Key dates over July 1916
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Lives lost on this day: 40
1st July 1916 - Battle of the Somme. Major Anglo-French offensive launched in Picardy. On the opening day, the British Army suffers 57,470 casualties, including 19,240 killed – its heaviest ever casualty toll in a 24 hour period.
Rolling Casualty Count: 3346
At the Front:
1st Batt: Arrived in billets at Molliers-au-Bois about 9.30pm. Three Regs of Battery are in the same village, so accommodation limited. At 6.00pm orders to march to Henencourt to billets in huts in Henencourt Wood.
2nd Batt: Batt in the Field near Railway Point. At 2.15am our artillery barrage began. Prisoners were taken but enemy held on and opportunities were missed. Trenches were very damaged. Our raiding party remained in the german line until by the sound of the bugle recalled them. Two men were killed and 15 badly injured plus many slight casualties.
3rd Batt: batt in billets in Varennes.
4th Batt: Batt in Auchon-Vilers Sector waiting its turn to advance. At 6.00am a terrible bombardment began and at 7.30 the advance began. At 9.30 Brigade received orders to reinforce. The Newfoundland Regt wet first and suffered heavy casualties followed by the Essex Regt. At 11.30 the Worcs and Hants were ordered to occupy the front line and prepare for fresh attacks. Five officers and 98 other ranks died. Telephone lines were cut and the trenches were clogged with dead and wounded men.
2/7th Batt: Batt at La Gorgue in rest billets.
2/8 Batt: At Fosse in billets with working parties.
10th Batt: At 9.00am Batt moved to assembly trenches to the north of Albert. The attack had started at 7.0am so rumours and alarms were frequent. Batt could not get in trench as communications were blocked as wounded men were being brought out. It was raining hard and trenches were soon Knee-deep in water.
SMD RFA: Zero Day-Batt at Mailly-Maillet. At 6.30am A Batty opened fire on Beaucourt Chateau. An assault was attempted but then cancelled. Constant firing all day.
Gunner Bosworth of D Battery was awarded the Military Medal for his good work in maintaining telephone cables during the day.
Yeomanry/Cavalry: Reg at Kantara being fed with drafts of men from England. Especially welcome were the old “Yeomen” who had been wounded or sick from Suvla Bay.
On the Home Front:
Yeomanry Prisoners: Mrs. Saunders, of Priest Lane, has heard from her son, Tpr. Maurice H. Saunders, of the Yeomanry, who is a prisoner at Afion-Kura-Hissar. He says he is going on well. Prior to joining the Yeomanry, he was in the Worcestershire Police Force, and was stationed at Stourport under Supt. Walker. He joined up last June, and went out in February last. He writes very cheerfully. He asks to be remembered to all friends; Mr. Charles Pearce, of Cherry Orchard, has had a letter from his two sons, Troopers Harold and Frederick Pearce, now prisoners of war. They say that they are living “like fighting cocks.” Harold has a bayonet wound in the shoulder, but is going on well, Frederick is uninjured; Mr. Peter Hanson, of Pershore, has had a letter from Sergt. R.C. Edwards (whose drapery business he is managing in his absence). Sgt Knight is one of the Yeoman prisoners of war. He writes that he is quite well and all right, and well treated. He says that he can receive parcels the contents of which do not require cooking. He is also at Afion-Kara-Hissar.
Information researched by the WWW100 team
Casualties
- Pte John Cotterell 22374 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Pte Benjamin Guise 23641 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Sgt George Frederick Ivamy 15670 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Pte William O'Neill 22698 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- L/Cpl Richard Stanley 15450 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Pte Albert Edward Taylor 20436 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte Alfred Lewis Green 8408 - Devonshire Regiment
- Sgt Andrew Edward Starling 5744 - Somerset Light Infantry
- Pte Connard James Matthews 2121 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- Pte Edwin Aston G/16608 - London Regiment
- Sgt Edwin George Stanley 16210 - The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- Pte Edwin Price 241192 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Pte Ernest Blewitt 19982 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte Frank Hopkine 16418 - Hampshire Regiment
- Pte Frank Joseph Martin 201202 - Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment
- Sgt Frederick Barker 11768 - South Wales Borderers
- L/Cpl Frederick Owen 22921 - Border Regiment
- Pte Frederick William Chance 17041 - Manchester Regiment
- Cpl Geoffrey Rose 16680 - The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- Pte George Williams 12493 - Manchester Regiment
- Pte George Wooldridge 9512 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Carl Nichols 3533 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Cook 18241 - East Yorkshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Frank Phillips 241157 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- L/Cpl Harry Mason G/1519 - Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
- Pte Issac Hickman 12783 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte James Turner 9713 - South Wales Borderers
- Pte Joseph Henry Kunzelmeyer 241329 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Sgt Leonard Beale Heath 2032 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- L/Cpl Major William Roberts PS/7132 - London Regiment
- Pte Robert Went Stanton 305437 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- Pte Sidney Stephens 241176 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Pte Sydney Stanley Hatherall 15234 - Somerset Light Infantry
- Pte Sydney Troth G/1186 - Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
- Pte William Barnard 13587 - Lincolnshire Regiment
- L/Cpl William Barnsley 12297 - Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
- Pte William Henry Werren 9121 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte William Hunt 9685 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte William Shaw 1848 - Manchester Regiment
- Pte Benjamin Guise 23641 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Sgt George Frederick Ivamy 15670 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- Pte William O'Neill 22698 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
- L/Cpl Richard Stanley 15450 - 4th Bn Worcestershire
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Gunner William George Poyner
126859
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Royal Field Artillery
- Pte Albert Edward Taylor 20436 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte Alfred Lewis Green 8408 - Devonshire Regiment
- Sgt Andrew Edward Starling 5744 - Somerset Light Infantry
- Pte Connard James Matthews 2121 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- Pte Edwin Aston G/16608 - London Regiment
- Sgt Edwin George Stanley 16210 - The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- Pte Edwin Price 241192 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Pte Ernest Blewitt 19982 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte Frank Hopkine 16418 - Hampshire Regiment
- Pte Frank Joseph Martin 201202 - Notts and Derby (Sherwood Foresters) Regiment
- Sgt Frederick Barker 11768 - South Wales Borderers
- L/Cpl Frederick Owen 22921 - Border Regiment
- Pte Frederick William Chance 17041 - Manchester Regiment
- Cpl Geoffrey Rose 16680 - The King's (Liverpool) Regiment
- Pte George Williams 12493 - Manchester Regiment
- Pte George Wooldridge 9512 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Carl Nicholls 3533 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Cook 18241 - East Yorkshire Regiment
- Pte Harry Frank Phillips 241157 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- L/Cpl Harry Mason G/1519 - Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
- Pte Isaac Hickman 12783 - King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- Pte James Turner 9713 - South Wales Borderers
- Pte Joseph Henry Kunzelmeyer 241329 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Sgt Leonard Beale Heath 2032 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- L/Cpl Major William Roberts PS/7132 - London Regiment
- Pte Robert Went Stanton 305437 - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
- Pte Sidney Stephens 241176 - North Staffordshire (Prince of Wales's) Regiment
- Pte Sydney Stanley Hatherall 15234 - Somerset Light Infantry
- Pte Sydney Troth G/1186 - Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment
- Pte William Barnard 13587 - Lincolnshire Regiment
- L/Cpl William Barnsley 12297 - Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
- Pte William Henry Werren 9121 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte William Hunt 9685 - South Staffordshire Regiment
- Pte William Shaw 1848 - Manchester Regiment