mullet Posted 4 December , 2010 Share Posted 4 December , 2010 Hi Has anyone got any details about this battalion in the March 1918 period? Thanks Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ander11 Posted 4 December , 2010 Share Posted 4 December , 2010 Hello andy , I have found this about 3rd Battalion Coldstream guards I hope this helps you Guards Division - This division was created in July 1915 by bringing together all the Guards regiments then in France and Flanders, including the newly formed Welsh Guards. The division's ancillary troops - Engineers, Medical Corps, Artillery, etc - were taken from their usual parent corps or regiments: the artillery came from the 11th (Northern) and 16th (Irish) Divisions, with the Engineers also coming from 16th Division. However, the exception was the brigade and divisional machine gun companies: rather than being MGC, these became units of the Guards Machine Gun Regiment. It formally became a division in August 1915, when all the units assembled at Lumbres, near St Omer. The division's first action was the Battle of Loos in September-October 1915. In particular the Guards fought at Hill 70 and the Hohenzollern Redoubt: casualties during this period were 74 officers and 2,041 men. During the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the division fought at Guillemont and Ginchy during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette from 14th-22nd September, at the Battle of Morval 25th-28th September and in the Capture of LesBoeufs on 25th September. The Guards Division spent the winter of 1916/17 holding the front line on the Somme, but did not fight at Arras in 1917. Instead they moved up to the Ypres Salient and took over the Canal Sector at Boesinghe. During Third Ypres they fought in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge from 31st July - 2nd August when they captured the German positions around Artillery Wood, and returned to Flanders for the Battle of Poelcapelle and Passchendaele in October 1917. In November-December 1917 the division fought in the Battle of Cambrai, at Gonnelieu, Gouzaucourt and Gauche Wood losing 125 officers and 2,966 men. The winter of 1917/18 was spent on the Arras front around the river Scarpe. When the German Offensive broke on 21st March 1918, Guards division was in training at Arras. They moved up to the front between Boyelles and Henin, and later took up positions in defence of Ervillers. The division the withdrew through Moyenville to Ayette. By 31st March casualties had amounted to 59 officers and 1,080 men - light compared to some divisions. I hope this is useful best reguards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullet Posted 4 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 4 December , 2010 Thanks Ian Not too sure if the 3/Coldstreams were still with the Guards Div in early 1918. 'battlefields1418.50megs' mentions that...... 3rd Battalion 4.8.14 Chelsea Barracks, as part of 4th (Guards) Brigade, 2nd Division. Landed at Havre 13.8.14. To 1st Guards Brigade, Guards Division on 20.8.15. to 4th Guards Brigade, 31st Division on 8.2.18. Posted to GHQ Reserve on 20.5.18. 11.11.18 located at Criel Plage, near Le Treport, France. which leads me to think that the battalion might have left the Guards Div on 08/02/1918. I downloaded the Guards Div war diaries which also hint towards this..... any thoughts? They were definately in the Arras area as the man I am researching is one of 9 lost on 25th April 1918, all of whom have no known grave & appear on the Arras Memorial. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ander11 Posted 5 December , 2010 Share Posted 5 December , 2010 Hello Andy sorry my mistate http://www.1914-1918.net/31div.htm they were in 31st division in the same area I have only found 1 man killed on that date from SDGW Coldstream Guards Packer,Arthur,James ,Private 13112 Born - Belgravia,Middlesex, Enlisted - London, Residence - Bromley,Kent Died - 25/04/1918, at home Do you have their names so I can look them up Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ander11 Posted 5 December , 2010 Share Posted 5 December , 2010 Andy, I did a search on men died on that date ,but I could only find one . there are a few who died on 14/04/1918.If you post their name that would help Best reguards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullet Posted 5 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 5 December , 2010 Andy, I did a search on men died on that date ,but I could only find one . there are a few who died on 14/04/1918.If you post their name that would help Best reguards Ian Thanks Ian.... I meant 25/03/1918.... (too many dates whizzing about at the moment). The chap I am looking at is Pte Alfred Butcher... 21934, but also killed on the day were: DRAPER WJ 10706, HOLMES JE 14745, JONES WR 20635, LLOYD WH 21596, MACQUEEN GWS 21539, PRICE J 19726, STEWARD AA , TURNER HR 12945 I have been through SDitGW without many clues, also the usual sources in Ancestry.com.. no luck. All are on the Arras Mem, so lost with no known grave, presumably in the 'fog of war' during the spring offensive. Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullet Posted 11 December , 2010 Author Share Posted 11 December , 2010 If anyone else happens upon this period for 3rd Battalion Coldtream Guards, I happened upon "The Distant Drum' by F E Noakes, who transfered into 3/Coldstreams on 18th March 1918 following the disbandment of his former unit, the Household Battalion...... very good book indeed! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ander11 Posted 21 February , 2011 Share Posted 21 February , 2011 Hello Andy details from SDGW Coldstream Guards Draper,William James,PTE 10706 Born - Walworth,Surrey Enlisted - London Residence - Loughborough Junction KIA on 25/03/1918 in France & flanders Coldstream Guards Butcher,Alfred,PTE,21934. Born - Rudgwick,Sussex Enlisted - Horsham residence - Rudgwick KIA on 25/03/1918 in France & Flanders best reguards Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullet Posted 24 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 February , 2011 Thanks Ian... Best regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 April , 2014 Share Posted 7 April , 2014 I am just starting to research my Grandfather, Quincy Shaw Greene (3rd Bn Coldstream Guards) apparently killed by a sniper on 28 March 1918 and buried apparently near the Ayette Bapaume road in the Arras sector. He was an American who joined up in March 1915. His letters back home berated his countrymen for taking so long to get involved! Interestingly, Quincy and many other Coldstreamers feature in a book by C P Blacker called - Have you forgotten yet? Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 7 April , 2014 Share Posted 7 April , 2014 being ex 4th Btn is certainly the book to read Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 7 April , 2014 Share Posted 7 April , 2014 Do you have a pic of Greene ? I have one but cant post as IE is blocking my computer for some reason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldstreamer Posted 7 April , 2014 Share Posted 7 April , 2014 Greene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 8 April , 2014 Share Posted 8 April , 2014 Thank you so much Coldstreamer for posting the photo above. Is it possible to post me one that shows the other men in the photograph? I only have the name of Col J W Crichton so unfortunately I don't know the names of the other officers, who wrote to Quincy's widow (my grandmother who I never knew). I have recently received info on Quincy from the National Archives, but I can't say that it was very illuminating! Any information/pointers that you can provide would be appreciated. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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