204634 L/Cpl Francis John Hopkins British Army 101st Machine Gun Corps from:Kingston on Thames My father, Francis John Hopkins,was born in Kingston - on - Thames, on 29 December 1887. He enlisted with the Territorials (Berkshire Yeomanry)in 1912 and volunteered for service in August 1914 at the outbreak of WW1. After training he was drafted to Egypt as part of the 2nd Mounted Division and left Avonmouth,Bristol on 8 April 1915 on the SS Menominee arriving in Alexandria on 19 April 1915.Remained in Egypt awaiting orders to go to the Dardenelles.
Although training in the middle east had been as mounted troops, the decision was made in early August that the Yeomanry would fight dismounted. The Regiment (as it was now called) sailed from Alexandria aboard SS Lake Michigan; after transshipment at Mudros, they landed at A-Beach, East Suvla on 18 August. The Regiment were engaged in some bitter fighting against insurmountable odds and in early November 1915 it was decided to 'withdraw' and the Regiment finally embarked for Mudros and Egypt.
In December 1915 the Western Frontier Force was formed, a part of which was the Camel Corps to which my father transferred.
During the summer and autumn of 1916 the Berkshire Yeomanry were employed in patrolling and outpost duties in the Western Desert and Upper Egypt. They later moved east to the Suez Canal where the defences were extended into the Sinai Desert. My father writing in a letter home on 29 February 1916 (from Mersa Matruh) said 'inter alia' "I haven't seen any fighting here yet, although the Brigade has been in action several times, and I assure you I don't want to as I saw warfare with all its horrors on the Peninsular (Gallipoli), as I very often think of the three months I spent there as the most miserable one could possibly imagine..."
In January 1917 saw the British begin their advance towards Jerusalem. My father saw action in both battles for Gaza in March and April and again in the beginning of November following which the Turks were finally beaten off. A greatly reduced 6th Mounted Brigade withdrew from the front line on 30 November and returned to Egypt to re-group.
In January 1918, after being brought up to strength, the Berkshire Yeomanry resumed training and refitting. In April they were amalgamated with other units to form the 101st Machine Gun Corps. In May 1918 the Battalion was ordered to France because fighting on the Western Front had reached a critical stage. Within hours of leaving Alexandria on the night of 26 May the SS Leasowe was torpedoed (with a loss of +/- 199 lives). There was a three week delay whilst equipment was replaced. After re-embarkation on HMT Caledonia the regiment landed at Taranto, southern Italy on 21 June and entrained for France, arriving in time to take part in the final allied offensive which began on 8 August 1918. The Battalion saw their first action at the Battle of the Scarpe on 29 August. The fighting was in complete contrast to that in Palestine - the dash across the desert on horseback and/or camel was now replaced by slow deliberate assault across muddy fields and shellholes. On 16 September the battalion moved to Belgium and was involved in numerous actions up until the last one on 31 October 1918. At some point about this time my father was made a Lance Corporal and was later posted to the Labour Corps (Reg No. 618560) and was finally discharged from the army on 12 March 1919
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