2nd Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment

[pilgrim]

I have followed posts on Royal Warwicks in this forum with interest, particularly references to 2nd Battalion. My Grandfather served with this Battalion from 1914 until, I believe 1917.

Does any one have details regarding the 2nd Battalion being involved in fighting at or near Gouzeacourt Wood?

My grandfather, Frederick Thomas Parker, was wounded at Gouzeacourt Wood with a bullet through his neck. He must have been 'home' in early 1916(around April) as my garndmother conceived my late uncle about that time!

With little to go on, I had assumed grandfather had been serving with the 2nd Battalion when wounded and had been sent back to the Uk as a result and hence was 'home' around April 1916. My late father was 100% sure his father was wounded at Gouzeacourt Wood, granfather refering to it as 'Goosey-Court'.

Later in the war at some time, grandfather was transfered to the 2nd/4th and 5th Battalions of the Royal Berkshire's. I had always assumed this was either late 1916 or early 1917 because grandfather did not go to italy with the 2nd Royal Warwicks in that year.

I admit much is supposition and mystery to me. Another mystery is that my father had said grandfather had also served some time in Ireland acting as an Army Postman...again assumption on my part was that he had been there whilst fully recovering and/or awaiting transfere to another Regiment.

Anyone have any information to help?

Lastly, I am looking for any information on two more relatives who served with the Royal Warwicks; a Cyril Parker believed of Royal Warwicks, Battalion not known but as he lived near Southam, nr Leamington Spa that may help narrow the field.

Company Sergeant Frederick Ariss DCM of Royal Warwicks'. He lived in Birmingham and died in 1919, I believe as a result of lasting effects of injuries sustained in the war?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanx all

Ray

[Terry Carter]

Have you a service number for F T Parker when he was with the Warwicks? It will be on the reverse of his 1914 Star.

I see CSM Ariss died in April, 1919 and is buried in Yardley cemetery in Birmingham. My nan's first husband is there too. He died in Feb, 1919, of the effects of the Spanish Flu, a few weeks after demobilisation. The same could have happened to Arris. As I have not seen his name in any wounded lists from the local press of the day.

CSM F Arris 1st Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment No.5580

For great zeal and and devotion to duty from the commencement of the campaign especially in the trenches at St Yves, CSM Arris has set a splendid example to the men of his company.

DCM entry. London Gazzette 30/6/15.

St Yves was when the Bn was at Plugstreet Wood. Bruce Bairnsfather writes about the battalion's experiences in his book 'Bullets and Billets'. Including the Xmas Day truce.

Regards

Terry

[brindlerp]

Hi Ray, regarding your comments on 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

7th Division, 22nd Brigade, 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment moved from the front Gheluvelt, Ypres to the Italian front in November 1917.

Extract from Kingsford's "The Story of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment", page 142:

"The 2nd Royal Warwickshire remained in the trenches before Le Maisnil till March 1915, then it was stationed a little further south near La Bassee, and in October at Cuinchy. On December 5 it entrained at Lillers for Salens. It did not return to the trenches till February 1916, when it held a line near Morlancourt to the south of Albert, remaining there till June."

Reference to "The Seventh Division 1914 - 1918" by C.T. Atkinson confirms this location but makes no mention of battles or territory taken during the period February - June 1916. There was the usual local trench maintenance, exchange of fire, raiding parties etc. which would have produced casualties.

Your reference to Gouzeacourt Wood is interesting, the only Gouzeaucourt I can find is a village/hamlet of that name several miles to the east of Morlancourt (see attached map), near the front where the 1917 Battle of Cambrai ( 20th November - 3rd December 1917 ) was fought.

The mother site (http://www.1914-1918.net/berks.htm) has details of the battalions of 'Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) in 1914-1918' and in which Divisions and Brigades they were assigned.

A number of Berkshire battalions were assigned to differing divisions who fought in The Battle of Cambrai, 20th November - 3rd December 1917.

I think this would be a good starting point for your research regarding Gouzeaucourt Wood.

Regards

Richard

[brindlerp]

Hi Ray, found this site you may find useful:

http://www.thewardrobe.org.uk/wardiary.php3

Home of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (Salisbury) Museum.

"The battalion war diaries of the Royal Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiments for both World War 1 and World War 2 are being transcribed. Those for World War 1 are complete and presented here. Most of the World War 2 diaries have been transcribed and are being checked. Once complete, they will be added to this facility.

The information presented here is only that of the actual diaries and total almost 16,500 records covering 15 battalions during World War 1. The information does not include (with a few exceptions) operation orders, appendices or other supplementary documents.

The accuracy of the transcription is not guaranteed. Where the original has more than one entry for a day, these entries have been concatenated into one day. Text in square brackets is not original data, but inserted to assist in interpreting the diary text.

Perhaps the most powerful facility is for text search. Using this you can find all records where another unit is mentioned (e.g. Dorset) or a person.

For World War 1 there were four types of battalion; Regular (the 1st and 2nd Battalions), Territorial Force (4th Battalion), Service (or Kitchener) and Labour Battalions. For both regiments the large number of reservists, together with existing TF soldiers, meant that the TF battalions were split into two, the 1st/4th and the 2nd/4th. Both of the Wiltshire Regiment TF battalions were sent to India to guard the Raj. In 1917 the 1/4th Battalion was sent to Palestine, which is when it commenced a war diary. The 2/4th remained in India and, not being in an operational theatre, did not maintain a war diary.

Should you wish to view the original diaries, you can do this at the National Archives (formerly the Public Record Office) at Kew, London. The piece numbers, units and periods covered are shown here.

We currently have 16482 diary entries. "

regards

Richard

[brindlerp]

Further to the above post, submit 'Gouzeaucourt' in the 'Search the whole database: Keywords: ' box and the following entries appear:

Searching for: Gouzeaucourt

Date Regiment Summary

Wednesday 4th April 1917 2nd Royal Berkshire The Battalion co-operated with the 20th Division... more

Friday 30th November 1917 5th Royal Berkshire Heavy barrage fell on front of Right Division... more

Sunday 2nd December 1917 2/4th Royal Berkshire FINS and GOUZEAUCOURT. At about 1am a GSO of the... more

Thursday 13th December 1917 2/4th Royal Berkshire Officers reconnoitred most suitable routes for... more

Good luck in your research

regards

Richard

[brindlerp]

Courtesy of:

http://www.westernfrontassociation.com/the...war/maproom.php

GOUZEAUCOURT and GOUZEAUCOURT WOOD appear on the attached 'The Battle of Cambrai, November - December, 1917' map.

[pilgrim]

Well...Thanks to all who have replied to my quiries and added pieces to the jigsaw.

Re CSM F Ariss 1st Royal Warwicks. Yes, I think Spanish Influenza may well have been the cause of his Death in 1919.

Regarding my grandafther, Frederick Thomas Parker. Still remains unresolved.

He must have been 'home' in Bishops Itchington in March 1916 as that was when his wife conceived my late Uncle. My late uncle was born there in January 1917.

His birth certificate has a stamp mark on the reverse that states: 'Infantry Record Office, No 7 Disatrict, Warwick.

Does anyone know why this is on the reverse of the birth certificate?

As my grandafther, service no 24462, was clearly at 'home' in March 1916 he could not have been in France with his Battalion.

I will follow the leads given and see what turns up.

Grandfather may well have been erving in the Royal Berkshires when he was wounded as it does seem from posts here that Gouzreacourt Wood is connected with the fighting of that Regiment.

Any more information still most welcome.

Does anyone have info on a James(Jim)Gow, possibly in Royal Warwickshires? He was 'gassed' but not sure if he died as a result?

Ray