R.M.L.I. & HAWKE Bn in Adanac Military Cemetery

[laughton]

Checking on loose ends for Lieutenant Wainwright's case:

1. There were no casualties where the "Secondary Regiment" issue came into play. If I did it correctly, as you can not just check "Hawke", you had to cover those that had the R.N.V.R. as the "Secondary Regiment",  of which five (5) served in the navy (CWGC Link). There were two (2) Surgeon Lieutenants, both lost 13 November 1916, one attached to the Hawke Bn and one to Anson Bn. There was one (1) Sub-Lieutenant with a link to the Hawke Bn and the RFC (CWGC Link). Thirty-nine (39) had an army-RNVR link (CWGC Link), which you have to check individually as the CWGC does not show the battalion of the secondary regiment in the download. For example. Lieutenant Colonel John Whiteman is listed as 4th Bn Middlesex Regiment but was Commanding Hawke Bn., when KIA 25 April 1917. He is the only one with a direct link to the Hawke Bn. There wwere a number of men of the Royal Navy with a link to the "Hawke" (421 on CWGC) but none lost in France. Of those 415 are linked to the H.M.S. "Hawke" and interestingly, the six (6) lost on land were all directly linked to the Hawke Bn.
2. Seven (7) casualties in the battalion are recorded for July 1918, all in known graves, no Commissioned Officers (CWGC Link).

[laughton]

The CWGC documents do not specifically show that the HEADSTONE for Plot 4 Row A Grave 30 records that the UNKNOWN OFFICER is of the HAWKE Bn.

 

There are a number of photographs of the other gravestones for the HAWKE men in the Google Images (see this page) but none appear to have also included the Unknown Officer. They do often show up in the "neighbouring headstone". The GRRF clearly says "Hawke" but I want to make sure that the CWGC did not have any reservations about the battalion.

 

Smith & John

Randell - on his own, something wrong on the CWGC list (see this GRRF). The three (3) Unknowns are on a separate stone as well.

Miller - and that shows the source of the photographs (here and here)

Riddell (from here)

Hamilton

 

Does anyone have a picture of the headstone for the UNKNOWN OFFICER?

[laughton]

During the process of assembling the details for a report on Lieutenant Wainwright, I came upon the case of Lieutenant Frank Olover Forrester. He is listed on the Arras Memorial for 25 March 1918, thus should not be a candidate for someone in the Pys New British Cemetery. However it would be best to rule him out, given his location during the Battle of Bapaume 24-25 March 1918 (LLT Link).

 

The war diary (page 298 of 508) refers to 3 Officers joing the battalion at 10 pm on 25 March 1918. On page 191 of the "Hawke Battalion" we find a reference to the death of one of those men (not named):

Quote

Some casualties were suffered, and amongst those killed was an officer who had joined us with a small party of reinforcements during the night. Arriving in a cap, a steel helmet had been found for him, and he was in the acto of putting this on when he was hit in the head.

 

Lieutenant Forrester is the only named casualty (dead) for the battalion on 25 March 1918 (CWGC Link). The war diary tells us that they had taken up defensive positions south of the Ancre. The war diary entry says "Highwood" 57c.S.4. Earlier in the day they had been at the Courcelette Sugar Factory 57d.R.36 before retiring cross country to Thiepval 57d.R.26 at 5 pm. Although to the southwest of Pys, it is theoretically possible that post war recovery operations could have picked up his remains. The evidence against this is the CWGC statement that the remains in Pys New British Cemetery (now located at 57c.M.2.b.6.4) were from August-September 1918.

 

For the record, these are all the UNKNOWN OFFICERS of the Hawke Battalion shown on the CWGC website for France:

 

surname	initials	death	rank	memorial
FORRESTER	F O	25-03-18	Lieutenant	ARRAS MEMORIAL
MELLAND	F B	24-04-17	Lieutenant	ARRAS MEMORIAL
BURR	H A J	23-04-17	Sub-Lieutenant	ARRAS MEMORIAL
ELLIS	E W	03-02-17	Lieutenant	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
KER	W	13-11-16	Lieutenant	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
COLLINS	M M	04-02-17	Sub-Lieutenant	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
EDWARDS	R C G	13-11-16	Sub-Lieutenant	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
KNIGHT	A R	13-11-16	Sub-Lieutenant	THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
BIGGS	H B	03-09-18	Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
COOKSON	A O	08-10-18	Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
WAINWRIGHT	O J	25-08-18	Paymaster Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
HARRY	F C	08-10-18	Sub-Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
STRICKLAND	H S	03-09-18	Sub-Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
WICKS	E E	03-09-18	Sub-Lieutenant	VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL

 

 

Edited 10 September , 2019 by laughton
added location of Pys New British Cemetery

[laughton]

On 28/08/2019 at 09:59, horatio2 said:

Have you seen this account of Lt WAINWRIGHT's death in "The Hawke Battalion":

"The Hawke Battalion was to advance through [Loupart Wood]. ...Through the middle of Loupart Wood, dividing the frontage of the Hawke Battalion, there was a road. To the left of this were A and B companies [with] remarkably good cover from view. ... Very different was the fate of C and D companies and of Battalion Headquarters. At the beginning of the attack Commander Jones ... was killed by a machine gun bullet. Under Lieutenant Commander [sic] Wainwright the advance continued ... The chief centre of resistance was an enemy machine-gun post south-east of the wood and it was in attempting to rush this post that Commander [sic] Wainwright was killed. Here, too, fell Sub Lieutenant Willson and Sub Lieutenant Darrell."

 

Whew! I could not find WILLSON (two named WILSON) but I see it was WILLISON. He is in the grave next to Commander Jones and the GRRF 1975466 was later corrected to the 25th from the 27th.

 

Finding Sub Lieutenant Darrell was tougher. His real name was Albert Henry Brookes (see here) who is buried in the Miraumont Communal Cemetery (CWGC Link). His Miraumont grave was exhumed for identification, yet the concentration document refers to the original grave at Gommecourt 57d.K.10.b.8.3 being empty? That empty grave was for the body at 57d.L.34.d.3.2 as compared to the Miraumont grave being at 57d.L.34.d.7.4. Close and confusing! 

 

Now I have to wonder if this raises an issue. These remains are now on the border of the Ancre River, not at Loupart Wood. OKAY that is resolved, as the CWGC says that one body of the 63rd Division was buried by the enemy (CWGC Cemetery Register).

 

 

Edited 9 September , 2019 by laughton
added image of register

[laughton]

@horatio2

 

A draft report on Lieutenant Wainwright has been prepared. The review and input of others would be most appreciated. As a Canadian, the Royal Naval Division is an oddity to our knowledge of units in the Great War, thus your guidance is most appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Richard

 

https://cefresearch.ca/reports/Lieutenant Wainwright Adanac Military Cemetery Plot 4 Row A Grave 30.pdf

 

ERROR REPORT: That document, until modified, refers to Private Hilton of the "Howe Battalion". That is incorrect, as that was the battalion of the man with a similar name. I am not at a location now where I can update the report but I will do that tomorrow morning! Hilton was RMLI, as was Dickinson.

Edited 22 September , 2019 by laughton
error now corrected

[laughton]

Now back working on Private Dickinson. Let me know what you think about the candidates.

 

It would be great if there was a casualty card for Able Seaman James Dickinson Tyneside Z/3305 showing that he was buried at Pys!!

 

Quote

10.    A Possible List of Candidates for the remains that had been identified as those of Private Dickinson was investigated, following several avenues .In the first instance, there is no casualty within the CWGC database for the surname “Bickinson”, as first reported on the GRRF (CWGC Link). There are 427 for the name “Dickinson”, of which 233 died in France. Three (3) of these men had naval affiliations and are named on the Thiepval Memorial (CWGC Link). Two (2) of these men have the same first initial “J” as that reported on the GRRF (Attachment #10). Both were killed in action on 4 February 1917 when the Hawke Battalion was in Puisieux Trench 57d.L.20 to 57d.R.8 add and the Drake Battalion was .... (insert), north of the River Ancre. That places them very close to Adanac Military Cemetery at 57d.R.18.

It is possible that a man could have been taken as a POW in one area of France and died in another, thus explaining the change in location. The International Committee of the Red Cros (ICRC) records that there were three (3) "Dickinson" men that were POWs or listed by the ICRC (ICRC Link): (all appear to have survived the war):
 

                                          i.    R. Dickinson, from the Hawke Bn was repatriated 29 November 1918

                                         ii.    Ralph Dickenson 2nd R.M.L.I. #PO/1466 24 March 1918

                                        iii.    W. E. Dickinson  R.M.L.I. #PLY/14217 30 December 1917 at Cambrai

 

If the service number is relevant, there is only one R.M.L.I. man on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial containing the partial number "135", Pte. James Stevens #PLY/13557, killed in action on 25 August 1918. The date is also correct to be in the Adanac Military Cemetery.

The most likely candidate is Able Seaman James Dickinson Tyneside Z/3305 of the 63^rd (Royal Naval) Division, Drake Battalion, but there is no way to confirm that identity at this time. Further investigations will be undertaken, as there may be records noting his burial in the Pys British Cemetery.

 

 

Edited 23 September , 2019 by laughton

[laughton]

Can anyone tell me if there is additional information about Able Seaman James Dickinson Tyneside Z/3305 of the 63^rd (Royal Naval) Division, Drake Battalion?

 

It is quite possible that he is the "J. Dickinson" that is buried in the Adanac Military Cemetery.

 

I will "ping" the expert: @horatio2

 

Additional information:

 

In order for the remains to be those of the Drake Battalion, his remains had to have come from some location other than the Pys New British Cemetery, as that was not in existence at the time of his death in February 1917 (CWGC Link). There is some support for this, as the “Dickinson Remains” were buried in Plot 1 with a number of Canadian casualties from September-October 1916. The majority of the August 1918 remains, of the men of the naval division, were buried in Plot 4. The only other deviation from this was the group burial of Able Seamen Hamilton, John, Randel, and Smith in 1.J.39 (CWGC Link). That joint burial (graves 38-39) also contains Private Draper (Royal Welsh Fusiliers) and three (3) Unknown British Soldiers.

 

Edited 28 September , 2019 by laughton

[horatio2]

I am not quite sure what the precise question is. The RND Record Card (ADM 339) for James Dickinson is here:- https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7291583

He was one of about three dozen Drakes k.i.a. or d.o.w. on 4/2/1917. About two dozen of these are commemorated, like Dickinson, on the Thiepval Memorial. Nothing to add.

[Keith_history_buff]

I don't have access to Ancestry, but you may want to see if his ADM 242 series burial record can be found via the following Ancestry dataset:
https://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=60931

I believe this would be the equivalent of the CEF "black binders" which are also available as a dataset via Ancestry.

As horatio2 has stated, his index card in the ADM 339 series will tell you most that there is to know. The only other possible avenue of research would be the "Casualties of the Royal Naval Division". This derived data, compiled by Jack Marshall, has been available in the past via FMP, Ancestry & FWR. He did this after researching Jack Clegg, his Great Uncle, who served in one of the Royal Marine battalions of the RND.
http://www.jackclegg.com/

I have nothing further to add, other than to say that Jack Marshall has done a great job with his research.



 

[horatio2]

8 hours ago, Keith_history_buff said:

"Casualties of the Royal Naval Division".

In the case of Dickinson that data adds nothing to the ADM 339 information. It does note that the CWGC record states, incorrectly, that he was "aged 19". He was 21.

[Don Regiano]

Nothing to add to resolve the issues but just happened to see I had a photo of his W J Dickinson's headstone:

 

 

[laughton]

Don - I only had a copyright version that I could not use in the report, so I would like to use yours if that is okay?

 

TEXT IN REPORT:   11.    A Headstone Photograph was graciously provided by member Don Regiano of the Great War Forum (Attachment #11). In the original image provided, the headstone is in the lower right corner of the cemetery photograph. A cropped version of that reveals the inscription as: CH/1354(S) PRIVATE RMLI W. J. Dickinson ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION 28th April 1917

ATTACHMENT #11 Headstone photograph courtesy of Don Regiano, Great War Forum https://www.greatwarforum.org/photograph   Original Photograph (headstone lower right corner)   Cropped Photograph

 

[horatio2]

20 hours ago, laughton said:

That joint burial (graves 38-39) also contains Private Draper (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)

Draper was, as CWGC notes, serving with Hawke Battalion at the time so all five burials were Hawke Bn. There are two other Hawke Bn (RWF) burials at Adanac both kia 25/8/18 but not in this group of burials: Pte Leslie ROGERSON and Pte Harold WHEATCROFT.

[Don Regiano]

7 hours ago, laughton said:

Don - I only had a copyright version that I could not use in the report, so I would like to use yours if that is okay?

 

TEXT IN REPORT:   11.    A Headstone Photograph was graciously provided by member Don Regiano of the Great War Forum (Attachment #11). In the original image provided, the headstone is in the lower right corner of the cemetery photograph. A cropped version of that reveals the inscription as: CH/1354(S) PRIVATE RMLI W. J. Dickinson ROYAL NAVAL DIVISION 28th April 1917

ATTACHMENT #11 Headstone photograph courtesy of Don Regiano, Great War Forum https://www.greatwarforum.org/photograph   Original Photograph (headstone lower right corner)   Cropped Photograph

 

 

Of course you can Richard.  On my next visit to the Somme (next month I hope) I will try to get a better picture for you.

 

regards.

 

Reg