Today we are paying our respects to Bourne man Henry Knowles who died of wounds on 5th April 1915.
Lance Sergeant Henry Knowles, 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, was the son of William and Jane Knowles of Folkingham.
Buried in Le Tréport Military Cemetery.
Home to over 10,000 hospital beds and a harbour facing England, Le Tréport became one of the main ports of repatriation for wounded soldiers heading home.
Today we pay respects to another of our Bourne lads on the 100th anniversary of his death.
Driver Frank (Francis) Stubley of the 22nd battery, 33 brigade, Royal Field Artillery who died on the 1st April 1918, age 24.
Frank was the son of of Francis and Elizabeth Stubley of Wood House, North Fen, Bourne Lincolnshire.
This was a bitter blow to the Stubley family having previously lost Son Ernest who had been killed in October 1916 on the Somme with the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
Son George has also been killed only 12 days before Frank in April 1918 near Ploegsteert fighting with the Durham Light infantry.
Frank is remembered on the Bourne Memorial along with his two brothers and buried at the St Sever Cemetery Extension in Rouen.
Rest in Peace
Today we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of one of our local Billingborough men.
Private Jim Rylott 242061 of the 2nd / 5th battalion Leicestershire regiment died of pneumonia on 30th March 1917 whilst on active service with his battalion in France, age 19.
Jim was born in Billingborough in 1897 to James Rylott Avison and his wife Catherine Gale both born in Boston.
From 1897 the family had been living in Billingborough where James was working as a poultry labourer.
Jim is listed on the 1911 census as the 3rd surviving son of the the 13 children born to James and Catherine. They had lost 7 children before 1911.
Jim later enlisted in the Leicestershire Regiment in Lincoln.
The 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire embarked in Southampton and sailed on the SS Huntscraft arriving in Harve, France on the 21st February 1917.
After a night in rest camp no 1, the battalion entrained for Saleux where they were billeted for three nights before moving to Bayonvillers.
In the early part of March the Battalion was in line around Bayonvilles and on the 8th March went into trenches on the main Amiens to Estrees Road to relieve the 8th Durhams.
The brigade received word on the 17th that the enemy had retired from their positions. They advanced on the 17th and consolidated the new positions on the banks of the River Somme, sending patrols over the river the following day without seeing any enemy.
After a few days in divisional reserve in Foucaucourt the Battalion was moved to Le Mesnil and then Eterpigny. By the following day, 29th, the division was based at Catelet and the 2/5th Leicesters moved to Hancourt.
It is not known when Jim fell ill during this period and how long he was in the line during the early part of March 1917.
The Grantham journal reported
OUR HEROES. – Mr and Mrs J Rylott of High Street have received the sad news that their son Pte. Jim Rylott (Leicestershire Regiment) has died from pneumonia, while on active service abroad. He was in Ireland during the troubles last year. Much sympathy is expressed for the family in their bereavement.
In memory of Private Jim Rylott, 2nd/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment who died on 30 March 1917 Age 19
Son of James and Catherine Rylott of High Street, Billingborough, Lincs
Remembered with honour, Bray Military Cemetery.
On 21st March we remember Morton man, Harold Handford who was killed this day 100 years ago in 1918.
Harold Hanford was born in Morton, Lincolnshire in c 1899.
His birth was registered in Bourne in the March quarter of 1899 indicating a birth between January and March of that year.
Harold was the eighth child of James Hanford a Journeyman Butcher from Morton and his wife Elizabeth Ann Pikett (Also know as Elizabeth A Foster of Billingborough).
Harold’s father, James, was born in Morton c1866. He married Elizabeth Ann Pickett in 1889, she was born in Spilsby c1868. This marriage was registered in the Bourne District but it is likely that this could have taken place in Billingborough.
The children of James and Elizabeth Ann are:
Charlotte Elizabeth c1886
Agnora c1890,
Frances c1892,
James Fisher c1893 (WW1; Lance-Corporal Lincolnshire Regiment)
Alfred Sydney c1894 (WW1; Leicestershire Regiment)
John Foster c1896 (WW1; Driver)
May c 1898
Harold 1899 (WW1; 2nd Bn Lincolnshire Regiment)
Jesse 1901
Eric 1903
Gwendolen Pickett Hanford 1903
Violet Ann c 1905
Georgina Mary c 1907
Dora c 1908
Frank c 1911
Charles Ernie c1912
On the 1911 census Harold Hanford was a boarder in the Sandall Household in Morton. Herbert Sandall was a horseman on a farm along with Harold’s brother Fisher. Along with younger brother Eric the three boys were boarders with the Sandall family.
Harold is next mentioned in a clipping from the Grantham Journal from 21st July 1917 where his family is mentioned within the Morton correspondence because his parents had four sons all serving with the Army.
The Soldiers Died in the Great War records show Harold’s place of residence as Bourne Lincolnshire.
Other comments on the CWGC records show that Harold was the Son of James and Elizabeth Hanford, Morton, Bourne, Lincolnshire.
The final piece of information about Harold was found in the Grantham Journal of 5th July 1919. This mentioned that Harold’s parents had now received official confirmation that Harold was now officially presumed killed having been listed as missing on 22nd March 1918.
Military History
Harold’s war office records are yet to be uncovered and may be part of the records that were destroyed by fire in the Blitz.
The Medal Rolls do not show a Harold or H Hanford in the Lincolnshire Regiment and so more research will need to be done on this point.
From the Commonwealth War Graves Commission we know that Harold was serving in the 2nd Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, when he was killed on 21st March 1918. This was the day of the Great German Offensive (First Battles of the Somme 1918) which saw the enemy attack across a 54 mile wide line using many more divisions than the allied army.
From the history of the Lincolnshire Regiment we can piece together the following information.
February 1918 saw a great change in the way Divisions and brigades were formed. This saw both the 1stand 2nd Battalions of the Lincolnshire Regiment both being attached to 62nd Brigade (21st Division) on February 3rd 1918. It was very unusual to see two Battalions of the same regiment fighting together.
On the night of the 20th March the 21st Division was holding part of the line east of Epehy and at the southern point of the Flesquieres Salient. The 1st and 2nd Lincolnshires were holding a section of this line near to the Canal Du Nord, just north of Peronne.
Shortly before 5am the enemy opened with an intense bombardment of gas, high explosive shells and trench mortars against the whole British line. Roads behind the line as well as the front line and support trenches were continually bombarded for four hours.
At 9:45am the German Army advanced through the thick fog which hung over the lines. The outpost line was overwhelmed by the enemy before it had chance to put up a fight. The main lines had expended their machine gun ammunition during the early morning fog and fought bravely against advancing enemy mounted units. Battalion headquarters was overrun during the day and fought its way up Chapel Hill. Parts of the 2nd Lincolnshire’s defended Chapel Hill, towards the rear of the front line along with 2 tanks.
The main line held during the day, although at times this was precarious and at some times critical.
The Lincolnshire Battalions were eventually relieved by the South African Scottish by 8am on the 22nd of March and moved safely back to the Pioneer Camp at Heudicourt.
From the battalion diaries of the 2nd battalion Lincolnshire regiment we find the following entry for 21st March 1918;
Batt received order MAN BATTLE POSITIONS ‘C’ Coy comes under the orders of O.C left sector front line (OC 1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment). A B & D Coys marched independently to their allotted positions in YELLOW LINE. Bttn Head Qtrs marched to railway cutting at W23.a.8.1. This operation was rendered excessively difficult owing to a thick fog and heavy ENEMY gas shelling. Coys established themselves in their positions soon after 7am though stragglers continued to report until 10am.
Distribution C Coy with 1st Bn Lincolnshire Regiment. 3 Coys in YELLOW LINE with left Coy resting on railway at W23 central with the right Coy at approximately W18 central. Bttn Head Qtrs at railway cutting at W23.a.8.1, these positions were maintained all day against repeated attacks by the ENEMY.
About 12 noon a party of the ENEMY succeeded in getting round the left flank under cover of a sunken road at W18.c.9.3 This party was engaged by Bn Head Qtrs and a gun team of the Machine Gun Bn, a number were killed and the remainder (about 50) surrendered.
Harold Hanford was originally reported missing and later presumed as died during action on 21st March 1918.
Memorial
Private Harold Hanford 49402, 2nd Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment, is remembered with honour at Le Cateau Military Cemetery in the village of Le Cateau-Cambresis, 17km south east of Cambrai.
Grave Ref: I. B. 7.
In our second remembrance of the day, we remember Baston man, George Thomas Wood, of the 1st Battalion King’s Own Lancaster Regiment, who died 101 years ago today, 11th March 1917.
George was born in the summer of 1895 in the small village of Tongue End, Lincolnshire. The second son of Thomas Wood a farmer from Deeping St Nicholas and his wife Georgina Simmons of Melton Mowbray.
After leaving school George started working on his father’s farm in Baston Fen.
It is not known when George joined the army as the original army records were destroyed in the London Blitz during World War Two.
During February the 1st Battalion King’s Own Regiment was removed from front line trenches around Bouchavesnes and moved firstly to huts at Camp 117 and then to Corbie.
For the rest of February the Battalion continued training before eventually being moved to Vitz-Villeroy, where along with Villeroy-Sur-Authie they were billeted on the 7th March.
The Battalion immediately went back onto training and was receiving replacements to bring it back to Battalion strength. The Battalion moved to Marquay by bus on 22nd February and continued training until it was moved on April 6th for final preparations for the battle of Arras.
It is now yet known how George Wood died, whether this was in training or as a result of earlier action this is yet to be discovered.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private G wood, 27170, 1st Bn, King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) who died on 11 March 1917.
Remembered with honour, Rancourt Military Cemetery.
Also remembered on the memorial in St John the Baptist Baston Lincolnshire
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