The 10th Battalion Green Howards (1914

*10th Green Howards*	*Enlistment*	*Battle of Loos*
*Battle of the Somme*	*Battle of Arras*	*Broodseind Ridge*
*Passchendaele-"Graveyard in the mud"***	*End of the 10th Battalion*	*The Finish*
*Undated Reminiscences*		*Links*

Before it was to late , I decided to try and record the experiences and history of my father George Henry Ord during World War 1 . It is meant to be a history for the benefit of my family and those to come and for those having relatives who served in the Battalion and want to track the 10^th Battalions movements during World War 1 . Wherever possible I have concentrated on " dates and places " as some people may wish to visit the Battle sites and follow in their footsteps . Most of all I want it to be a record dedicated to him and his mates so that they and their sacrifices ,should never be forgotten .None of the following would have possible without the help of :

Lt. Col Neil McIntosh of the Green Howards Museum , Richmond , Nth Yorks . In addition five books proved invaluable for giving me an overall view and for some intriguing facts , they are " They called it Passchendaele " and "1915" by Lyn Macdonald (Penguin) , " The 1st day of the Somme" by Martin Middlebrook (Penguin) , " First World War" by Martin Gilbert ( Harper Collins) and "Deaths Men " by Denis Winter (Penguin) . All are excellent reads for anyone interested in this topic .

This site was last updated on 31st October 2003.

The Green Howards - a short History

The Green Howards were formed in 1688 . they have unbroken loyal service to the Crown for over 300 years . The Green Howards have taken part in most of the main campaigns and wars since the 17^th Century ,in most of them they were designated The 19^th Regiment of Foot .

The Regiment received its nickname " The Green Howards " in 1744 in order to avoid confusion on the battlefield when two regiments were named after their Colonel i.e. "Howards Regiment ". As one wore green facings on their scarlet uniforms, they were called the Green Howards , while the other was nicknamed " The Buffs " after their buff facings . The nicknames became official in 1920 . They were also known as the Yorkshire Regiment . During World War 1 they raised 24 Battalions

The Start of it all

World War 1 began at 11pm on Tuesday 4th August 1914 and when it finished at 11am on Monday 11th of November 1918, some 9 million people (soldiers and civilians ) belonging to all parties would be dead . It is an astounding statistic and impossible to grasp . The Leaders of all participants should have been ashamed of themselves , but I don't think they were . After the war many British military leaders were granted huge sums of money from the Government in "recognition" of their contribution to the War . I wonder how they felt within themselves when they went to collect the money ? . At the start , the British Army was badly equipped and minuscule in comparison to the conscript - heavy standing armies on the Continent . It comprised just 450,000 men - including only around 900 trained staff officers and some 250,000 reservists . It quickly became apparent that the war would not be "over by Christmas " and that more men would be needed and hence a major recruitment drive was started for Kitcheners New Army . All were volunteers , non were conscripts . Conscription did not occur until January 1916 .

Map of the Western Front 1916

Thursday 1 Oct 1914

The 10th Battalion Green Howards was formed as part of Kitcheners New Army . It was commanded at first by Colonel A de S Hadow . It was part of the 62nd Infantry Brigade along with 12th & 13th Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers and the 1st Lincoln’s. The 62nd , 63rd , 64th Brigades and Pioneers (14th Northumberland Fusiliers ) formed the 21st Division under the command of Colonel T.G.L.H. Armstrong. Posted to France late 1915 . Each Battalion ( 960 men ) consisted of 4 Companies (240 men) and each Company had 4 Platoons .

The 10th Battalion was formed and assembled at Berkhamstead ,a small town , about 12 miles south west of Luton and moved into a rudimentary camp at Halton Park between Tring and Wendover . They were billeted in Tring and the surrounding neighbourhood . On the 15 Nov they moved to Aylesbury, whilst the Halton Park camp was improved. Rifles were in short supply and the following is an amusing anecdote from the Battalion records " Can one feel like a soldier with a wooden toy to carry about with you , knowing that before parade it had already poked the fire , cleared the kitchen sink , beaten the dog, or proved of domestic utility in other ways " .

The two pictures below , kindly donated by Tegid Hughes , are of B company of the 10th Battalion Green Howards while at the Berkhamstead camp , shortly after signing up . The young soldier highlighted with the white cross is Private John James Thompson , who signed up on the 1st September 1914 . He survived the conflict , although recieving a severe leg wound which caused him great suffering for the rest of his life .


Copyright Tegid Hughes - 2003		Copyright Tegid Hughes - 2003

Monday 21 Dec 1914

It was on this day that my Father was posted to the 10th Battalion The Green Howards and he travelled to Richmond Nth Yorks to begin his basic training - it must have been a big adventure and very exciting for him . He enlisted at King St , So Shields on Wednesday 2 Dec. 1914 . He had just passed his 17th Birthday and the minimum age allowed was 19 . Conditions at home were poor , so that this must have represented itself as a Golden opportunity to get away . I think that because of what he and his brothers and sisters had endured as children , he became a survivor and very " Street Wise " . His parents were unable to give him very much to start life , but conditions made him a survivor , it was the best gift they could have given him . This was to get him through the horrors that were to come . In the words of one soldier " It is a hard life we live and the ability to look after oneself and rough it are assets . Softness is played upon . Firmness and rough handling when the occasion demands it are take for granted " .In the years that I knew him , I never heard him say he did it out of patriotic duty .Like so many young men of that era , he had not had the chance to travel to another part of the country and as a result he must have decided not to join a local battalion but one whose HQ was in his eyes a "long way away" , in this case Richmond N Yorks , 40 miles away . This would involve some travelling and a chance he hoped to do some"sightseeing " . Little did he know that he would get more than enough of that but not under very good conditions .When the Recruiting Sergeant asked his date of Birth , he had not worked out what it should be in order for him to be 19 - he was told " to have a little walk round the Block and think about it " . He returned in a short while and was accepted . The rate of pay for a Private was 1 shilling ( £0.05p - $0.08 ) per day. .Interestingly , about 40% of all British recruits were rejected on Health grounds and is an indicator of poverty , their poor living conditions and diet they had to put up with . A survey showed that State educated children were on average , 5ins smaller than their Public school counterparts .

This picture was specially taken for the Adjutant-General,s Dept at Etaples to demonstrate the youth and slight build of the recruits .

Men leaving Victoria Station , London for the Front

Tuesday 22 May 1915

The Battalion returned to Halton Park , by which time he would have been well into his basic training. This normally took 10 weeks - 8 weeks Square bashing and 2 weeks weapons training . Many thought it should have been the reverse .

Monday 9 August 1915

The Battalion were given orders to march to Witley (10 miles SE of Aldershot) and they arrived there on the 13th August .

Thursday 9 Sept 1915

At 6pm they left Witley camp and marched to Milford ,a few miles north , and then by train to Folkstone . They joined the ship immediately and arrived at Boulogne at 3.15am on the 10th of Sept .

Saturday 11 Sept 1915

Very little time was spent in the rest camp . They next took a train for Watten and then marched to Noeux les Mines arriving on the 25th Sept .

Sunday 25th Sept 1915

After a short rest , they marched to Vermelles and crossed the Bethune - Lens road . It was here that they came under shell fire for the first time - it must have been a great shock to them all .

Map of the Battle of Loos

It was on this day that the Battle of Loos began and it was the first time that the British had used Gas. They released 150 tons of Chlorine gas , killing directly 600 German solders .Being part of the 21st Division and very inexperienced , they were held in reserve. They were under the Command of General Haig and part of the 1st Army .The battle ended with what the Allies thought was a Victory at 9:30am . The Battalion was marched up to Loos on the same day and in the afternoon were in the front line for the first time . They shared the German front line trench with the 18th London Regiment. " We enquired of the Londoners what they were doing and they said that they had decided to dig in for the night , so we did likewise" . Two platoons of D company pushed on a little further and their first loss occurred ,Captain Lynch was killed .

Sunday 26 Sept 1915

The battalion was to the right of the front line , SE of Loos and were ordered to attack the German front line . "Having dug ourselves in fairly satisfactorily , we were promptly moved and had to start all over again in the pelting rain ". Two accounts exist of what happened during the attack , but from being attackers they turned into defenders from a big German counter attack and experienced heavy losses . They lost their CO Colonel Hadow . From the Green Howards Gazette " Little can be said of what actually happened , beyond the fact that everyone was wet , hungry , and desperately tired ; impressions left consist chiefly of the racket of machine guns and rifles , the continous whistling of shells followed by bang and the bubbly noises of the fuses and the rattle of shrapnel among the Loos pylons . Officers found themselves in command of men from three different divisions ; telephonic communication was smashed and orders were practically an impossibility from any higher command than that of a platoon commander " . Altogether they lost 12 Officers , two CSM and about 300 men i.e. over 30% of the battalion . The cause had been the German machine guns , the Allied troops had been mown down in thousands . The Germans did not have aim their guns , just point and shoot . Sir Douglas Haig earlier thought that Machine guns were highly overrated and that 2 per Battalion would be adequate . This battle may have changed his mind . In fairness to him , he was against this battle as he thought the chances of victory were slim . He felt they had insufficient Artillery cover .In the end the British suffered over 60,000 casualties and the Germans had 20,000 . Even the Germans felt sorry for them , they called the battle "Der Leichenfeld von Loos" - Field of Corpses of Loos . As the wounded made their way back to British lines , one German regimental diary commented " No shot was fired at them for the rest of the day , so great was the feeling of compassion and mercy for the enemy after such a victory " . The death toll at Loos exceeded in intensity that of any previous battle .

I think my Father had a lucky escape and he had used up one of his "Nine lives ".

Monday 27 Sept 1915

Not surprisingly , the Battalion was taken out of the line on the night of the 27th and bivouacked near Philsophe . A new CO was appointed , Major W.B. Eddowes (ex 13th Northumberland Fusiliers )

Tuesday 28th Sept 1915

The Battalion marched to Noeux les Mines and there entrained for Strazeele in order to regroup and reorganise. They were joined by 11 officers and 200 men , who helped make up the losses.

Tuesday 12th Oct 1915

Nurse Edith Cavelle was executed by the Germans on this day. She was a British nurse working in a Brussels hospital , in effect behind German lines. She had refused to be repatriated . She was looking after the wounded and accused of helping Allied prisoners escape , which she did not deny . She was 49 . This postcard was a piece of Allied propaganda based on the rumour that she could not compose herself and was shot by a German officer where she stood . The truth is the reverse , for she asked for some safety pins to pin her dress so that it would not flair up when she fell . A very Brave lady . The rest of the World was horrified , and it was a major Public relations blunder by the Germans , forever more they were portrayed as being heartless , vicious and with no compassion . Even the German Kaiser was shocked and said he would have cancelled her execution had he known about it . Public incidents like this caused the recruitment rate to the British Army to increase dramatically .

Wednesday 13 October 1915

The Battalion left Strazeele and marched via Merris , Le Verrier , Steenwerck , La Menegatte , Nieppe and Pont de Nieppe , and arrived at Armentieres the next day . They were trained in "Trenchwork" by visiting the front line for various periods and were under the guidance of experienced Officers .

Tuesday 19 October 1915

Another draught of 100 men arrived . During 19th & 20th ,the whole battalion did 24 hours in the trenches .

Monday 25 October 1915

The battalion was finally allotted a front line sector - the Epinette Salient.

The Salient (from the Ypres times )

"The aspect of a salient upon a map is familiar to most of us. This is a piece of ground projecting into the enemies lines and offering , therefore , peculiar disadvantages and dangers to the defenders . The Hun can shoot straight across it and from the front and back . A salient is an awkward place " .

Wednesday 27 October 1915

An Officer and 30 men travelled to Balliol for Inspection by the King and on the 29th , the "rainy season" started

From now till the 18th of Nov , 3 officers were killed and 2 wounded .

Sunday 19th Dec 1915 Sunday

"This day will not be forgotten by any who had the misfortune to be in the line that day , for it was the first really heavy bombardment of the trenches we had suffered " . This bombardment was intended as a diversion from the German attack on the Bluff further to north .

January and February 1916

During this period , the battalion remained in Epinette area ,doing their best to keep their parapets intact and their trenches drained , and losing small numbers of men almost daily from the enemy guns and snipers . Defending a salient was a difficult thing to do as you could be shot at from the front , either side and from behind . My Father recalled an officer looking over the trench parapet through a small slot in a metal plate and he was killed instantly by a fluke shot from a German sniper , the bullet having entered the viewing slot .

March 1916

The battalion was twice out of the line to be rested , once at Hiplines and then at Steenwerck .

Friday 31st March 1916

The 21st division left the 2nd Army and entraining at Balliol travelled to the ill fated Somme area .

Monday 17th April 1916

They were billeted at Ville-sous-Corbie and were "welcomed" by the Germans who fired Fourteen 5.9 ins shells at them . The 21st Div was now commanded by Major General D G M Campbell and was part of XV Corps .They were now part of Sir Henry Rawlinsons 4th Army . Just in time for the Battle of the Somme which began on the 1 July 1916 .Prior to the Battle they were in the general area of the front line and were subject to attack by the Germans .

Thursday 29th June 1916

The Battalion was billeted at Buire , but on the following night it was moved up to "Queens Redoubt " in readiness for the attack , which was to take place the following morning , the 62nd Brigade being in divisional reserve . They were positioned to the right of the main front line and North of Fricourt . By tradition , the Right of the Line" is considered the " Position of Honour " . To their right were the 17th , 7th , 18th and 30th Divisions , some 43,000 men . It was in this sector that some of the hardest fighting occurred but where the Allies achieved the most success .

Saturday 1 July 1916 (First day of the Battle of the Somme)

Map of the Somme

After a murderous British bombardment lasting days , the battle began at 7:30am .During the 8 day period prior to the start some 1.8 million shells were fired on the German trenches , but approximatley 1/3 did not explode due to faulty Fuzes . During period of the Battle - July to November - some 27 million shells were fired by the British guns .

A mountain of empty shell cases near Fricourt

Unfortunately , most of the German machine guns positions had not been silenced and as the men left their trenches they were mown down . In the first hour 30,000 men were killed or wounded , an unthinkable 500 men per minute , 8 men died for every tick of the clock .It was during this period that Major Loudoun-Shand (B company ) won his VC . His company went into action with 5 officers and 117 men and returned with 1 officer and 27 men .At 9:00am , the battalion were ordered to advance via "Aberdeen Ave" to reinforce the Durham Light Infantry at Crucifix Trench .

Sunday 2nd July 1916

The Battalion were ordered to take a German strong point called "The Poodles" , which they did , killing or wounding all of the occupants .

Monday 3rd July 1916

At 6:30am , they and the 1st Lincoln’s attacked Shelter Wood and captured 150 prisoners .The rest of the day and the 4th July were given over to consolidation .

Tuesday 4th July 1916

The Battalion was relieved by the 10th Lancashire Fusiliers and moved back to Buire. During the first 3 days , the 21st division had taken all of its objectives and penetrated the strong enemy defensive system to a depth of 1 mile .Major S W Loudon-Shand,s VC was cited " For most conspicuous bravery . When his company attempted to climb over the parapet to attack the enemies trenches they were met by very fierce machine gun fire which temporarily stopped their progress . Major Loundon-Shand immediately stepped on to the parapet , helped the men over it and encouraged them in every way until he fell mortally wounded . Even though then he insisted on being propped up in the trench , and went on encouraging the non commissioned officers and men until he died " .They entrained at Dernancourt at 6pm and arrived at Ailly-sur -Somme at 11pm for a much needed rest .

Friday 7th July 1916

The Battalion marched to Molliens Vidame via Cavillon and Oissy .

Tuesday 11 July 1916

The Battalion marched back to Ailly-sur-Somme and entrained for Corbie , arriving at 11pm . They then marched on to Meaulte .

Wednesday 12th July 1916

Orders received to return to the front line and relieve 10th Battalion South Wales Borders in Mametz Wood and to complete the capture of this wood .

This proved to be very difficult , but was achieved on the 13 July .

Friday & Saturday 14th and 15th July 1916

All day in Mametz wood , they were subjected to heavy German artillery bombardment and Gas shell attacks and in the evening of the 15th were ordered to attack and capture a trench running west of Bazentin le Petit Village . The companies moved up at midnight and C company was badly shelled . Companies C & D were to lead and A & B in support.

Sunday 16 July 1916

The attack started at 2am and the objective was achieved . At 2.30 am the Germans counter attacked but were repulsed . The Battalion lost 2 officers and 30 men . They were relieved and went back to Mametz wood later that day but were heavily Gas shelled that evening .

Monday 17 July 1916

The Artillery fire was less intense and it was possible to repair the trenches and wire the front . In the evening they went back to billets at Buire and reached it on the 18th .

Thursday 20th July 1916

At 2.45 am they marched to Dernancourt and entrained for Saleux and then marched to billets at Molliens Vidame . They must have been exhausted , but they did not stay long .

Saturday 22 July 1916

It was once again on the move , march route , motor bus , and by train via Amiens , Longueau , Petit Heuvin , Ternas and Manin , arriving at underground billets at Arras on the 28th at 1 am . If they had any idea of having a rest , they were sadly mistaken for they had to relieve a battalion of the 14th Division in Trenches 88 to one bay north of July Avenue and in the Brittania Works . Fortunately a quite period ensued but there was still the monotonous trench work to complete . When rested out of the line they were billeted near Agnez les Duisans .

Friday 18th August 1916

The battalion was side stepped to the right to relieve a battalion of the 11th Division , just south of the Scarpe .

Saturday 2nd Sept. 1916

Moved again to Sombrin , where they got a rest till the 12th . Reinforcements arrived , which brought them up to full strength again for the first time since the Battle of Loos . The were now informed that they were now to return and take part in the Battle of the Somme , I bet they were over the moon about that .

Friday 15 Sept. 1916

By march route and train they now found themselves in Becorde camp , near Arras and on the following day arrived in Potters Redoubt , half way between Mametz and Montauban . A few hours later they and the whole of the 62 Brigade were moved up to the line in front of Gueudecourt . They relieved a Brigade of the 14th Division . Weather conditions were very bad .

Friday 22nd Sept. 1916

Because the whole 62nd Brigade was exhausted due to continuous shelling and poor weather they were advised that the capture of Geudecourt was to be carried out by 110th & 64th Brigades and they would be relieved by them . This was done and they moved back to Fricourt camp for a rest .

Monday 25th Sept. 1916

This did not last long . They were advised to be ready to move at 1 hrs notice and at 1pm they marched to Bernafay wood .

Wednesday 27th Sept 1916

Their Brigade ( 62nd) moved to the South East of Gueudecourt and relieved the 64th Division and 10th Battalion K.O.Y.L.I . The trenches were non existent and despite heavy shelling and bad weather they were remade . It must have been horrendous .

Friday 29th Sept 1916

The battalion was relieved by the 7th DCLI and pulled out for the last time from the never to be forgotten Battle of the Somme . They went to Bernafay wood camp to be rested . The battle ended on the 18th Nov, at a cost to the Allies of some 146,000 men killed . Totally incomprehensible .

Sunday 1st October 1916

When it came to "resting " , they must have thought someone had it in for them , for they were moved again to take over a Front line trench . This time they marched to Dernancourt and by train to Marle les Mines , arriving on the10th . The whole 62nd Division then took over the trenches in the Hairpin sector in front of Vermelles and north of Loos , relieving the 23rd Division . The 10th battalion being in reserve in Curly Crescent .

Saturday 18th Nov 1916

The Battle of the Somme ended on this day , with around 600,000 Allied casualities with little or no gain - terrible . The German forces lost a similar number of men . Modern day Military historians still argue about what it was all about .

Monday 25 Dec. 1916

Christmas Day was spent in the support trenches .

Wednesday 27th Dec. 1916

The 62nd Brigade were relieved and the 10th Battalion marched via Houchin to billets at Marle les Mines . They stopped in this sector for several weeks , during which time numbers of replacements arrived .

Jan. 1917

At the end of January , the whole of the 21st Division were on the move again. They proceeded by train and marching to a camp at Pezelhoek .

Feb. 1917

In the middle of February , the 10th battalion travelled to the north of Loos via Poperinghe , Bethune , Noeux les Mines and Mazingarbe . They took over the trenches from the Leicester Regiment in the Quarries sector .

March 1917

In the last days of March , the 10th Green Howards moved up in support at Boisleux au Mont , sending A & B companies to Boyelles and Boisleux au Mont respectively .

Sunday 1st April 1917

They moved to North West of the village of Croisilles in support of the 13th Northumberland Fusiliers and early on the 3rd they helped capture the village .

Wednesday 4th April 1917

They were relieved by the 6th Leicester Regiment and withdrew first to Hamlincourt and next day to Adinfer .

Monday 9th April 1917

The 10th Green Howards moved to Boiry Becquerelle to relieve the 9th K.O.Y.L.I. Here they were to South East of Henin sur Cojeul , in front of the Hindenburgh Line .

The Battle of Arras began on this day as did the famous attack by the Canadians on Vimy Ridge , 6 miles to the north . Arras Map

The 21st Division was on the extreme South or right of the attack , between Croislles and Henin sur Cojeul .In front of them lay the elaborate defences of the Hindenburgh Line and as a result they were asked to do a "Holding attack " in order to keep the Germans busy so that Divisions on their left could advance with less resistance than would have normally faced .

The first British attacks were successful , in that within the first 3 hrs both the German front line and second line trenches were taken . By evening , parts of the third line trench was taken but the Germans were able to hold fast . It was extremely cold with frequent snow blizzards .The left hand picture was taken the day before the attack and shows soldiers fixing scaling ladders .The right hand picture shows soldiers leaving the trenches at the beginning of the attack .




British Infantry crossing a communications trench at Feuchy crossroads. In the background are a Tank and a Battery of 18 pounders		Here are the magnificient Canadians on the crest of Vimy Ridge . It was of enormous tactical advantage to gain this height and of which they were and are justly proud .They lost 10,000 men doing it .

Wednesday 11th April 1917

In conjunction with the 1st Lincoln Regiment , they were ordered to attack the Hindenburgh Line . The prospect must have worried them deeply . The attack was made at 6 am . The enemy barbed wire defences were thick and undamaged by British artillery and as a result little forward progress was made . Terrible losses occurred , in that 125 men of the Battalion were killed or wounded .

Friday & Saturday 13th & 14th April 1917

The whole 21st Division managed to carry the Line forward 1000 yds east of the Henin stream . The 10th Battalion was not used in this attack due I should think to their large losses . On the 13th they were moved to the Henin - Croisilles Rd to be held in reserve .

Sunday 15th April 1917

The Battle of Arras ended on this day . At a cost 38,000 killed British soldiers . A dent measuring 4 miles deep and 10 mile long had been made in the German front line . By the standards of the day it was considered a victory .

The 10th Green Howards were withdrawn back to Boiry Becquerelle and then to Beaumetz , where they remained for 10 days . The rest of the month was spent training at Heudecourt .

Tuesday 31st April 1917

Once again the 10th Green Howards were sent up to the support trenches and at once came under very heavy shelling for 3 days . They lost 17 men killed and wounded .

Monday 7th May 1917

On this day Capt. Albert Ball VC,DSO,MC (21yrs & 44 Victories) went missing during combat , he was seen flying in to a cloud and was never seen again . Later the Germans reported seeing him leave the cloud , but with the engine stopped and the plane inverted . It crashed into the ground . At sometime , my Father remembered seeing Capt. Albert Ball VC in the air , he used to fly up and down the Front line . He was part of the 56 Sqdrn , the Circus specialists i.e. their speciality was attacking Baron von Richthoven ,s Flying Circus . He thought he was a brave man , which he was .

Thursday 9th August 1917

The 10th Green Howards were withdrawn from the line and marched back to Moyenne-ville and were billeted the following day at Ervillers . They remained here for the best part of the month , practising new methods of attack in view of the reported changes in the German system of defence . They also practised working in co-operation with aeroplanes.

Wednesday 26 Sept 1917

On this day the Third Battle of Ypres or Passchendaele began by an attack on Polygon wood . This was to be the last battle that my Father took part in . Map 1 of the Ypres Salient Map 2 of the Ypres Salient

Defending the Ypres salient since 1914 had cost the Allies 430,000 causalities , killed , wounded , and missing . In this final battle alone at Ypres , there were 250,000 Allied causalities of which 90,000 were killed or reported missing . Of these dead , 42,000 bodies were never recovered . Many were simply blown to bits or still lie in the mud where they fell . Some were wounded and fell face down and were drowned in the mud ,unable to move due to the weight of equipment they were carrying, some managed to crawl into a shell holes but were drowned as they were unable to move and the water level rose . Many soldiers reported hearing their cries and screams for help but were unable to do anything . It is not possible to comprehend the horror of all this . Some soldiers words summed it all up ~ " We died in Hell " ~ " Oh Jesus make it stop " .For the Germans it was equally bad , they estimated they lost 400,000 men in this battle .My Father was lucky to have survived .

This is "Hellfire Corner" - the most hazardous spot on the Ypres Salient . Here the Ypres - Roulers railway and the Potijze - Zillebeke road crossed the Menin Road and because of this the Germans new the precise range. This picture was taken on 27 September 1917 , camouflage screens are on the left .

Monday 1st October 1917

After nearly 3 years service with the 10th Green Howards , my Fathers luck was starting to run out . In the next few days he would be severely wounded . Unfortunately the exact date and location is not known , as at this time the Battalion only recorded by name ,injuries and deaths to Officers , "other ranks " were recorded as numbers only . A despicable action showing in my opinion , a complete disregard for the fighting soldiers . I strongly suspect that it may have occurred during the Battle for Broodseinde Ridge ( 4th - 7th Oct ) . This was one the objectives set and part of the overall battle for Passchendaele .The strength of the battalion at this time was 37 Officers and 966 men . The fighting strength was 30 Officers and 897 men .On this day they were at H camp near Dickebusch Lake . Orders were received that the 2nd Army was to attack the high ground Reutel-Noordhemhoek - Molenaarelsthoek - Niewe - Moden on the 4th October .

Tuesday 2nd October 1917

They marched to Zillebeke Lake and two men of A company were killed by shell fire . This was supposed to be a "rest" area but was well within the range of the German guns .

Wednesday 3rd October 1917

With all battle stores ,they left Zillebeke lake at 9am in order of platoons , D company leading , followed by B , C , and A . They reached " Clapham Junction " at midnight . The CO decided to take B & D companies to the "jumping off " point and to keep in touch with the leading companies of the 12 /13 Northumberland Fusiliers , while A & C companies were to follow in support . They were timed to pass "Clapham Junction " at 1.40am on the 4th .

Thursday 4th October 1917

Broodseinde Ridge ( 4th Oct 1917 ) Map of Broodseinde Ridge

This is the day that my Dad was severely wounded and it is eerie to see the Battlefield where it happened . The picture was taken on the same day . Shortly after it was taken ,the Germans came over the ridge to attack the British line . The right hand picture shows a terrible scene - these are men from 3rd Australian Division sheltering in the Railway Cutting at Broodseinde Ridge surrounded by the bodies of their dead comrades .

On arriving at Glencorse wood , B & D companies came under very heavy enemy shelling and as a result lost touch with 12 /13th Northumberland Fusiliers . The remainder of the battalion left "Clapham Junction " at 1.30am and came under heavy fire at Glencorse wood and were able to reach Black Watch Corner by 2.30am . Again they were heavily shelled and they were ordered to find shelter in the surrounding shell holes. The whole of the 10th Green Howards were now near to Black Watch Corner and were under heavy shell fire and with no guides . They were able to move on and reached the "jumping off " point at 5.15am . On arriving they found the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment occupying their position . The CO of the 1st Lincoln’s had realised the difficult position they were in at Black Watch Corner and thought it unlikely that they would reach their position by Zero hour ( 6.00am ) .

As a result , the 10th Green Howards became the Reserve battalion on a line just in front of Polygon wood. They had been under continuos heavy shell fire from 9.00pm on the 3rd Oct till 6.00am on the 4th Oct ( 9 hours ) . They suffered serious losses . In the evening , under cover of darkness , they moved to a new position near the old front line in Juniper Trench . Here consolidation was put in hand . Of this time my father recalled later about his wounding -

The 62nd and 64th Brigades held on here under intense artillery fire and suffered many casualties . The conditions in the trenches were very bad , with up wards of a 1ft of mud and water making it nearly impossible for the stretcher bearers to recover the wounded .On the Battlefield , many men drowned in the mud .

Sunday 7th Oct 1917

Just before midnight , the 10th Green Howards were relieved from the front line and moved back to Zillebeke lake . thus bringing to an end their part in the battle of Broodseinde Ridge . Their losses had been very severe , the killed ,missing and wounded amounted to 334 Officers and men ( 35% of the Battalion ) .They were till not out of harms way , for in the weeks they were in the Dickebusch - Zillebeke area they incurred many more casualties from the enemy shelling . The rain was very heavy and the slightest concussion brought down the trench parapets . By the end of the month the numbers had been reduced even further to 541 Officers and men , they had lost 425 men ( 44% of the compliment ) .

Sunday 18th Nov. 1917

The first of several moves were made. They marched in Brigade to the neighbourhood of Bethune ,then to Bersin , then to Ottawa camp at Mont St.Eloi and finally to Ecurie in the Arras area ,some 40 miles south of Passchendaele .

Sunday 25th Nov. 1917

While at Ecurie , the whole 21st Division were warned of an impending move on the 3rd December to Italy. This possible move was as a result of political manoeuvres at 10 Downing St . All along the Prime minister David Lloyd George was never in agreement with the Passchendaele campaign and restricted his support of Sir Douglas Haig , the Army commander . In essence , he " washed his hands of the whole affair " . He felt that the way to win the war was to defeat the enemy first in Italy .This order was cancelled by reason of the Cambrai operations.

Friday 30th Nov. 1917

The 10th Green Howards entrained at Maroeuil for Peronne and thence marched to Brusle camp.

Monday 3rd Dec 1917

They were moved again to Longavesnes . Two days were spent in reconnoitring the line in anticipation of any likely attack between Epehy and Heudicourt . Some days later they were moved to the front line , east of Pozieres .

Tuesday 25th Dec. 1917

On Christmas Day , the Battalion were in billets at Lieramont . It was very cold , but happily the enemy were comparatively inactive .Most of January was spent here.

Wednesday 30th January 1918

This was the very last move the 10th Green Howards ever made during World War 1 . They moved by train to Moislains .

7th Feb. 1918

During this week the life of 10th Battalion Green Howards came to an end , three companies being distributed between the 2nd , 4th and 5th Battalions , while the forth company were sent to the VII Corps Reinforcement Camp .I know of no explanation why this happened , but I suspect those in command felt that they had lost so many men , that even with replacements , it might be difficult to engender the same fighting spirit. The Battalion was reformed again in June 1940 and in June 1943 ,it became the 12th Yorkshire Parachute Regiment . It no longer exists .

Spring 1918 Passchendaele

Here is saddest part of the whole Ypres salient story , a condemnation of those in charge of the British Army . In the Spring of 1918 , the German forces launched one last , all out major offensive and as a result the British were unable to hold the Salient and made a strategic withdrawal to the line first suggested in 1915 by General Sir Horace Smith -Dorrien . He was sacked for suggesting such a move .In summary , it meant the Allies had defended a piece of land , with no strategic importance from 1914 to 1918 and in doing so , it had lost 430,000 men of which 200,000 had been killed for no purpose at all , other than to wear the opposition down . The British and Empire Forces lost 54,900 men . It was part of Sir Douglas Haigs grand plan to win by having a War of Attrition . It was the Germans plan also . What follows are some general views of the Passchendaele battlefield - terrible .

The Finish

If anybody wants proof of how politicians minds work and how petty they can be , what follows is a good example.

The final negotiations with the Germans were under the control of Admiral Roslyn Wemyss and it was planned to finish the War at 2:30 pm on Monday 11th November 1918 , so that the current Prime Minister Lloyd George could stand up in Parliament at 3:00 pm and announce to the whole country the War had ended and in doing so get all the credit and public adulation . It soon became apparent to Admiral Wemyss that in dragging out the finish time to 2:30 pm a lot of soldiers would still be killed or injured and for no good reason other than to suit the whims and ambition of a Politician . He then brought the finish time forward to 11:00 am and sent a message to the King telling him what he had done. Lloyd George was furious and determined to get his own back . All of the senior British Commanders were made Lords and given £100,000 ( £5000,000 by today's standards ) but Lloyd George made sure Admiral Wemyss got nothing ~ what a mean and spiteful individual Lloyd George must have been . It also shows that Lloyd George was prepared to sacrifice men's lives for personal political motives , while the man trying to save his soldiers life's was punished severely .Politicians seem to have a strange set of values.

Undated Reminiscences

As a child , he told me many things that had happened to him during the War, these are some of the few I remember. I wish I could remember more .

A British Atrocity

He told me that while marching up the road with his Battalion he saw ahead of him a damaged house by the side of the road . It was full of German prisoners under the guard of a few British soldiers . As someone passed the house , they threw a Mills bomb (hand grenade ) into the front room and it exploded . Dad was able to go into the house and he said the results were indescribable , blood and bodies everywhere . An investigation was carried out but the perpetrator was never found .

The Death of a German Soldier

" I was on the Machine Gun and saw some German soldiers moving across the ground . I started firing at them and they jumped in to a shell hole for cover. I kept on firing at the shell hole until I saw no more movement . A short while later , this young German soldier scrambles out of the hole and he tried to run to a nearby stand of trees . The mud was so deep that he got stuck and he was an easy target . We all watched him till he managed to get his right foot out of his boot and he was able to start moving again . As this was happening , I decided not to shoot , it was pitiful and it all seemed just a waste. All of a sudden my mate shouted "Shoot" and I refused . His fate was decided for him when my mate pointed out that when he got to the trees , we would become his target . I gave him a short burst and down he went " . He was not proud of this , and I think it affected him deeply , he was one of the few soldiers I have spoken too who admitted to killing another person .

Unable to stand it anymore

" We had in my company a son from a rich family . They were owners of a very successful biscuit company (still around today - author ). For days he had been telling me and my mates that he could not take it anymore and he was going to shoot himself in the foot . We told him not to do it . Sure enough , a few days later there was a shot in the trench and he had done it , they carted him off and I do not know what happened to him . I thought it was the cowards way out , I had no sympathy. "

Dads Wounding

" I managed to get into a shell hole and lay there all day in great pain. I knew that during the night , stretcher bearers would be out looking for the wounded . It got dark and then I heard someone moving about and I started to shout . Three men got into the shell hole , one was a German officer and the other two were probably stretcher bearers . The officer looked at my wound and started to dress it . He cut the sleeve away and poured iodine all over the wound . The pain that caused was terrible , if I had had a gun I would have shot him . They left the shell hole to look for their own wounded . Some time later I heard more people moving about and again I shouted , this time they were British and they carried me behind the lines . I remember lying in a Hospital bed in Cambridge and some Doctors were standing at the bottom of my bed ,discussing what to do . One of them told me that they were going to operate on my arm , but in all probability I would lose it . I told them I did not care what happened " . Unknown to him, they had sent for his Mother as they thought he might not survive the operation and if he did, he would need a great deal of support .. He did not lose his arm , and over 50 yrs later and while under the care of a Hospital consultant , who saw the wound and he asked purely out interest about it . After examining the wound , he asked who had carried out the operation and of course my Father did not know . The Consultant told him that he was a very very lucky man , because who ever had done the operation , was a genius . Even using modern day techniques , it was likely he would have lost his arm . It is fitting tribute to the Surgeons of that war, given the conditions and the pressure they operated under , that they took the time to try and save a young mans arm .

The Aftermath

.......... After serving 3yrs and 144 days , he was discharged from the Army on Wednesday 24th April 1918 .It took the Government of the day , 5 yrs to award him a Pension and he was given the magnificent sum of 15s / 2d per week ( £0.76p - $1.22 ) , which at some time in the future they decided to take from him . After the war , he was like so many service men , just dumped on the scrap heap after being promised " Homes for Heroes ". It was very difficult for the injured to get a War Pension , if they were lucky they might get the "Dole" at 4s / 8d (£0.23 - $0.38 )per week . Many resorted to begging like this man with no legs beside Colleys Farm, South Shields and as a child I remember many men like him sitting in the streets of the surrounding towns . I never understood why , now I do . It was only through pressure from MP`s that a Pension scheme was created and even then pensions were reluctantly allocated . According to Sylvia Pankhurst (Emily's daughter), she knew of an instruction given to a new manager : " I suppose you understand that our main object here is to save the fund , we never pay benefit if we can possibly avoid it " - they should have been shot .

Needless to say my Father felt very bitter about it all . Sometime after, he attended a Ceremony on the steps of South Shields Town Hall to receive his Service Medals , he threw them to the ground . My Mother recovered them , but at some point he must have cut the ribbons off so that they could not be worn .As a child, I remember playing with the medals as they were kept in the family Button box .

He died on Wednesday 19th of February 1975 , aged 77 . He was my Hero and the bravest man I ever knew .

" Lest we Forget "

For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon

They shall not grow old

As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the Sun

And in the morning

We will remember them .

.....................

	*Top of the Page*
*10th Green Howards*	*Enlistment*	*Battle of Loos*
*Battle of the Somme*	*Battle of Arras*	*Broodseind Ridge*
*Passchendaele*	*End of the 10th Battalion*	*Undated Reminiscences*

*Links to interesting sites*

The Friends of the Green Howards
The Green Howards Regimental Museum
John Simpson Kirkpatrick - "The man with the Donkey" - the story of an incredible man and WW 1 hero
First World War - A new site with loads of information and a delight to visit .
The Western Front Association - A UK site and a superb World War 1 Resource
The Northallerton Memorials Project - A lovely site listing those who lost their lives and came from the Northallerton area .
In Loving memory - a lovely U.S.A site dedicated to the memory of veterans of all services - if you want to list a relative who was/is a veteran , this is the place.
Anzac Day - A very emotive site dedicated to the ANZAC,s who gave their lives for us all .
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If you are a "Geordie" try these

Sailing Ships- All about types of Sailing ships that have been around since Viking times.
Aspects of South Shields - My Home Town - I had to include it in on the order's of wor lass - Gan on have a look to keep her happy .
Welcome to Newtonia - A wonderful Australian site with dedicated "Geordie" pages .
Mary's World of Graphic's - If you are looking for some outstanding Background sets , go here and what's more they are Free . You can even get some Geordie themes .
Geordie Gen This is the place for some lovely Tyneside pictures and WW1 material .
theNortheast.com The Official site for N.E England - its great-gan and hev a look .
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