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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Sergeant 280 Frederick HOLTOM - 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Killed in action on Monday 9th April 1917 aged 27


Military History

     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France & Flanders 1914 Star, British War & Victory Medals Ste. Catherine British Cemetery
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
11 Nov 1914 in France ~ Stratford on Avon WW1 Memorial
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Died Date and Place Enlisted  
Battle of Arras 22 Nov 1904 in Birmingham  
     
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units Other War Memorials
Fampoux     
     

Circumstances of Death

Frederick is listed as being killed in action on 9th April 1917 during the Battle of Arras. The 1st Battalion war diary entry for that day is transcribed below along with a passage from the book "The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment" by C.L. Kingsford.

War Diary Entry

X Camp – 9 Apr 1917 – 6.45am: Battalion left X camp, 2nd Seaforth Highlanders in front, Household battalion in rear. Route in Preliminary Instructions No 2 attached.

9.50am: Battalion arrived at assembly area. Shovels and picks and two sandbags per man issued. Dinners issued.

12.20pm: battalion working and carrying parties moved off for their various rendezvous.

1.30pm: Battalion headquarters moved off and proceeded to blue line via 12th Brigade track.

4.30pm: battalion headquarters arrived at blue line.

EVENTS:-

7am: Black line taken

11.30am: Blue Line taken. Large number of German prisoners coming in.

4pm: Brown line captured and consolidated. Prisoners still coming in. 12th Brigade HQ are 100yds north of ours. Advance troops hold a line just E of Fampoux. Cold day, snow. Very cold night with some snow.

Casualties: 3 OR's killed, wounded and 2 evacuated sick

Book Passage

The 4th Division had left the Somme at the end of February, and was now in position just north of Arras. Their role on April 9th 1917 was to follow through, after the 9th Division of Highlanders and South Africans had stormed St. Laurent-Blangy and Athies, and to capture Fampoux. Nowhere was the success that day more triumphant.

The 1st Royal Warwickshire, who were in support, occupied and consolidated in turn four successive lines of trenches, and at evening were established east of Fampoux.

Two days later [11th April 1917] at noon the Royal Warwickshire attacked towards Plouvain in support to the Royal Irish Fusiliers, whilst the Household Battalion attacked towards Greenland Hill on the left. There were many casualties from shell-fire before starting, and the attack was almost at once checked by the enemy’s machine-guns. The Royal Warwickshire had advanced till they found the leading battalion’ held up. Then, since the fire from the Chemical Works and Railway Embankment made further progress impossible, Major Sir G. Lacon (who was in command that day) ordered a line to be consolidated, and at nightfall had established his battalion with the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the right and the Household Battalion on the left. The failure to achieve more was due partly to the fact that the brigade had been practically in the view of the enemy as it came up to the assembly, and partly to the heavy barrage which the Germans at once put down.

The Royal Warwickshire remained in their advanced position till April 18, and were in support for a week longer.

Their losses from April 9th to the 20th were 2 officers and 48 men killed, and 6 officers and 207 men wounded or missing.

General Fergusson congratulated the Division on having held the line’ for nearly a fortnight without relief in the worst possible weather. They had, he said, shown a grit and endurance worthy of the best traditions of the Old Army.


 
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
Oct Qtr 1889 in Hampton Lucy 6 Oct 1899 in Hampton Lucy
   
Parents Names Abode
Joseph and Martha Holtom  Parkfield Road, Coleshill 
   
Schools Colleges
  ~
   
Address History Employment History
1889 - Hampton Lucy 1901 - School age 
1891 - Park Cottage, Wellesbourne Mountford 1904 - Bottler
1901 - 5 Victoria Terrace, Stratford on Avon 1904 - Private in Royal Warwickshire Regt
1904 - 25 Bow Street, Birmingham 1911 - Private in Royal Warwickshire Regt
1911 - Army Barracks, Bombay, India 1914 - Corporal in Royal Warwickshire Regt 
1917 - Parkfield Road, Coleshill