Pte Frederick C FRANCIS, 1 E Yorks, DoW, 15.12.17

[Guest Pete Wood]

Private Frederick Charles Francis died of wounds on the 15.12.17. Can you tell us more about him, his family, and the circumstances of his death....??

From the CWGC:

Name: FRANCIS

Initials: F C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: East Yorkshire Regiment

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 15/12/1917

Service No: 8847

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: VII. B. 11.

Cemetery: ROCQUIGNY-EQUANCOURT ROAD BRITISH CEMETERY, MANANCOURT

According to SDGW, he was a London lad - born in Bethnal Green and enlisted in Stratford.

What surprised me was how many of these E Yorks men, with similar four-figure numbers, were from the London area - at the time, most parts of London were classed as being in the county of Middlesex.

It also appears that soldiers with this series of numbers joined fairly early in the war.

I haven't had time to look at anything else, so hopefully someone can tell us more....

[Guest Pete Wood]

Okay, I've now had time to look at the Long, Long Trail (see the link at the top left hand side of the page), and this shows that 1 East Yorkshire was part of 21 Division.

In November 1917, 21 Division was part of the massive Battle of Cambrai - noted for the large amount of tanks which co-operated with the infantry for the long-hoped for, knock-out blow

But by December, the Germans forced a counter-attack. The following is the description from the Long, Long, Trail....

The German Counter-attack, 30 November - 4 December

The Germans began planning for a counter-strike around the 23rd November, as their strength in the area began to mount and it bacme clear that the British had shot their bolt. The plan was simply to cut of the neck of the salient by attacking on each side, with the strongest blow to come on the southern side. The blow fell at 7.30am on the 30th, and was devastatingly fast and effective. By 9am, the Germans had penetrated almost 3 miles towards Havrincourt Wood. Byng's Third Army faced disaster, with the real prospect of several divisions being cut off in the trap. The first attack fell on the 55th (West Lancs) and 12th Divisions on the south-eastern side of the salient. The Germans climbed the slope to re-take Lateau Wood, pushed up the complex of shallow ravines south of Banteux, moved through Villers Guislain, and past Gouzeaucourt. Amongst the trrops defending the artillery positions at Gouzeaucourt were the 11th US Engineer Company. The direction of the assault was across British divisional boundaries, and the command structure rapidly broke down as the troops became mixed up. Three German divisions attacked to the north, supported by an intense Phosgene barrage, intending to cut the Bapaume-Cambrai road near Anneux Chapel. They were repulsed by the machine gun barrage of the 47th, 2nd and 56th Divisions, who had relieved the 36th and 40th. No Germans reached the road. Fierce fighting continued in the southeren area, for Gonnelieu, Les Rues Vertes and Masnieres. Eventually, on the 3rd, Haig ordered a retirement 'with the least possible delay from the Bourlon Hill-Marcoing salient to a more retired and shorter line'. Later on, questions were asked in the House. Byng's report blamed badly-trained troops. Several middle-ranking commanders were sacked. But the hard fact remained that this audacious plan had utterly failed, and although some ground had been gained, in places the Germans were in ground formerly occupied by the British. A small salient remained at Flesquieres, which was an exposed position ruthlessly exploited by the German assault in March 1918.

Tactics

Great secrecy was maintained for this operation. The artillery did not fire registration shots - and thus give away their presence - but used predicted fire. The use of massed tanks on favourable ground gave the British a real means of breaking through the formidable enemy defences.

Casualties

Third Army reported losses of dead, wounded and missing of 44,207 between 20 November and 8 December. Of these, some 6,000 were taken prisoner in the enemy counterstroke on 30 November. Enemy casualties are estimated by the British Official History at approximately 45,000.

Looking at the casualties of the 1 E Yorks in December, there were very few casualties. So it looks as though Frederick Francis may have been just one more unfortunate casualty while the East Yorks were holding the line.

Details of the cemetery, from the CWGC states:

The cemetery was begun in 1917 and used until March 1918, mainly by the 21st and 48th Casualty Clearing Stations posted at Ytres, and to a small extent by the Germans, who knew it as "Etricourt Old English Cemetery". The cemetery contains 1,838 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 21 of the burials are unidentified and nine Commonwealth graves made by the Germans which cannot now be found are represented by special memorials. The cemetery also contains 198 German war burials and the graves of ten French civilians. The cemetery was desiged by Sir Reginald Blomfield.

[CROONAERT]

The 1/E.Yorks didn't actually take any part in the battle of Cambrai.They arrived at Tincourt, via Perronne on 1st December, then marched into billets at Hamel. They went to the front line in front of Peiziere ,attempting to complete the defences in the new line.

On the 6th, they were holding the line at Vaucelette Farm (2000 yds north of Peiziere) at the southern extremety of what was to become the Flesquieres salient (or Cambrai re-entrant).

Between the 1st and the 15th December, they had been holding the line at Peiziere, Vaucelette Farm and Epehy. When out of the line ,they were rested at Heudecourt or Longavesnes.

Dave.