expeditionary Force with his Battalion at Havre, France

Circumstances of Death

Captain Ludlow is listed as being killed in action on 1 July 1916. The 1st/8th Battalion war diary entry for that day is transcribed below.

The Sucerie in Front of Mailly-Maillet  – 1 July 1916 – Attack on Beaumont Hamel:

2.00am: Battalion reported present in forming up trenches

4.30am to 7.00am: Reported that everyone had a good breakfast. Artillery bombardment was intense and not a lot of retaliation from Bosch. Artillery increased in intensity & enemy replying with Field Guns and 15cm.

7.00am: Very intense artillery on both sides

7.25am: Enemy machine guns opened all along line. Three minutes later our troops are lying on parapet ready to advance.

7.30am: Advance begins, enemy first line reached and passed very quickly as also was the second. Only in one or two cases were any enemy seen in these two lines. Having plenty of casualties from machine gun fire in enemy third and fourth lines. At the third line men were temporarily held up by machine gun fire but took it by rushers.

From this point the fighting was all with bombs along trenches. We reached our objective probably 35-40 minutes from Zero hour (7.30am) & at once commenced consolidating & cleaning rifles under the directions of Capt. Martin & 2/Lt Turner. By this time the rest of the Battalion was arriving but had had so many casualties that they could not go through us so helped consolidate. This happened with all Battalions following us. Many times we were bombed from this position and regained it until bombs ran out.

We had to retire to the 3rd line, line the parapet & hold on with machine [gun] and rifle fire. Parties were detailed to collect as many bombs as could be found (both English & German) & when we had a good store we again reached our objective. No supply of bombs were coming from rear so could not hold on & retired again. Enemy machine guns & snipers were doing a great amount of damage all the while. Enemy artillery opened but fortunately their range was over.

7.30pm: Held onto this position until relieved by a Battalion from the rear. All through the action no troops were seen on our right or left. This has a great deal to do with the inability to push past our objective.

11pm: Arrived at Mailly-Maillet & were put into billets.

Mailly-Maillet – July 2nd: Resting except for Roll Call.

Casualties arrived at from Roll Call:

Officers Killed: Lt Col C.A. Dixon; Major A.A. Leadrich; Capt S.W. Ludlow; Lt’s Hoskins, Fussell & Proctor; 2nd Lt’s Mareham & Key.

Officers Wounded 12; Wounded & Missing 1, Wounded & Prisoner of War 1.

Other Ranks: Killed 57; Wounded 255 and Missing 251

Total Casualties were 585.



 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
10 Jul 1894 in Knowle 22 Jul 1894 in Knowle
   
Parents Names Abode
Brig Gen Walter Robert & Helen Florence Ludlow Lovelace Hill, Solihull                          
   
Schools Colleges
King's School, Worcester ~
   
Address History Employment History
1894 - Knowle 1901 - Scholar
1901 - Dorridge House, Dorridge 1904 - Scholar at King's School
1904 - King's School, Worcester 1907 - Merchant Navy Training Ship HMS Conway
1907 - HMS Conway, Liverpool 1909 - Scholar at King's School
1909 - King's School, Worcester 1911 - Trainee Surveyor at Ludlow & Briscoe, Birmingham
1911 - The Hostel, College Green, Worcester 1913 - 2nd Lt in Royal Warwickshire, Territorial Army
1911 - Lovelace Hill, Solihull  
1916 - Lovelace Hill, Solihull    

The following extracts from publications give more informtion about Stratford