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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
L/Cpl, Wilfrid English
British Army 1st/10th (Liverpool Scottish) Btn. Kings (Liverpool) Regiment
from:West Hartlepool, Co Durham
(d.1st Jan 1919)
Wilfred English was a postal worker who volunteered early in 1916, training in Carnforth, Lancs before landing in France in April. He passed through Rouen and the battalion was stationed for a while near Amiens. By 19th April he wrote home to say they were under almost continuous fire and the star shells lit the sky like daylight. On May 12th he was at rest after having "a rough time in the trenches". On June 10th "everything is clay and mud", and on 22nd there was "plenty of fireng at each others airoplanes" [sic].
By August Wilf was on the Somme. Fighting at Guillemont on 10th was a day he didn't want to describe but "will never forget". That night he volunteered to go out into No Man's Land to try to retrieve the wounded and the possessions of the dead. "Everywhere one looks he sees dead and injured". He believes he finds the body of his best friend (and cousin) but cannot be sure it is him in the darkness. On 21st September he is wounded in the leg. Operated upon on 22nd he is repatriated in October to hospital in Birmingham, thence to Liverpool (the regimental HQ) before being discharged home to West Hartlepool.
In May 1917 he is back fighting, this time in Belgium, and having lost his L/Cpl rank (he may have been discharged during his convalescence and then volunteered again). The fighting is heavy "but not as bad as the Somme". Until he gets to Paschendaele where, on 19th, he writes home to say "I could tell you what we are going to do but it would be crossed out. Watch the papers". Perhaps as a result of all the losses among his regiment he is promoted to L/Cpl once again.
On 30th of November 1917 at Cambrai he is shot in the right hand and captured. Taken by the Germans first to Le Quesnoy, then on to PoW camp at Dulmen ("how dreary it is"). By March 1918 at the latest he is in PoW camp Parchim, where he is deployed working on a nearby farm. He starts to enjoy it. On August 11th "I am busy with the corn this month". Then "when I come home I am going to buy a farm (though where the cash will come from I don't know)". He tells his mother that by the time he gets home "You will find me an expert farmer". He remained at Parchim until the Armistice and then awaited repatriation. Spanish flu then swept through the barracks. Wilf was taken to the Hut Hospital where he died at 9pm on New Year's Day 1919. He was 29.
Pte. William Banff English
British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
Pte George Charles Ensby
British Army 12 Btn. Royal Fusiliers
from:Hayes, Middlesex
(d.31st Jul 1917)
Pte. Herbert Entwistle
British Army 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment
from:Burnley, Lancs
(d.10th Oct 1915)
Herbert Entwistle died on 10th October 1915, aged 39 and is buried in Plot the Addolorata Cemetery in Malta. He was the son of John and Ann Entwistle; husband of Mary Ann Entwistle, of 7, Hyde St., Burnley
Pte. Herbert Entwistle
British Army 1/5th Btn. East Lancashire Regiment
from:Burnley, Lancs
(d.10th Oct 1915)
Herbert Entwistle died aged 39 and is buried in the Addolorata Cemetery in Malta. Herbert was the son of John and Ann Entwistle and husband of Mary Ann Entwistle of 7 Hyde Street, Burnley.
Pte. Joseph Sydney Epps
British Army 7th Btn. Wiltshire Regiment
from:Goodnestone, Kent
My granddad Joseph Sydney Epps joined the 7th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment at the age of 21 in 1914. He didn't talk about the war but I spent many happy late afternoons with him after school. I have his war medals and his silver name tag that I think he would have worn while fighting in France. He suffered from a very bad chest infection and I'm not sure if this was due to being gassed during the war. My mum asked me to look into where his regiment fought during the war because she recalled that he said he went to Italy. After researching the movements of the 7th Wilts I think it would have been Greece. My mum has a photo of my granddad in his uniform.
Sgt. Grigg Francis Epsly MM &2 Bars.
British Army 5th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
from:West Ham, Essex
(d.5th April 1918)
From the records that have survived we know that Uncle Grigg Epsly joined the Army Special Reserve on the 17th March 1913, then the Regular Army on 19th August 1913, his age in August was noted as 17 years 11 months. His previous occupation was shown as a carman.
He was sent to France with the BEF on 17th of December 1914 until 29th of January 1915 when he was admitted to hospital with severe frostbite and was sent back to the UK to a convalescent home until 22nd of June 1915.
He returned to the front line on 23rd of June 1915 and served until he was wounded in the right thigh and knee at Armentieres on 5th of October 1915. He was sent home for treatment from 11th of October 1915 until 1st of September 1916, returning to front line duties in France on 20th of January 1916.
During action in trenches to the north west of Pozieres between the 7th and 9th August 1916 the Germans, using flamethrowers, attacked British trenches several times and each time were repelled. During this action Grigg was awarded his first Military Medal, he was quoted in the Reading Mercury later as saying 'It was for a bit of work I did in the trenches'.
On 17th if March 1917 Grigg (who was now a Corporal) led a group of 3 men in a bombing squad which was part of an operation involving 9 officers and 200 men to raid the German trenches near Arras. The objectives were to capture prisoners and identify the enemy regiments entrenched, and destroy dug outs and machine gun and trench mortar emplacements. Every man involved had to empty their pockets and remove all badges and identity discs in case of capture.
After this action one of the NCOs involved told the Reading Mercury "Corporal Epsly, who received a bar to his Military Medal, deserved a lot more recognition than he actually got. He put a whole machine gun section out of action by charging them single handed with bombs. He simply did it 'on his own' while we were waiting for the wire-cutters to cut the wire so our troops could get through". All objectives were achieved and the raid was over within 25 minutes, the war diary notes that 2 musical instruments were taken on the raid and were played in the German trenches! Casualties were 2 officers and 6 men killed, 3 men missing and 21 men wounded.
Between the 20th and 30th November 1917 British troops supported by tanks, attacked the German trenches near Gonnelieu, Grigg was awarded a second bar to his Military Medal during this action. The attack successfully achieved its objectives but the Germans mounted a sustained counter attack on the 30th November and re took most of the ground they had lost. Grigg was wounded on the 30th but it wasn't serious enough to require hospitalisation.
On the 5th of April 1918 Grigg and the 5th Royal Berkshire Regiment were in the trenches near Bouzincourt when the German Spring Offensive began. The attack was severe and sustained and Grigg was reported Missing In Action presumed killed, one of many casualties on that fateful day. His body was never identified and therefore his name is one of those inscribed on the walls of the British Cemetery at Pozieres. He was just 22 years old.
Lt. Henry Jackson Epworth DSC.
Royal Navy HMS Petard
Henry Jackson Epworth was born in Goole, Yorkshire in 1881. He started his naval career as a seaman in merchant ships before enlisting in the Royal Navy at age 15. By all accounts, he was a popular and accomplished sailor, becoming a navy boxing champion while serving in the China fleet, and often being in demand to entertain his shipmates, playing the banjo or mandolin. He was also diligent in learning his chosen profession, a fact noted by his commanding officer, who recommended him for further training. In 1912, he passed the necessary exams and was appointed a gunnery officer.
On 31st of May 1916 the British admiralty directed more than 100 warships to sail from their bases on the North Sea. Many sailors assumed they were on routine manoeuvres with little prospect of action. They were wrong: They were heading into The Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of WW1. The British ships had sailed following on the interception of decoded wireless signals that suggested the German High Seas Fleet was about to leave its base. The ships included the destroyer HMS Petard, part of the Battle Cruiser Fleet from Rosyth, led by Admiral David Beatty. Her torpedo officer was Henry Epworth.The fight itself began when one of Beatty's ships didn't notice a signal ordering it to change course. Shortly afterward, sighting a German destroyer in the distance, it fired the first shot of the battle at 1415 hrs. on May 31. Beatty had run into the German battle cruiser fleet, a scouting group for the High Seas Fleet, which was still out of sight over the horizon. The German ships turned South and Beatty gave chase, opening fire at a range of nine miles. In the ensuing long-range duel, two of Beatty's cruisers were lost after being hit by German shells. As the two fleets raced South, 12 destroyers, including HMS Petard, dashed from the British line to launch a torpedo attack. Simultaneously, German destroyers headed toward the British cruisers with the same intention. The two destroyer flotillas charged towards each other at a combined speed of more than 65 miles an hour with guns blazing and black smoke belching from their funnels. Torpedoes launched by HMS Petard and HMS Turbulent sank the German destroyer V29 and ripped a 40-foot hole in the hull of the battle cruiser Seydlitz. For the rest of his life, Henry Epworth claimed to have fired the first successful torpedo of the battle. As the destroyer attack ended, Beatty saw the main body of the German High Seas Fleet approaching. Immediately, he changed course, hoping to lead the German ships towards Britain's Grand Fleet, led by Admiral John Jellicoe, which was 40 miles to the North. Vice-admiral Reinhard Scheer, Commander-in-Chief of the High Seas Fleet, pursued Beatty's ships, assuming they were an isolated force he could easily destroy. At about 6 p.m., apprised of the situation by Beatty, Jellicoe sighted the approaching German armada. He must have been elated that the battle of the two great fleets he had been seeking was about to begin. But it was late in the day and time was against him. Jellicoe concentrated a devastating fire on the leading German ships. As the battle progressed, Scheer's fleet was silhouetted against the western sky while all he could see in the gathering darkness to the east were stabs of orange flame rippling across the horizon, accompanied by the constant thunder of guns. As night fell, he prudently withdrew. Jellicoe was unconcerned, confident that he was between the German fleet and its home base and that he could resume battle in the morning. While Jellicoe steamed South, Scheer decided to head straight for home, come what may. By chance, he passed to the rear of the British fleet, meeting little resistance. Along with six other ships in its group, HMS Petard had unknowingly become attached to a different destroyer flotilla. The commanding officer of this flotilla assumed he was at the head of a column of five ships when, in fact, there were 12. He tried to lead his column across the bows of what he thought was the British battle fleet when, in fact, it was the German battle fleet. The first 10 destroyers crossed safely, but the commanding officer of Petard, the next in line, suddenly saw, towering over him in the mist, the German battleship Westfalen on a collision course. He managed to cross ahead of the huge ship, putting Petard in a perfect position to launch a torpedo attack at point blank range. But Petard had already used all her torpedoes, the only destroyer in the group to have done so. She was unable to take advantage of the opportunity to maim or sink one of the most powerful battleships in the German fleet. Petard was now running for her life, and six shells from Westfalen's guns found their mark before she was out of range. Nine crew members were killed and six others wounded, including Henry Epworth who was hit in the left arm by a shell fragment. The next morning, on the 1st of June, Jellicoe searched in vain for the German battle fleet. Finally, he received a signal giving him the German fleet's position, a few miles from safety and too far away for him to intercept it. With no hope of a renewed engagement, he turned toward home. Jellicoe hadn't achieved the overwhelming victory the British public wanted but he had achieved a strategic victory, maintaining the fleet's command of the seas. For his role in the battle, Henry Epworth received the Distinguished Service Cross from King George V. Henry Epworth retired from the navy in 1931 and died in 1938.
Lt. Henry Jackson Epworth DSC
Royal Navy
Burgher A. H. Erasmus
South African Forces Bethal Commando Mounted Commandos,
(d.13th November 1914)
Burgher Erasmus is buried in the Trichardt Cemetery, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Pte. David Erasmus
British Army 2/4th Battalion. A Company. Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
(d.20th Nov 1917)
My great great uncle, David Erasmus, was killed on 20th November 1917 age 41, on the first day of the battle of Cambrai. He served with A Company, 2/4 battalion of the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
The attached postcard was written in February 1918 by 2nd Lieutenant Frank Cocker who was injured on November 27th 1917 unaware that David had been killed. The postcard notes that David was doing "excellent work rescuing men under trying conditions" and that Frank was back in the UK recovering from having his hair "parted by a bullet". Frank Cocker returned to the frontline and was again injured in July 1918, he survived the war and lived to a ripe old age, writing his memoirs in a published book called "Comrades In Arms". I wonder if my great great uncle David Erasmus would've been awarded a medal based on the information on the postcard about him rescuing men and whether he was killed during those rescues.
The full transcribed text of the postcard is as follows:
Mrs Erasmus, 58 Rees Street, Gelli Ystrad, S.Wales
Please reply to Sec Lieut. F. Cocker, 33 Grosvenor Terrace, Brighouse Yorks.
Feb 11th 1918
Dear Mrs Erasmus, I write you to make inquiries about your son who was in my platoon in France. When I last saw him he was doing some excellent work, rescuing wounded men under very trying conditions and I have often wondered since whether he came through that day alright. I got my hair parted by a bullet, but am better now & shall soon be going out again. Kindly drop me a line & if he happens to be in hospital I would like his address.
I am, Yours Faithfully,
Frank Cocker 2/4b K.O.Y.L.I
Although he hasn't been officially recognised, having a first hand account of his actions from someone who fought alongside him at the very least tells me that he was a hero who should in some way be remembered.
Csm. J. Erett
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
J Erett was wounded in March 1916
Pte. Adam Erkine
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Birtley
Errington
Army Durham Light Infantry
CSM. Arthur Errington
British Army 25th (Tyneside Irish) Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Easington Lane, Durham
(d.28th Apr 1917)
Arthur Errington was my Great Uncle. An entry in Ireland's Memorial Records 1914-1918, states that he died in France on 28th of April 1917. Other information that I have been able to find, also states that he enlisted at Newcastle-on-Tyne. He died in Flanders.
Pte. John Robson Errington
British Army 18th Btn. Durham Light Infantry
Pte. Joseph Errington
1st Btn. Border Regiment
(d.20th Oct 1916)
Joseph Errington served with the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment during WW1 and died on the 20th October 1916. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France.
Pte George Erriottis
British Army 9th Btn. Welsh Regiment
(d.7th Jun 1917)
Lt.Col. Arthur Edward Erskine DSO MID.
British Army Royal Artillery
from:Scotland
Arthur Edward Erskine fought in the First World War between 1914 and 1918, where he was mentioned in dispatches. He was decorated with the award of the Companion, Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) in 1916. He gained the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in 1918 in the service of the Royal Artillery.
Sgt. John Erskine VC
British Army 5th/6th Btn. D Coy. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
from:Edinburgh
(d.14th April 1917)
John Erskine was killed in action on the 14th of April 1917, aged 23. Commemorated 6 on the Arras Memorial in the Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, France, he was the son of the late William Erskine, of Dunfermline, and of Mrs. Elizabeth Erskine, of 1 East Savile Rd., Edinburgh.
An extract from the London Gazette, dated 4th Aug., 1916, records the following :- "For most conspicuous bravery. Whilst the near lip of a crater, caused by the explosion of a large enemy mine, was being consolidated, Actg. Serjt. Erskine rushed out under continuous fire with utter disregard of danger and rescued a wounded serjeant and a private. Later, seeing his officer, who was believed to be dead, show signs of movement, he ran out to him, bandaged his head, and remained with him for fully an hour, though repeatedly fired at, whilst a shallow trench was being dug to them. He then assisted in bringing in his officer, shielding him with his own body in order to lessen the chance of his being hit again."
Pte. Charles Godfrey Erswell
British Army 24th (Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
from:Berwick on Tweed
(d.9th April 1917)
Pte. Alfred Douglas Black "Tibb" Erwin
Australian Imperial Force 18th Battalion
from:Balmain, Drummoynen, SW Australia
(d.5th Aug 1915)
I just wanted to pay this tribute to a very special dear uncle, even though I didn't get to meet him, but after researching his life and times I feel very close to him. Also my grandfather and grandmother what these two dear people went through is just so, so, sad in the lose of their beloved eldest son. My mum's [Alma] eldest brother even she didn't get the chance to meet and love him because he died the year my mum was born on the 17th august 1915. Her brother passed 5th august 1915. Not only was Grandma Erwin [Amy Jane] and Grandpa Erwin [Alfred James] trying to come to terms with their son's death but grandpa was also wounded on Gallipoli beach as he got out of one of the boats shot through the ear the bullet dislodging behind his ear but it's the damage it did coming out behind his ear. He was sent home on a hospital ship which on the same day passed the very ship his son Alfred was on going overseas as these ships passed each other the soldiers cooed to each other. Little did grandpa know he was passing his son on the other ship and of course my mum's second name Ceramic is the ship grandpa came home on.
Grandma Erwin was nursing grandpa back to some kind of good health and mum told me he was not the same man that went away according to grandma. This dear lady was raising a family of ten nursing a husband and living from hand to mouth how strong was she! And still waiting at this time to find out the fate of her beloved son who had been reported missing. It took right up until 1917 before they were sure of uncle Alfred's demise. Sadly, I didn't get to know these wonderful people either as they had both passed by the time I arrived in 1940.
Uncle Alfred enlisted at Liverpool, Sydney on the 7th August 1915 he was 21 his army no. 2365. He embarked at Sydney for the Middle East with the 5th Reinforcements 18th Battalion per the ship HMAS a32 Themistocles on the 5th October 1915. Before Uncle Alfred enlisted he had spent three years with the Militia Forces at the age of 18 before he transferred to the AIF.
Then 'A' Company 18th Battalion at Tel-elkebir on 10th January 1916 reported embarked at Alexandra for service in France on 17th March 1916 disembarked at Marseilles 25th March 1916 reported missing 5th August 1915 killed in action that same day his actual birthday was 7th July 1915 makes one wonder if he got to celebrate in any way with his mates and how did they celebrate?
Uncle Alfred was killed instantly along side his best mate Roy Erickson [they were neighbours living next door to each other in Thornley Street Drummoyne ] apparently a bomb landed right on top of them in the Black Watch Trench at Pozziers. They were defending their mates, then they mates who weren't too injured picked up what they could of the two bodies and buried them at the back of the trench and put crosses with their names and numbers on the grave top. Four years later after much bombing and fighting they were found by recovery troops looking for bodies. Roys grave was pretty much ok along with his information but uncle Alfred's had the cross knocked down and any info on his cross was hard to read. Roy was interred again at Villers-Bretonneux Memorial Cemetery by the Commonwealth War Graves Commison. I was lucky enough to get in contact with a great gentleman from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and after writing under freedom of information to France, AMR Rod Muir gave me some extra info, I passed it on to this wonderful man and he did further investigation for me finding info somewhere overseas in a cellar basement records of Uncle Alfred. Then he had some good news saying to me, I think we have found your uncle and it goes like this.. when Roy Erickson was found they also dug up [excuse the expression ] Uncle Alfred, they interred Roy in the Viller-Bretonneux Cemetery plot number 111 row p grave 27 and Uncle Alfred is in a grave in same row but his headstone says unknown soldier. This was really great as at least I knew he was buried and not strewn all over the place in bits and pieces. I have visited grandpa and grandma at the field of Marrs Cemetery and told them all about their son, silly me they most likely already knew when they arrived upstairs with dear god.
Love you all dearly thank you Grandpa and Uncle Alfred for what you did for our family .
Pte. Alfred James Erwin
Australian Army D Company 18th Btn.
from:Redfern, Sydney, Australia
To my dear grandfather Alfred James Erwin. How does one say thank you grandpa for what you did and gave to us your family and your country. You embarked at Sydney for the Middle East with 'D' company 18th Infantry Battalion per the transport A40 'Ceramic' on 25th June 1915. Your date of disembarkation is not recorded mainly because you were wounded in action at the Gallipoli Peninsula on 22nd of August 1915. You were admitted to 16th Casualty Clearing Station in Malta on 27th of August 1915 and invalided to Australia per the ship Kanowna on 5th of October 1915. Disembarked at Melbourne on 22nd of November 1915. You received 1914/15 star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Then you passed away 1929 from your war injuries.
Oh grandpa! how I wish I could have known you and loved you for all that you did and the beautiful country we have now. I will love you forever dear grandpa from your loving grand daughter.
Pte. Peter G. Eskholme
British Army Training Reserve Battalion
Capt. M. Esler
British Army RAMC
Captain Esler was a prisoner at Stralsund POW camp.
Mid. John Henry Grattan Esmonde
Royal Navy
(d.31st May 1916)
John Esmonde was Killed in Action, aged 17, in the Battle of Jutland
Sgt. Frederick Alfred Esquilant
British Army 12th Btn., C Coy. Rifle Brigade
from:Bethnal Green
(d.2nd Dec 1917)
Frederick Esquilant was born in 1875. He married Amelia Jane Suttle in 1892. When he entered the army he had four children: Amelia, Nelly, Ivy and Frederick.
Frederick entered the war at age 40. He became a Sergeant in the latter part of the war. He died on 2nd of December 1917. He was possibly killed in the Battle of Cambrai, as that was where the 12th Rifle Brigade fought during 1917. That battle was fought between 20th November 1917 and 8th December 1917.
Pte. Rolf Van Essen
British Army 19th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers
from:North Shields
(d.8th Oct 1916)
Rolf Essen was killed in action on 8th of October 1916. Aged 28 years, he is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) memorial in Belgium. Rolf was the husband of Barbara Ellen Scott Essen of 3 Adamson Buildings, North Shields. he Commonwealth War Grave Commission have his service number recorded as 1166 and him shown as a member of the 11th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers, however this is believed to be an error and should be 19/1166. The 19th NF Battalion history records him as one of theirs.
From the 19th Btn Northumberland Fusiliers Roll of Honour.
Pte. Reginald William Essex
British Army 12th Btn. Rifle Brigade
from:Wincle, Cheshire
(d.22nd Feb 1916)
Reginald Essex served with the 12th Battalion, Rifle Brigade.
Spr. Ernest Albert Essig
Canadian Expeditionary Force. 1st Canadian Tunnelling Company
from:Galt, Ontario.
Ernest Essig from Galt, Ontario was sent overseas as part of the 18th Batallion. On August 10th, 1917 he was injured in the line of duty from a high explosive shell, suffering the loss of his index finger on the left hand and partial loss of function in his left thumb, arm and left thigh. Ernest spent 119 days in hispital and was eventually discharged from duty because as unfit for service due to wounds.
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