Help finding info on a rifleman WW1

[Hopster]

Hi,
First time posting, so I hope I'm in the right area! I'm looking for some help on where I could find some more info on a relative that died during WW1.
I know some info but am interested in trying to find out where he was based just before he died, and where he may have died/what he was doing.
He was a Rifleman in the 11th Battalion Rifle Brigade, which I believe was part of the 20th light division of the 59th infantry brigade.
His name was James Carter S/5841 and he died 10th July 1916, in Ypres area as his name is on the memorial at menin gate.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Regorian]

Hello Hopster,

Welcome to Rootschat. 11th (Service) Battalion, Rifle brigade. Formed at Winchester, Sept. 1914. To Blackdown in 59th Brigade, 20th Division, February, 1915. April 1915 Hamilton Camp, near Stonehenge. 21st July 1915 landed at Boulogne. 11th November 1918, 59th brigade, 20th Division France Jenlain west of Bavai.

Here is info on 11th and 12th (Service) Battalions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifle_Brigade_(The_Prince_Consort%27s_Own)#Territorial_force.

 

[MaxD]

You might like to download the war diary of the battalion from the National Archives at:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C4555267
WO 95/2116/3 covers the period including July 1916.  (He appears on the roll of officers and men on WO95/2116/1).

10 July 1916 is described as "a quiet day" in the diary.   There was no major action taking place in their sector of the line which was just to the north of the village of Wieltje north east of Ypres.  Two parties of men attempted to carry out a raid on the enemy trenches under cover of a gas discharge (ours) and artillery barrage.  The gas did not affect the enemy as it should have done and the raid was unsuccessful.  He was one of three men who were killed in action that day, others were wounded, some who later died of wounds. . One officer and 6 men were recommended for bravery awards for bringing in and tending to the wounded.
The trench lines shown on the map/image at the link below are from later but were in pretty much the same position in July 1916.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=50.8820&lon=2.9351&layers=101464639&right=BingHyb

MaxD

Despite the efforts of the men recommended for bravery awards the bodies of both him and one of the other two men killed that day were unable to be brought back for burial, hence their commemoration on the Menin Gate.

[MaxD]

His medal card can be seen at:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1720665

He had joined up in the month following 11 November 1914 (calculated from his gratuity, courtesy Craig's calculator).

His medal card shows he went with the battalion to France on 21 July 1915,  leaving Salisbury Plain from Amesbury station which (totally useless information follows) was, until 1963, 100 yards to the west of where I am sitting and is now the site of a Tesco supermarket. 

The war diary has a splendid potted history at the beginning starting from Sep 1914 .

MaxD

[Hopster]

Thank you for you quick responses.

That's really interesting information. I'll definitely have a look at downloading the war diaries, are they quite easy to read? Or is there lots of technical information in them?

You might like to download the war diary of the battalion from the National Archives at:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C4555267
WO 95/2116/3 covers the period including July 1916.  (He appears on the roll of officers and men on WO95/2116/1).

10 July 1916 is described as "a quiet day" in the diary.   There was no major action taking place in their sector of the line which was just to the north of the village of Wieltje north east of Ypres.  Two parties of men attempted to carry out a raid on the enemy trenches under cover of a gas discharge (ours) and artillery barrage.  The gas did not affect the enemy as it should have done and the raid was unsuccessful.  He was one of three men who were killed in action that day, others were wounded, some who later died of wounds. . One officer and 6 men were recommended for bravery awards for bringing in and tending to the wounded.
The trench lines shown on the map/image at the link below are from later but were in pretty much the same position in July 1916.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=14&lat=50.8820&lon=2.9351&layers=101464639&right=BingHyb

MaxD

Despite the efforts of the men recommended for bravery awards the bodies of both him and one of the other two men killed that day were unable to be brought back for burial, hence their commemoration on the Menin Gate.

[Hopster]

Thank you for that and your quick response.
 

Hello Hopster,

Welcome to Rootschat. 11th (Service) Battalion, Rifle brigade. Formed at Winchester, Sept. 1914. To Blackdown in 59th Brigade, 20th Division, February, 1915. April 1915 Hamilton Camp, near Stonehenge. 21st July 1915 landed at Boulogne. 11th November 1918, 59th brigade, 20th Division France Jenlain west of Bavai.

Here is info on 11th and 12th (Service) Battalions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rifle_Brigade_(The_Prince_Consort%27s_Own)#Territorial_force.

 

[MaxD]

I'll definitely have a look at downloading the war diaries, are they quite easy to read? Or is there lots of technical information in them?

I would suggest you suck it and see.  The battalion was, as you know, in 59th Brigade in 20 Light Division.  The actions the battalion took part in from arrival in France until your relative was killed are covered in outline in the first paragraphs of this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_(Light)_Division#Ypres
(look for 59 Brigade mentions as well as 11 Rifle Brigade)

The battalion war diaries at the National Archives are in a number of parts (right hand side here:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C4555267).  The one I cited is for July to October 1916, the one before it WO 95/2116/2 covers from arrival in France to end Jun 1916.  If you are able to access Ancestry, all those listed are in one piece  at:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01oia/

There will be military expressions that you may not recognise but you should be able to follow whereabouts the battalion was and get an impression of what was going on.  In any event, you can always come back with specific queries!

MaxD
 

[Andy Pay]

59th Brigade Diary gives a little more.

Andy