1206596 Sgt. William Williams 19th Btn. Tank Corps  From the age of 12, William Williams went down the mines, leading the pit ponies. Trained as a Male Nurse then enlisted in Royal Welsh Fusilliers. Selected to join the Heavy Machine Gun section which became the Tank Corps ; as mechanic/driver/gunner. Later became Sgt. 5/11/18 and Tank commander. Returned to nursing at The Priory with many famous patients
'Grandad Bill' wrote his memoirs which included a significant amount of detail of his time in the Tank Corps. This is his account of being signed up and trained:
The army at this time were stopping men at the railway stations and asking for their papers. I had none so thought I would take a chance and wrote for some. The result was, I got my calling up papers to join the army. I reported and was asked if there was a regiment I would like to join. I said the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, there was a London battalion, so I joined that in 1916. I was sent to Kinnock Park, Rhyl. I found some old school pals in other battalions there. I got through my recruits drill after two months. Then one day coming off parade I got the call, '24477 Williams report to the company office'. I reported and was given a pass for four days. Still in the dark of what it was about, on reporting back I was sent with 10 others to be transferred to the Machine Gun Corp (Heavy Section) at Wool in Dorset. The train was full of men going to the same place. When we arrived we were put in huts for the night, all wondering what it was, there were men from every regiment in the British Army there. We found out that it was for what was to be known later as the Tank Corps.
After a success on the Somme with a few tanks it had been decided to raise four battalions and we were the lot. It was a little while before things were settled down, as there was only one doctor there. No medical examinations were given, instead we were taken to what was an old crater on a hillside, and seven men at a time were put on it to run round, up and down. That was the test, if they pulled a man out he was sent back. I got through it so that was my corp for the rest of the war. I met some very nice men there and formed a friendship with Cliff Baldwin, a Yorkshire lad. We were pals for the whole time.
We were soon put into a new kind of training with machine guns, six pounder guns for the gunners, and driving and maintenance tests for drivers, also signalling, Morse code and pigeon training. So we were kept busy. We were put into crews of seven men and one officer. It was all interesting. I was first gunner and Cliff was the first driver. The gunners were sent to Whale Island, Portsmouth for a course with the Navy, as the Army had not any schools to try us, we would be firing from a moving tank at a moving object.
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1206301 Lt. Cecil Howell Sewell VC 3rd (Light) Tank Bn. Tank Corps (d.29th August 1918)  Cecil Sewell was killed in action on 29th August 1918 aged 23 and is buried in the Vaux Hill Cemetery in France.
He was the son of Harry Bolton Sewell and Mary Ann Sewell, of 26 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London. His brothers Harry Kemp Sewell and Herbert Victor Sewell also fell.
An extract from The London Gazette, No. 30982, dated 29th Oct., 1918, records the following:- "When in command of a section of Whippet Light Tanks in action this officer displayed most conspicuous bravery and initiative in getting out of his own Tank and crossing open ground under heavy shell and machine-gun fire to rescue the crew of another Whippet of his section which had side slipped into a large shell-hole, overturned and taken fire. The door of the Tank having become jammed against the side of the shell-hole, Lt. Sewell, by his own unaided efforts, dug away the entrance to the door and released the crew. In so doing he undoubtedly saved the lives of the officer and men inside the Tank as they could not have got out without his assistance. After having extricated the crew, seeing one of his own crew lying wounded behind his Tank, he again dashed across the open ground to his assistance. He was hit in doing so, but succeeded in reaching the Tank when a few minutes later he was again hit, fatally, in the act of dressing his wounded driver. During the whole of this period he was within full view and short range of the enemy machine guns and rifle-pits, and throughout, by his prompt and heroic action, showed an utter disregard for his own personal safety."
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1206210 Lt/Col. Richard Annesley West VC DSO MC attd. Tank Corps North Irish Horse (d.2nd September 1918) Richard West was killed in action on 2nd September 1918 aged 40. He had also served in the South African War and was the son of Augustus E. and Sarah West, of Whitepark, Co. Fermanagh; husband of Maude E. West, of 14, Trafalgar Square, Chelsea, London.
An extract from the Second Supplement to The London Gazette, No. 30982, dated 29th Oct., 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery, leadership and self-sacrifice. During an attack, the infantry having lost their bearings in the dense fog, this officer at once collected and re-organised any men he could find and led them to their objective in face of heavy machine-gun fire. Throughout the whole action he displayed the most utter disregard of danger, and the capture of the objective was in a great part due to his initiative and gallantry."
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1206098 Pte. Ronald Robert Yallop B Coy Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch) (d.12th April 1917) On the 6th of April Ronald Yallop wrote to his uncle who was serving in Egypt. He commented that his winter quarters had been good and he had had a good rest with "beaucoup cafes etc". He then commented that they were having their share now and he had only had about 10 hours sleep in the past 72 hours.
This letter was probably never sent by Ron as we now have it in an envelope with a black border and a picture of his grave stuck to it. He died on 12th April 1917 of his wounds and is now buried in Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport.
According to evidence I have sourced his Battalion was based in Pierremont, France at this time and the tanks he was training to use did not enter the action until after his death.
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1205956 Capt. Richard William Leslie Wain VC. 25th Btn. att. A Bn. Tank Corps Manchester Regiment (d.20th Nov 1917)  Richard Wain was killed in action on the 20th of November 1917, aged 20 and commemorated on The Cambrai Memorial in France.
He was the son of Florence E. Wain, of Woodside, The Avenue, Llandaff, Cardiff, and the late Harris Wain.
An extract from The London Gazette, dated 13th Feb., 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery in command of a section of Tanks. During an attack the Tank in which he was, was disabled by a direct hit near an enemy strong point which was holding up the attack. Capt. Wain and one man, both seriously wounded, were the only survivors. Though bleeding profusely from his wounds, he refused the attention of stretcher-bearers, rushed from behind the Tank with a Lewis gun, and captured the strong point, taking about half the garrison prisoners. Although his wounds were very serious he picked up a rifle and continued to fire at the retiring enemy until he received a fatal wound in the head. It was due to the valour displayed by Capt. Wain that the infantry were able to advance."
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1205798 Fus. Ernest John Powell 26th Btn. Royal Fusiliers  Fusilier Powell was my father. In 1953, he gave a short talk about his career to his Rotary Club (West Wickham, Kent). In this talk he referred to his Service in WW1, as follows: "I volunteered for the Army in 1914, but Head Office said we could not be released until sufficient women had been trained to replace us…. In September 1915 I volunteered at Ammanford, Carmarthenshire (being the nearest recruiting centre to Llandeilo where I was a Junior Clerk in the London and Provincial Bank). I was assigned to the 26th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Bankers) raised by Col. Pitt of the London and South Western Bank, and we were 80% Bank chaps. We went to France in May 1916, supposed to be tough infantry men, which I rather doubt. I transferred to the Tank Corps in France".
The first photo shows Fusilier Powell as one of "The Boys of Tent No 7, High Beech, 1915". He is 2nd from right in back row, as you look at the photo.
The second photo is the All Ranks photo, 26th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Bankers). Aldershot, 1915. Fusilier Powell is 2nd from the left in the fourth row of the photo. It was taken (presumably) before the Battalion embarked for France.
The third photo is of the 1936 Reunion of the Banker’s Battalion. My father attended these Reunions in London – at least until the mid 1950’s (excluding years of World War 2). He was then Manager, Barclays Bank, West Wickham, Kent, a London suburb. These reunions were always preceded by a Church Service at the Royal Fusiliers Church in the City. The cost of the Reunions (always at the Connaught Rooms) were reportedly heavily subsidized, so my father said, by a Maj. Clutterbuck, a Board Director of Martin’s (or was it District?) Bank. My father is the nearest person at the nearest side of the 2nd table from the right (looking over left shoulder and in a lighter colored jacket - probably as befits a suburban Manager, compared with all the "City types"!).
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260149 Gnr. Frederick Charles Arthurs MM, CdeG. F Battalion Machine Gun Corps (Heavy) Frederick Arthurs, was born in Petersfield , Hampshire in 1898. Soon after his birth, his mother died. Fred’s father, William Arthurs, was in the army, and Fred ended up in a children’s home in Caledonia Rd., London. When war broke out in 1914, Fred was sixteen and he ran away and joined up, pretending he was eighteen. Fred’s dad by chance found him in France and got him sent home. This was not before Fred had the chance to fight in a battle at Mons.
Fred rejoined when he was eighteen and ended up in the Machine Gun Corps and subsequently as a gunner in the tank F41 Fray Bentos. Fred took part in the Third Battle of Ypres and together with the rest of his crew was stuck for three days in no-man’s-land from the 22nd to the 24th August 1917. Near Pond Farm, one crew member was killed and all the rest were wounded. Fred was ordered to open a door of the tank and wave a flag to signal to British lines that the tank was still in British hands. As he did this, a shell exploded beside the tank and Fred got shrapnel through the neck causing him to be knocked unconscious. After three days, Fred and the remaining crew made it back to British lines, but his family was told he was missing. When Fred got home, he walked down the road and his future wife was horrified when she saw him, thinking she was seeing a ghost. Fred may also have taken part in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917 in F41 Fray Bentos 2.
Fred never really worked properly again on returning from the war, as he had heart and lung problems caused by the fumes in the tank and maybe by poison gas. There is a story that he once lifted a car off of someone when it fell off a jack in the street and was squashing him. He also swapped some medals for a loaf of bread as he was so hard up. At one time, Fred was a casual mechanic for eccentric Irish Brooklands racing driver Kay Donne. Fred died in 1949 aged 51.
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259520 S/Sgt. John William Drew 2/8th (Cyclist) Btn. Essex Regiment John William Drew is my maternal grandfather. He was later in the Tank Corps. He was also an inspector almost at the outset of the automobile association.
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258317 2Lt. John Edward "Joe" Church 20th Tank Battalion, B Company Royal Tank Corps Joe Church was the eldest son of Rev. Edward & Florence Church, and born 10 August 1899 at Burrough Green, Cambs. He trained at Hazeley Down and Bovington to September 1919, not going overseas.
He then studied at Barts Hospital, and was a doctor with the Ruanda Mission (CMS). He married Dr Decima Tracey. They retired to Little Shelford, Cambs, and he died 29 September 1989.
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257810 Sgt. William Patrick Brennan DCM. 1st Battalion Leinster Regiment Bill Brennan was awarded the DCM for his part at Gurabeh in Palestine in August 1918. He transferred to 2nd Battalion, Royal Tank Corp when the Leinster Regiment was disbanded.
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256388 Cpl. Arthur George Stokes C Coy. Machine Gun Corps Heavy Arthur Stokes drove his tank C15 at the Battle of Fleurs 1916, his tank commander was Lt Jethro Toll.
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253787 Pte Gilbert Snowdon C Coy. 18th Btn. Tank Corps Gilbert Snowdon's war records are hard to read, but I have extracted some information such as his date of enlistment, which was 22nd of August 1918.
He was in C Company, 18th Battalion, Tank Corps.
Gilbert was a metal carrier in Seaton Carew iron works before enlisting. He was 27 years old on enlistment, he had 5 children and his wife was called Hannah.
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253658 Cpl. George Victor Wray Tank Corps George Wray is my grandfather. He was injured after his tank was hit and he was the only survivor and spent time in hospital. He died in 1974.
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253415 Pte. Albert Fletcher Holt 3rd Battalion Manchester Regiment Albert Holt served initially in 3rd Battalion, Manchester Regiment as a Gunner and was already in the Army when war broke out.
He subsequently transferred the 7th Battalion, Tank Corps serving as part of the 1st Tank Brigade.
His unit was captured at Toulouse on 12th of April 1918 and he was taken to Gardelegen, one of the worst disease ridden camps. It was so bad that the Germans lived off site and left the prisoners to fend for themselves regarding sickness. His POW number there was 9700.
When the war ended and the soldiers were repatriated, Albert was among those who passed through Braine le Chateau in Belgium, where they were entertained to a banquet hosted by the Countesses (the de Ursels of Hingene of Chateau le Yonhuys) and The Mayor and Inhabitants.
Albert was an artist and painted a Centurion Tank on a hammered out Bully Beef can for The Countess Daisy, using her paints. In return, she gifted him those paints. The original carry case containing the spent paint tubes, is still in the possession of his descendants.
Albert served as an ARP warden in the Second World War and he was also a Fire Watcher at The Bolton Methodist Mission. He worked as a painter and decorator and spent time in Liverpool camouflaging the ships.
Albert died in his 86th year in 1971.
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253299 Pte. Benjamin Whale CdG. 9th Btn. Tank Corps (d.29th September 1918) Ben Whale was killed at the Battle of St Quentin Canal, along with 5 other tank crew.
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250911 Spr William J. Shorten 1st Tank Brigade Signal Coy. Royal Engineers (d.26th Feb 1919) William Shorten served with the 1st Tank Brigade Signal Company.
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250542 Pte Alfred James Tabor 9th (I) Battalion Tank Corps (d.23rd July 1918) Alfred Tabor was my grandfather. He and died of wounds received whilst driving Mk V male 9049 at Sauvillers, on 23rd of July 1918, during the subsidiary attack on Harpon Wood.
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249899 L/Cpl Garfield Williams MM. H Company Machine Gun Corps (Heavy) My Grandfather, Garfield Williams won the Military Medal for actions on 3rd of October 1918, against the Beayrevoir Line wile serving with 8th Battalion, Tank Corps.
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249197 Lt. John "Jock" Hall 9th (Glasgow) Battalion Highland Light Infantry  John Hall enrolled in the 9th (Glasgow) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, volunteer battalion, Territorial Force on 6th of April, 1908.
John enrolled for service in WWI on 5th of August 1914. He was commissioned acting sergeant in the Highland Light Infantry on 9th November, 1915. He was commissioned temporary 2nd Lieutenant in the Motor machine Gun Service on 10th of November, 1916. He was later appointed temporary Lieutenant on 11th May, 1917. On 28 July, 2017, he was transferred to the newly formed tank corps. John relinquished is commission on account of ill health caused by wounds received in action during a tank battle. He lost hearing in one ear as part of his wounds. He retained the rank of Lieutenant when he was decommissioned from the Army on 18th of January, 1919.
John received the following medals for his wartime services, 1914-15 Star: British War Medal, Victory Medal and the Silver War Badge for his services in WWI
He received the Africa Service medal and the War Medal 1939/1945 for his services in WWII.
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249138 2Lt. Lawrence Mark Garbutt 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.10th Aug 1918)  Lawrence Mark enlisted on 10th of December 1915, in Army Reserve. His physical description was given as fresh complexion, brown hair, brown eyes, height 5ft 6½ins, girth when expanded 37 inches with a 3 inch range of expansion, with no distinctive marks. His religion was Church of England.
He was mobilized on 17th of April 1916. He was with 24th Division on 30 August 1915 and 6th Division 11 October 1915 and tested on 17th April 1916, where he was sent to 7 (FT) Artillery Training School as a Driver on 19th April 1916.
On 7th September 1917 he was transferred to No.12 Cadet Battalion, Newmarket for training as an Officer. He was discharged to Commission on 17th December 1917 as 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Battalion) Essex Regiment. On 12 February 1918 Lawrence was passed as fit for his transfer to the Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch).
Whilst attached to the 9th Norfolk Regiment he went to the Western Front with 71st Brigade. He was gassed and had just returned to his unit when he was wounded in action on 18th July 1918. History tells us that the British Command decided that as they had taken so many hits that day the order was given to withdraw and to leave all the dead and dying lying on the battlefield. The ANZACS were sent to move into position and Lawrence was picked up and taken to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He had been hit in the lower right lumbar and kidney region. Lawrence died there three days later, cause of death "of wounds received in action".
Lawrence Mark was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is buried in Esquelbecq Cemetery in France. The newspaper report of Lawrence Mark's death states that he was 28 years of age, his death certificate and report from the Ministry of Defence confirms that he was wounded on 31st July 1918 and died on 10th August 1918. This is also reinforced by the War Diaries for the 9th Norfolk Regiment held at the National Archives, Kew, London.
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