1st of may

[trenchwalker]

hi all im doing a thing for the mills who died on this day can anyone give me a name of someone who died on the 1st of may.

[markl]

Do you mean anyone who died on this day?

Egbert's (a member of this forum) Grandfather died 1st May 1918

See link (http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=4807&hl=)

[Tom Morgan]

Martin,

A quick look in my books gives the following for 1st Dorsets. "A Sergeant-Major's War - From Hill 60 to the Somme" by Ernest Shepard.

Saturday, 1st May 1915.

The Bn. relieved the Devons on Hill 60, trenches 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45 at dawn.

A and C Companies went on the hill, B and D in support trenches 100 yards behind. Fairly quiet in trenches but "The Dump" heavily shelled. Fighting started on our left at 2 p.m. Our atillery heavily shelled the enemy trenches in front of Hill 60. At 6 p.m. started the most barbarous act known to modern warfare. We had just given orders guarding against the gases the Germans use. These orders had just reached one platoon (no. 7) when the enemy actually started pumping out gas on to us. This gas we were under impression was to stupefy only. We soon found out at a terrible price that these gases wer deadly poison. First we saw a thick smoke curling over in waves from enemy trenches on left. The cry was sent up that this was gas fumes. The scene that followed was heartbreaking. Men were caught by fumes and in dreadful agony, coughing and vomiting, rolling on ground in agony.

Very soon after gas was pumped over to us the enemy were seen running from their own trenches as a part of the fumes blew back to them. Had order reigned and this fact been generally known we should doubtless have charged and chanced consequences of new gas. As soon as cleared the enemy attacked but were held off by those of us left until the Devons came up from the support dugouts (Dump) and reinforced us.

Men caught by fumes badly were at this stage dying, and we fully realised our desperate position. I ran round at intervals and tied up lots of men's mouths, placed them in sitting positions, and organised parties to assist hem to the support dugouts.

When we found our men were dying from fumes we wanted to charge, but were not allowed to do so. What a start for May.

Soldiers Died in the Great War lists 14 members of 1st Dorsets killed in action on this day.

A/Sgt. William Thomas Baiden

Pte. E J Bradshaw

Pte. W Burns

Pte. J. Godfrey

Pte. A E Habens

Pte. F G Jeans

Pte. T. G. Lanning

L/Cpl. T. Long

Pte. A N Lucas

Pte. R J Phillips

Pte. W. A Trickett

Pte. F. Wilcox

Pte. E F Williams

A/L/Cpl. S. Williams

[trenchwalker]

cheers