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20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment
20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment were a unit of the Territorial Force with their HQ at Holly Hedge House, Blackheath. (Holly Hedge House, was bombed in WW2 and most of the 20ths records held there destroyed in the resulting fire.) When war broke out in August 1914, they were serving with the 5th London Brigade, 2nd London Division and had just arrived for their annual summer camp on Salisbury Plain, they were recalled home and were mobilised at once, moving to the St Albans area. They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre of the 10th of March 1915. The 5th London Brigade was ordered to Cassel but rejoined the rest of the Division at the end of the month. On the 11th of May 1915 the 5th London Brigade was redesignated 141st Brigade, 47th (2nd London) Division.
They saw action in The Battle of Aubers Ridge, The Battle of Festubert, The Battle of Loos and The subsequent Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt, In 1916 they fought during The German attack at Vimy Ridge, and on The Somme in The Battle of Flers-Courcelette capturing High Wood, The Battle of the Transloy Ridges in which the captured Eaucourt l'Abbaye and The attacks on the Butte de Warlencourt. In 1917 they were in action in The Battle of Messines, the Third Battles of Ypres and The Cambrai Operations where they captured Bourlon Wood and fought against the German counter attacks. In 1918 they were in action on The Somme and the Final Advance in Artois including making the official entry into Lille. At the Armistice the the forward units of the Division had reached Franses-lez-Buissenal. They marched back to Tournai and on the 26th of November moved on to the Bethune area where demobilisation began with the first parties returning to England in the first week of January 1919.
1st Feb 1915 Inspection
2nd Feb 1915 Exercise
3rd Feb 1915 Divisional Exercise
12th Feb 1915 Exercise
12th Feb 1915 Divisional Exercise
22nd Feb 1915 Exercise
22nd Feb 1915 Exercise
26th Feb 1915 Exercise
2nd Mar 1915 Instructions
4th Mar 1915 Preparations
5th Mar 1915 Leave
6th Mar 1915 Orders
8th Mar 1915 Orders Received
9th Mar 1915 On the Move
9th Mar 1915 On the Move
10th Mar 1915 In Camp
11th Mar 1915 Entraining
12th Mar 1915 Arrival
18th Mar 1915 On the Move
22nd Mar 1915 Inspection
23rd Mar 1915 Orders
23rd Mar 1915 Praise
24th Mar 1915 Instruction
25th Mar 1915 Instruction 
26th Mar 1915 Instruction
27th Mar 1915 Frost
28th Mar 1915 No Wood
29th Mar 1915 Orders
30th Mar 1915 Orders Received
31st Mar 1915 Instruction
1st Apr 1915 Training
2nd Apr 1915 Training
3rd Apr 1915 Inspection
4th Apr 1915 Training
5th Apr 1915 Training
6th Apr 1915 Instruction
8th Apr 1915 Instruction
8th Apr 1915 Instruction
9th Apr 1915 Instruction
10th Apr 1915 Instruction
11th Apr 1915 Instruction
12th Apr 1915 Instruction
13th Apr 1915 Instruction
14th Apr 1915 Artillery Active
14th Apr 1915 Instruction
15th Apr 1915 Instruction
16th Apr 1915 Instruction
17th Apr 1915 Instruction
18th Apr 1915 Church Parade
19th Apr 1915 Into Billets
20th Apr 1915 Inspection
22nd Apr 1915 Orders Received
24th Apr 1915 Relief
25th Apr 1915 Shelling
25th Apr 1915 Quiet
26th Apr 1915 Quiet
27th Apr 1915 Reliefs
27th Apr 1915 Quiet
28th Apr 1915 Quiet
29th Apr 1915 Reliefs
29th Apr 1915 Quiet
30th Apr 1915 Some Shelling
1st May 1915 Reliefs
1st May 1915 Heavy Firing
2nd May 1915 Quiet
3rd May 1915 Relief Completed
4th May 1915 Reliefs
5th May 1915 Reliefs
6th May 1915 Preparations
7th May 1915 Conference
8th May 1915 Preparations
9th May 1915 On the March
10th May 1915 Orders
11th May 1915 Orders Received
12th May 1915 On the March
12th May 1915 Relief
13th May 1915 Orders Received
14th May 1915 In the Line
14th May 1915 Heavy Rain
15th May 1915 Breastworks
16th May 1915 Supporting Fire
17th May 1915 Orders Issued
23rd May 1915 Reliefs
26th of May 1915 Strengthening the Line
26th of May 1915 Situation Report 1
26th of May 1915 Relief on the Way
28th May 1915 Bombing Attack
29th May 1915 Bombing Attack
2nd Jun 1915 Recce
10th Jun 1915 Digging Trenches
11th Jun 1915 Reliefs
12th June 1915 Operational Order No.10.
24th Jun 1915 Reliefs
28th Jun 1915 Reliefs
5th July 1915 Operational Order No.19.
6th July 1915 Shelling
6th July 1915 Operational Order No.25.
17th Jul 1915 Reliefs
17th July 1915 Bivouac
21st Jul 1915 Quiet
25th Jul 1915 Instruction
29th July 1915 Operation Order No.21.
15th Aug 1915 Heavy Rain
16th Aug 1915 Route March
17th Aug 1915 Sports
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
29th October 1915 140th Infantry Brigade. Operational Order No.36.
30th October 1915 Moved up to A2 sub section
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
16th December 1915 140th Infantry Brigade will relieve the 141st Infantry Brigade
17th December 1915 Operational Order No.45.
30th December 1915 Orders
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
9th February 1916 Call Ups
7th May 1916 Operational Order No.78.
8th May 1916 Reliefs
13th of July 1916 In the trenches
16th July 1916 Cutting Wire 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report from
Aix-Noulette:
Trench Mortars wire cutting in afternoon from 1500 to 1730. At 0100 on the night of 16-17th July, the 20th London Regiment carried out a raid on enemy lines at a small salient north of Bois en Hache. The raid was supported by intense artillery fire with 2" Mortars and Stokes Mortars. Enemy retaliation was slight consisting of a few Light High Velocity shells & trench mortars. Infantry report that German front line trench was entered, dugs outs were bombed and a machine gun was destroyed. Our casualties were light. All was quiet again by 0145.
14th Sep 1916 Reliefs
17th September 1916 Battalion in position
29th September 1916 Infantry Assault
29th October 1916 Schedule 22nd Nov. 1916
28th November 1916 No Hostile fire all day.
28th November 1916 Operational Order No.121
19th February 1917 Minenwerfers active causing a few casualties.
19th February 1917 Operational Order 139.
3rd October 1917 Reliefs
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Baker George. Pte.
- Barrow Charles George. L/Cpl. (d.18th Sep 1916)
- Betson James William. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Bilding Frederick. Pte.
- Boughton E.. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Cooper MM. Thomas William. Pte.
- Cox J. T.. Pte. (d.5th Jul 1917)
- Denman H. F. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Hart Henry George Rueben. Pte. (d.1st Sep 1918)
- Harwood Ralph Edwin Charles. Pte. (d.21st May 1916)
- Harwood Ralph Edwin Charles. Pte. (d.21st May 1916)
- Hasslacher James Alfred Charles. Lt. (d.29th Dec 1917 )
- Horwood A. J.. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Howard James. Pte.
- King Francis Baker. Pte. (d.26th May 1918)
- King Francis Baker. Pte. (d.26th May 1918)
- Mantle Alfred Lewis. Pte. (d.7th July 1917)
- Martin Percival John. Sgt.
- Norris Harold Aubrey Blurton. 2nd.Lt. (d.24th July 1917)
- Oliver Albert George. Rfmn.
- Oliver Albert George. Rfmn.
- Osborne Lionel James . L/Cpl. (d.24th March 1918)
- Pearce Ernest Edmund. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Pugh Edward David. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1917)
- Pulleyn Edward Henry. 2nd Lt. (d.25th Nov 1917)
- Ritson James Bede. Pte. (d.27th Sep 1915)
- Ross MM. Peter Joseph. Cpl.
- Short Albert. (d.8th April 1917)
- Smith John. Pte. (d.21st Aug 1917)
- Staff W.. Pte. (d.8th Jul 1917)
- Sturt John Edward. L/Cpl. (d.24th Mar 1918)
- Tucker MM Sidney. 2nd Lt. (d.11th August 1918)
- Turvey Samuel George. Pte. (d.23rd August 1918)
- Walpole James. Pte. (d.19th April 1917)
- Whelan Frank Edward. Pte.
- Whelan Frank Edward. Pte.
- Wood R.. Pte. (d.10th Jul 1917)
- Wootton Donald Herbert. Cptn. (d.25th August 1918)
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 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Frank Edward "stick in the mud" Whelan 1/20th Btn. London Regiment My Grandad, Frank Whelan, lived in Lewisham, Catford and Bellingham. He was a painter and decorater and worked on Lewisham and Hither Green hospitals. He got married to Nellie Flowers after the war and had 6 kids, Frank died in 1965.
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Pte. Frederick Bilding 20th Btn. London Regiment 35 year old Frederick Bilding married 25 year old Rosina Elizabeth Jull at Greenwich Registry Office on the 8th of June 1915.
He had enlisted with 20th County of London Regiment on 7th of April 1915.
He was discharged a year later on the 28th of June 1916 as "No longer physically fit for service", he is believed to have been gassed. Fred was awarded the Silver War Badge.
The badge was awarded to all of those military personnel who were discharged as a result of sickness or wounds contracted or received during the war, either at home or overseas.
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Pte. George Baker 20th Btn. London Regiment George Baker served with the 20th Battalion, London Regiment.
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Rfmn. Albert George Oliver 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion London Regiment Albert Oliver was taken PoW on 28th of March 1918 at Oppy Wood. He was sent to Parchim POW camp. I am told by family that he made a couple of attempts to escape but was shot and wounded in the leg and so spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. He passed peacefully away in 1974 aged 79.
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Pte. Ralph Edwin Charles Harwood 20th Btn. London Regiment (d.21st May 1916) Ralph Harwood was born 18th September 1893 in Greenwich.
He was unmarried and lived in the family home at 35 Wood Wharf and was a bookbinder by profession. He enlisted in the 1st/20th Battalion, London Regiment at Hollyhedge House at the start of the war.
He has no known grave and is remembered on the Arras memorial in France.
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2nd.Lt. Harold Aubrey Blurton Norris 57 Squadron (d.24th July 1917) Second Lieutenant Harold Norris, enlisted in August 1914 with 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment then served with 57 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.
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L/Cpl. Lionel James Osborne 1/20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Btn. London Regiment (d.24th March 1918) Lance Corporal Lionel James Osborne, son of George Osborne, 22 Saunders Piece, Ampthill, Bedfordshire; born in Ampthill, living in Liverpool Street, London and enlisted in St. Pancras, London. Initially served with the 11th Battalion, London Regiment (service no.4580) then served with 1st/20th (County of London) Battalion, (Blackheath and Woolwich) London Regiment. He was killed in action on 24th March 1918 in France and Flanders age 22 years and is commemorated on Arras Memorial, France. He is remembered on The War Memorial, St. Andrews Church, Ampthill. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com
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Lt. James Alfred Charles Hasslacher 20th Battalion London Regiment (d.29th Dec 1917 ) James Hasslacher the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hasslacher of 3 Kensington Park Gardens. A/Lieut. in the London Regiment of the 20th County of London Battalion died 29 Dec 1917, killed in action in Syria and buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery.
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Pte. Samuel George Turvey 1st/20th (Blackheath & Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment (d.23rd August 1918) Born in Richmond Road, Mangotsfield in 1899 to George Henry and Emma Turvey (nee Skuse), Samuel Turvey was christened on 1st October 1899 at St. James' Church, Mangotsfield.
He first served in The Queen's (Royal West Kent Regiment) as Private G/29188 and was then posted to the 1st/20th (Blackheath & Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment before being killed in action on 23rd of August 1918 during the Battle of Albert. He is buried in the Beacon Cemetery, Sailly-Laurette in Picardie in Northern France and was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal.
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2nd Lt. Sidney Tucker MM 20th Btn. London Regiment (d.11th August 1918) Sidney Tucker, MM, died of wounds on 11th August 1918. He was aged 37. Sidney served with the 20th Battalion London Regiment. He was buried at Pernois Military Cemetery, Halloy-les-Pernois, France.
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Albert Short 20th Btn. London Regiment (d.8th April 1917)  Albert Short served with 20th Battalion, London Regiment, he was killed in action on the 8th of April 1917 and his name appears on the Stockport Town Hall memorial for Corporation employees killed in the Great War.
Although there are no direct links to employment there, he appears to be the only man of that name with links to Stockport.
In 1901 his parents George William and Sarah ran the Lord Nelson Pub 108 Love Lane, Stockport. Albert was 5 (1896) with older siblings Thomas, William, Frederick, and Ada. (plus a house maid A. Green). It appears the pub closed due to competition from the Church Inn at 110 as by 1911 the family had moved to the Traveller's Call, Bredbury, Stockport (Still trading). Albert, then 15, was an apprentice fitter.
The only London connection is that his father was born in Pimlico. His mother was born in Glossop and the children in Heaton Norris, Stockport.
There appear to be no service records for Albert and his very short obituary in the Cheshire Year Book, 1918 states he was 21, in a Trench Mortar Battery. He was living in Levenshulme, Manchester and was formerly of Bredbury. He is buried in Bedford House Cemetery.
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Cpl. Peter Joseph Ross MM. 20th Btn. London Regiment  Peter Ross was my father.who received the Military Medal, I think for taking a machine gun post alone? He did tell me a few stories but not many. One he said he witnessed the first group to enter I believe the Hindenburg line. An officer he said was under reprimand and decided to do an act of bravery to retrieve his reputation ( I do not think this was the 20th Londons?) The officer got several volunteers, around a dozen and took off and the managed to get into a section of the impenetrable Hindenburg line. He was told the story by the only survivor who my father spotted walking backwards with some German prisoners to cover him from enemy fire. They had fought for quite a long time in a section of the line with the Germans throwing grenades into there section until he was the only survivor. Some how he managed to get these prisoners about 6? in front of him to protect him from the German fire and waked backwards to the British trenches.
This was the point my father, very carefully as putting your head above the trench was very dangerous, observed this strange procession from quite some distance until they reached the trench where my father was waiting, with others of course, and heard the story from this very brave soldier All the rest of the volunteers he said including the officer were killed.
My father said he believes this incident would never have been recorded as it was not observed by an officer and the following day after the incident a major battle happened that may have even killed the single survivor of that attack and many others.
He also told me as he was a runner he would usually go over the top with and officer and one time a sergeant as well either side of him. A German Machine gun popped up and all three dropped to the ground, only my father survived.
I would like to know why he was awarded the MM, it may have been something to do with a solo attack on a machine gun post but I am not sure. He did mention that he was also mentioned twice in dispatches.
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Pte. Francis Baker King 20th Btn Att. 141st TM Bty. London Regiment (d.26th May 1918) Francis King was a 23-year-old bachelor, working in a jewellers on Oxford Street, London. He was the son of Frederick Robert King and Julia Caroline Rutter. Francis had been attached to 141st T M Battery. He is buried in Montigny, Somme, France.
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Pte. John Smith 20th (Blackheath & Woolwich) Btn. London Regiment (d.21st Aug 1917) When John Smith came home on leave, which I think was for just two days, his mother (my grandmother) told me that when John was about to go back to his regiment he said to her, `Do not expect to see me again'. She watched him walk down the road and round the bend out of sight. She did not see him again as he was killed on the 21st August 1917, which I think was most likely the Third battle of Ypres. He was 25 years old and I think this does highlight just what soldiers thought about their chance of survival. Very sad.
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L/Cpl. Charles George Barrow 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Btn. London Regiment (d.18th Sep 1916) Charles Barrow died of wounds on the Somme and is buried in Millencourt Cemetery, France.
He left a wife and his brother Albert John Barrow survived WW1 and died in 1969. He was disabled from service having been injured by a horse.
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Pte. Henry George Rueben Hart Att. 1/20th Bn. London Regiment Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (d.1st Sep 1918) Henry Hart died on the 1st Sep 1918, aged 19 and is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial in France.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Hart, of 41 Baventry St., Lisson Grove, Marylebone, London.
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Rfmn. Albert George Oliver 20th Btn. London Regiment My Grandfather Albert Oliver was born in 1896 in Deptford, South London. He served with the 20th London Regiment. My family have limited information on his joining up as we have been informed that his records were destroyed in the blitz in WW2, what we do have is a letter from LRB Regimental Care Committee on 8/6/1918 informing his family that he is a POW in Germany, also with this letter is a list of items that can be sent, normal items, boots, socks, personal care, etc but interestingly money by money orders, sheet music, chess,and draughts, educational books only. each POW was sent six food parcels every four weeks costing £3/1/06 and the families asked what amount they were able to contribute, all interesting reading. We don't know were he was held but we know he made numerous attempts to escape finally ending in him being shot and wounded, ending in any further chances of escape
Lastly I have two photos, one is a named group by Joyce of Warminster of the 20th London Regt mentioning CSM A.E Dawes awarded DSM in London Gazette 26th July 1927, the other is a rare picture showing my Grandfather with two other soldiers from different regiments taken at the POW camp. He returned and married Harriett Harris at Greenwich in 1920 had five children and passed away in 1974 aged 78.
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Pte. James Bede Ritson 1/20th Btn. London Regiment (d.27th Sep 1915) James Bede Ritson, enlisted at Blackheath, London and served in the 1st/20th Battalion the London Regiment. He died on the 27th September 1915 and is remembered at Loos Memorial. His medal card records that he was killed in action and awarded the 1915 Star, War and Victory Medals.
James was born in Jarrow 1894, son of Ernest George Ritson and the late Isabella Ritson nee Wright, stepson of Isabella Ritson formerly Norfolk nee Wright. In the 1911 census the family is living at 12 Eastdown Park, Lewisham with Ernest George Ritson (45) mechanical engineer at Ordnance Engineering and his wife Isabella Ritson (39) married 4 years. His son James Bede Ritson (16) a nursery gardener and her son Reginald Edwin Norfolk (16) a student, his son Ernest Ritson (13) and her daughter Maud Isabel Norfolk also 13 years old and both at school.
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Pte. Ralph Edwin Charles Harwood 20th Battalion London Regiment (d.21st May 1916) Ralph Edwin Charles Harwood was killed in action Battle of Vimy Ridge.
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Pte. Edward David Pugh 20th Battalion (Blackheath and Woolwich) London Regiment (d.28th Jan 1917) Edward enlisted into the 20th Blackheath and Woolwich Rifleman and went to fight in France and Flanders fields. As the army were stuck in their trenches, Edward wrote a letter to his mother telling her about where he was saying that the trenches weren't as nice as the drawing room at home and he told his mother he loved her. His battalion advanced and they were under attack, Edward was killed on 28/1/1917, nineteen days after writing his letter to his family. Edward David Pugh is remembered with honours in the Lissenthoek military cemetery.
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