Great War> Allied Army

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to accept cookies. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.     Site Home     Great War Home     Search     Add Stories & Photos     Library     Help & FAQs  Features     Allied Army     Day by Day     RFC & RAF     Prisoners of War     War at Sea     Training for War     The Battles     Those Who Served     Hospitals     Civilian Service     Women at War     The War Effort     Central Powers Army     Central Powers Navy     Imperial Air Service     Library     World War Two  Submissions     Add Stories & Photos     Time Capsule  Information     Help & FAQs     Glossary     Volunteering     News     Events     Contact us     Great War Books     About Advertisements World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment    2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) was in India in August 1914 when war broke out, it arrived home in December 1914, to join the newly formed 28th Division, near Winchester. They proceeded to France from Southampton, landing at le Harve between the 16th and 19th of January, they concentrated in the area between Bailleul and Hazebrouck, being joined by additional Territorial units. In 1915 they were in action in The Second Battle of Ypres and The Battle of Loos. On the 19th of October 1915 orders were recieved to prepare to sail and five days later the first units left Marseilles for Alexandria in Egypt all units (with the exception XXXI and CXLVI Brigades RFA) arrived the by 22nd of November and they went on to Salonika on the 4th of January 1916. Later in the year they were in action during the occupation of Mazirko and the capture of Barakli Jum'a. In 1917 they were involved in the capture of Ferdie and Essex Trenches (near Barakli Jum'a) and then the capture of Barakli and Kumli. In mid 1918 a number of units returned to France The remainer of the Division were later in actio at the Battle of Doiran and the pursuit to the Strumica valley. When Hostilities with Bulgaria ceased at the end of September the 28th Division was in the area of Trnovo. They moved in early November to Gallipoli and occupied the Dardanelles Forts. 2nd Feb 1915 Registration   3rd Feb 1915 Shelling   4th Feb 1915 Attack Made   5th Feb 1915 Communication Issues   16th Feb 1915 Barrage   17th Feb 1915 Attack Made   24th Feb 1915 Artillery Support   26th Feb 1915 Reliefs   27th Feb 1915 Conference   28th Feb 1915 Shelling   2nd of March 1915  Patrols   3rd of March 1915 Enemy Fire Silenced   4th of March 1915 Enemy Nervous   6th of March 1915  No Hostile Patrols    7th of March 1915  A Searchlight Hit    10th Mar 1915 Award 10th of March 1915 POW Taken   11th of March 1915 Mortar Shells   13th of March 1915 Booby Trap   16th March 1915  Information 16th of March 1915 No Hostile Patrols   19th of March 1915  Patrols   30th of March 1915  Hostile MG Damaged?    31st of March 1915     31st March 1915  Working Parties   1st of April 1915 Orders   3rd of April 1915 Quiet Day   7th of April 1915 Mostly Quiet    7th Apr 1915 Reorganisation 4th May 1915 Tough fight on Frezenberg Ridge  The evening of May 4 th saw the beginning of the battalion's hardest trial and greatest achievement. The strain and stress was all over within a week, but during that period the 3rd Monmouth's were involved in some of the hardest fighting of the war. Suffering heavy casualties and though outnumbered by the enemy and without adequate artillery support held up the German attack at a crucial point of the line. On this evening A company (Captain Baker) and C Company (Captain Steel) moved up into support trenches and dug-outs north of the road at the western foot of the Frezenberg Ridge. B Company (Captain Gattie) went up to reinforce the 1st York and Lancs in the front line on the right of the Brigade; and D Company (Major Lewis) remained in reserve at Potizje. The new front line, which had been hastily and poorly constructed, suffered severely from the bombardment. So bad did conditions become that both the 2nd East Yorks and the 5th KOYLI were compelled that night to dig a new line just behind the original one. Casualties had been heavy and the wounded were removed with great difficulty during the night, whilst the dead had to be buried where they fell. 5th May 1915 Hard Fighting  May 5th opened with a still more severe bombardment and the front line troops were reported as being in a very exhausted condition. Early in the morning C Company was called upon to reinforce the 2nd East Yorks on the south of the road. Captain Steel led half of C Company up to reinforce the front line. As they topped the ridge they were caught by German machine gun fire and suffered terrible casualties. Captain Steel was a doctor in civilian life and he set about attending the wounded as well as leading the advance. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross. One of the men in his company, Private AM Mitchell, wrote home: "Words utterly fail me to say what a hero Captain O.W.D. Steel was during that fearful struggle. From every person I meet they tell me the same tale. Under heavy shell and maxim fire he went out and fetched in wounded, bandaging them and if he doesn't deserve the VC no man on earth ought to get it." An hour later A company (under Captain R.A. Lewis) also tried to reinforce the front line and again suffered terrible casualties. Private I. Skidmore was awarded the DCM for attending to the casualties until he was so badly wounded himself that he could not carry on. 5th May 1915 Heavy Shelling 6th May 1915 Shelling on Frezenberg Ridge  On May 6th, there was shelling, but less severe than on the 5th, and no attempt at an attack by the enemy. 7th May 1915 Heavier Bombardment on Frezenberg Ridge  May 7th opened with a heavier bombardment, which caused many casualties. There was nothing but the 27th and 28th Divisions between the enemy and Ypres but the British soldier proverbially does not know when he is beaten. 9th May 1915 Hard fighting on Frezenberg Ridge  Under cover of darkness, the remnants of B Coy 3rd Monmouths began to withdraw to rejoin the rest of the battalion. Just as they got back to the GHQ line at dawn on May 9th a staff officer ordered them back into the front line. 10th May 1915 Reorganisation 11th May 1915 In the Line 21st May 1915 Inspection 5th of August 1915 Reliefs on the Way 16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme 28th Nov 1915 On the Move 1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets 2nd Dec 1915 On the Move 3rd Dec 1915 Docks 11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment 10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens 9th February 1916 Call Ups 15th Aug 1916 Shelling  18th Durhams hold Trenches in Festubert Sector. Weather cool. Slight artillery activity 10.45 to 11.15am on both sides, some shells fell on our North Old British Line 1 to 2.15 Heavy showers. 1445. An arranged bombardment of Field Artillery 4.5 hours. Stokes Guns & machine Guns on Popes Nose opened. Hostile artillery replied quickly at first slightly on Front Line, then more heavily on Cover Trench & George Trench, next with effect on O.B.L. round Battalion HQ two bays & 2 dugouts being blown in. Casualties 3, this small number being due largely to removal of troops from trenches usually occupied to disused trenches in rear of successive lines. Damage was also done to Barnton No 11 Island parapet blown in in parts. Slight artillery both sides at night. 2nd East Yorks relieved 2nd Wilts on right on night of 15th-16th. 18th DLI war diary WO95/2361/1 6th Oct 1916 Patrol 7th Oct 1916 Attack Made 2nd Nov 1916 Consolidation 3rd Nov 1916 Relief Completed 11th Nov 1916 Working Party 12th Nov 1916 Church Parade 13th Nov 1916 Training 14th Nov 1916 Working Party 15th Nov 1916 Working Party 16th Nov 1916 Attack Made 28th Nov 1916 Night Relief 15th Dec 1916 Exchange of Fire 16th Dec 1916 Training 25th Mar 1917 Air Raid 26th Mar 1917 Relief Completed 21st May 1917 Working Party If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment? There are:5294 items tagged 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. Allabyrne Edward. Pte. (d.23rd Apr 1915) Allum Walter Charles. Pte Anderson Robert. Cpl. (d.14th July 1915) Anderson VC William. Cpl. (d.13th March 1915) Brett R. Harry. Pte. (d.30th August 1914) Broomfield Thomas Alfred. Pte. (d.15th Jun 1915) Bullock Eli. Pte. Burgess James. Pte (d.5th Feb 1915) Buzzard Thomas. (d.23rd May 1915) Carney Frederick. Pte. Carney DCM. John. L/Sgt. Carney MC. DCM. & bar. Thomas P.. CSM. Coulson James Henry. Cpl. (d.1st October 1915) Darty James. Pte. (d.16th February 1915) Darty James. Pte. (d.16th February 1915) Higham George Aaron Gilbert. Pte Holmes Thomas. Pte. (d.23rd March 1915) Holmes William. Pte. (d.4th October 1915) Holmes William. Pte. (d.4th October 1915) Hutting William. Pte. Jacques William. Pte. (d.8th May 1914) Lamond Harold Gordon. Sgt. Lockey William. Pte (d.2nd May 1915) Middleton Robert William. Pte. (d.23rd April 1915) Neal Noah. Pte. Ogle Benjamin. Pte Ogle Benjamin. Pte. Reid George. Pte. (d.28th September 1915) Sharp Thomas Alfred. Pte. (d.30th Sep 1915) Smart William Henry. Pte. Smith William. Pte. (d.5th May 1915) Spink Harry Wright. SSgt (d.16th Aug 1915) Story Arthur. Sgt. (d.17th Feb 1915) Whitham Frederick. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1915) All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List Records of 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 19th Nov 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.   Pte. William Hutting 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment Private William Hutting served as N°9849, 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment, 83rd Brigade in 28th Division He changed units at the end of 1915 and went to the Machine Gun Corps with the n°176806. After he changed another time the unit for going to the South Lancashire with the n°8855. It's the only information have find about this solder. I found his toothbrush near Arras Thanks if you have any another information about this soldier. michel Add to this record.   Cpl. William Anderson VC 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.13th March 1915) William Anderson was killed in action on the 13th of March 1915, aged 29 and is commemorated on The Le Touret Memorial in France. He was native of Dallas, Elgin, Morayshire. An extract from The London Gazette, dated 21st May, 1915, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery at Neuve-Chapelle on 12th March, 1915, when he led three men with bombs against a large party of the enemy who had entered our trenches, and by his prompt and determined action saved, what might otherwise have become, a serious situation. Cpl. Anderson first threw his own bombs, then those in possession of his three men (who had been wounded) amongst the Germans, after which he opened rapid rifle fire upon them with great effect, notwithstanding that he was at the time quite alone". s flynn Add to this record.   Pte. William Jacques 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.8th May 1914) In memory of Pte 15004 William Jacques, 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment. Brother of Mr C Jacques, 2 St Oswald Terrace, Shiney Row, Houghton le Spring, County Durham. Killed in action on 8th May 1915 at Frezenberg, Ypres. Remembered upon the Menin Gate, Memorial to the missing, Ypres, Belgium. Also upon the Shiney Row War Memorial, Houghton le Spring, County Durham. Dave Gargett Add to this record.   Pte. Noah Neal 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment Noah Neal was born in Ickes, Rotherham on 5 December in 1885. He enlisted 15 July 1904 and was discharged wounded on 18th of March 1916. He was wounded in France, he was shot in temple and lost his eye. He was awarded a Silver War Badge (no. 1590). Noah lived in Wickersley, Rotherham for many years with his wife and 6 sons. He and his wife, Lucy, retired to Kent and he died in October 1962 at Patrixbourne, Kent. J Clarke Add to this record.   Pte. William Henry Smart 11th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment My grandfather William Smart is a World One soldier from Hull. He fought in the lesser known campaigns of the War. The Macedonian Campaign in Greece 1916-1917 and in the North Russian Intervention in 1918-1919 before being finally demobbed in September 1919 nearly a year after the Western Front Armistice. This is his story. The story is cobbled together from desk research, online records and my mother’s memories William Henry Smart was born 1895 in Hull. At the start of the hostilities in 1914 William was working as a groom and joined up in May 1915, just before his 20th birthday, joining the East Riding Yeomanry. His training took place on the Beverley Westwood and he was transferred into the 2nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment becoming a lance corporal in August 1916. The 2nd battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment was in India at the start of the war but returned to serve with gallantry in France at the Battles of Loos and Ypres in 1915 as part of the 28th Division. At the end of 1915 it was shipped, firstly to Alexandria in Egypt and then to Salonika, Greece at the start of 1916. My grandfather set sail from Davenport in September 1916 and arrived in Salonika in October where he was almost immediately transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment. The Regiment took part in the Macedonian Campaign. After preparing the port of Salonika for defence, the troops moved up country to Lake Dorian and The Struma Valley. Whilst the lines were steady and little fighting took place, the conditions, however, were terrible. Boiling hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. Malaria proved to be a serious drain on manpower during the campaign. In total the British forces suffered 162,517 cases of the disease and in total 505,024 non-battle casualties. William Smart was one of these statistics and he was hospitalised firstly with malaria and then a serious ear infection and anemia. He was finally invalided, to be sent, home in late November 1917. He set sail from Itea in Southern Greece, arriving in England in March 1918. Although he stated on his record he was past fit to service in France or Italy. He made it back to Hull and in on 12th of September 1918 he married my grandmother Catherine Witty. If he thought his war was over he had to think again! In July he was posted to the 13th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment and transferred once more into the 11th Battalion East Sussex in September 1918 for one more final adventure. On 18th of September 1918, as part of the 236th Brigade, he set sail from Leith to Murmansk, for Northern Russian Expedition. This was part of the Allied Intervention in Russia after the October Revolution. The intervention brought about the involvement of nearly 30,000 Allied troops in the Russian Civil War on the side of the White movement. While the movement was ultimately defeated, the Allied forces fought notable ending defensive actions against the Bolsheviks in the battles of Bolshie Ozerki, allowing them to withdraw from Russia in good order. The campaign actually lasted from 1918, during the final months of World War I, to 1920. My grandfather survived the campaign returning on the SS Toloa, landing back in the UK on 26th August and was finally demobbed on on 4th September 1919. He lived until 1974, having two sons, one of whom, Roy Smart, served in WW2 and is also a D-Day veteran and twin daughters, Margaret and Patricia, who is my mum. Jonathan Leafe Add to this record.    Thomas Buzzard 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd May 1915) Thomas Buzzard was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Add to this record.   SSgt Harry Wright Spink 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.16th Aug 1915) Harry Spink was orphaned following the death of his father in 1888 and mother in 1889. He was placed in the Seamans and General Orphans Asylum in Hull at the age of 8. When old enough he joined the East Yorkshire Regiment. At the outbreak of war he was stationed at Kamptee in India, the regiment forming part of the Jubbulpore brigade of the 5th Indian Army Division. The regiment returned to England and was mobilised for war, ending up fighting in the Middle East. He was attached to he Supply and Transport Corps. Having contracted Black Water fever, Harry was transferred to the BE Hospital in Basra, where he died on 16th of August 1915. Maurice Anthony Potter Add to this record.   Pte. Thomas Holmes 2nd Btn., A Coy. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd March 1915) Thomas Holmes served in India in 1903, returning to England the following year. At this time he was placed on the reserve and discharged in 1907. August 1914 saw Thomas recalled back to the colours. At the time of his recall the 2nd Battalion was in India. The regiment sailed for England and landed in December 1914. The 2nd Battalion was then sent to France. After two months of illness, on 11th March 1915 Thomas returned to A Company in the Ypres Salient. Twelve days later he was killed by a rifle bullet. Andy Holme Add to this record.   Pte. R. Harry Brett 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.30th August 1914) Private Brett was the Son of William and Charlotte Brett, of 150, Albert Rd., Buckhurst Hill, Essex. He is buried in the Nagpur (Takli) Cemetery in India, Plot O. Row A. Grave 6. s flynn Add to this record.   Cpl. Robert Anderson 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment (d.14th July 1915) Robert Anderson died when a German mine was detonated under the trench where he was situated. He has no known grave and is commemorated on Menin Gate memorial. Christopher Stevens Add to this record.   Cpl. James Henry Coulson 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.1st October 1915) My great grandfather, James Coulson served with the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, I am desperately looking for any photographs taken during his service. Add to this record.   Pte. William Smith 2nd Btn., "B" Coy. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.5th May 1915) Willam Smith died of wounds and is buried in Poperinghe Old Cemetery. Georgina Coldwell Add to this record.   Pte. James Darty 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.16th February 1915) Private 4858 James Darty of the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, was killed in action on 16th February 1915. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate, Ypres Memorial, Belgium. Add to this record.   Sgt. Arthur Story 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment. (d.17th Feb 1915) Arthur Story served with the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment during WW1 and died on the 17th February 1915. He is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium. Keith Murrell Add to this record.   Pte. Edward Allabyrne 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.23rd Apr 1915) Private Edward Allabyrne was born and enlisted in Dublin. He was killed in action during The Second Battle of Ypres on April 23rd 1915, and is buried at Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery, France. S Flynn Add to this record.   Pte James Burgess 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment (d.5th Feb 1915) James Burgess was 25 years old when he died on 5th February 1915 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. He had enlisted in Beverley. He was born and lived Jarrow, on the 1911 census he is recorded as James Burgess living with John Robert Burgess his widowed father at 239 High Street, Jarrow. His mother was Margaret Burgess (nee Veitch) His older brother William Soutter Burgess and and younger brother Harry Burgess were of the fallen. James is remembered in Ypres on the Menin Gate Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow. Vin Mullen Add to this record.   Pte. Eli Bullock 2nd Battalion East Yorks Regiment Eli Bullock was the youngest of 13 children born to George and Henrietta Bullock of 30 Stoke Old Rd, Lower Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent. In 1911 he was a labourer at Shelton Steelworks and voluntary reserve North Staffs Regiment at the Barracks, Newcastle u Lyme. He was a private soldier 8th battalion North Staffs Regiment and transferred with a group of about 300 men to the 2nd Battalion East Yorks Regiment in May 1915. He was an officer's servant (batman). He played football in the army and won a gold medal which he pawned in the "hungry thirties". He sailed to France in May 1915 and remained there during Battle of Loos until sailing via Marseille for Alexandria, Egypt in October 1915. Thence to Salonika where he spent the rest of the war, with a spell in Malta with malaria. Later Eli became a professional footballer for Crewe Alexandra, Macclesfield FC, Exeter City FC, Runcorn FC and worked as builder's labourer. He lived Newcastle under Lyme Staffs and died at St Edward's Hospital Cheddleton Nr Leek Staffs March 1984, aged 88 years) Add to this record.   Pte. Thomas Alfred Sharp 2nd Btn. East Yorkshire Regiment (d.30th Sep 1915) Tom Sharp was my half uncle as my grandfather married Jane and when she died he married Bessie my Grandmother. Jane was Tom's Mum. He wrote to my Grandmother just before he was leaving for France and said he could not wait to get there (I have the letter) and also to his half brother asking him to become a soldier too "as he would have plenty of playmates". I have the letter from Infantry Record Office York informing my Grandfather of his death on September 30th 1915. The cause of death being wounds received in Action. He is buried in the War Cemetery in Bethune. Row E Grave No 67 so if anyone is visiting there please visit him and say thank you from me. Jenny Mortimer Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

Links Suggest a link

The free section of The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources and we currently have a huge backlog of submissions. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Hosted by: The Wartime Memories Project Website is archived for preservation by the British Library Copyright MCMXCIX - MMXXIV - All Rights Reserved - We do not permit the use of any content from this website for the training of LLMs or for use in Generative AI, it also may not be scraped for the purpose of creating other websites.