Victoria Crosses on the Western Front - Somme 1916: 1st July 1916 to 13th November 1916

by Paul Oldfield

Overview

In the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted.

Victoria Crosses on the Western Front – Somme 1916 is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient covering every aspect of their lives ‘warts and all’ – parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473874565
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	08/30/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	544
File size:	146 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Paul Oldfield was born in Sheffield and was educated at Victoria College in Jersey. After serving in the Army for thirty-six years, he became a freelance battlefield guide (he is a badged member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides) and a historian. In 1988, he co-authored Sheffield City Battalion in the Pals series. Cockleshell Raid and Bruneval in Pen & Swords Battleground Europe series were published in 2013, and the first of nine books in the Victoria Crosses on the Western Front series in 2014.

Table of Contents

Master Maps viii

Abbreviations xi

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 Battle of Albert (Master Maps 1 and 2) 1

124 Maj Stewart Loudoun, 10 Yorkshire, I July 1916, Fricourt, France

125 Sgt James Turnbull, 17 Highland Light Infantry, 1 July 1916, Authuille, France

126 Pte William McFadzean, 14 Royal Irish Rifles, 1 July 1916, Thiepval Wood, France

127 Capt Eric Bell, 9 Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers att'd TMB, 1 July 1916, Thiepval, France

128 Lt Geoffrey Gather, 9 Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1 July 1916, Hamel, France

129 Pte Robert Quigg, 12 Royal Irish Rifles, 1 July 1916, Hamel, France

130 Cpl George Sanders, 1/7 West Yorkshire, 1 July 1916, Thiepval, France

131 Dmr Walter Ritchie, 2 Seaforth Highlanders, 1 July 1916, Beaumont Hamel, France

132 Capt John Green, RAMC att'd 1/5 Sherwood Foresters, 1 July 1916, Foncquevillers, France

133 Lt Col Adrian Carton de Wiart, 4 Dragoon Guards att'd 8 Gloucestershire, 2-3 July 1916, La Boisselle, France

134 Pte Thomas Turrall, 10 Worcestershire, 3 July 1916, La Boisselle, France

135 2Lt Donald Bell, 9 Yorkshire (Green Howards), 5 July 1916, La Boisselle, France

136 Lt Thomas Wilkinson, 7 Loyal North Lancashire, 5 July 1916, La Boisselle, France

Chapter 2 Bazentin Ridge and Delville Wood (Master Map 3) 31

Battle of Bazentin Ridge 31

138 Sgt William Boulter, 6 Northamptonshire, 14 July 1916, Trônes Wood, France

Attacks on High Wood 37

140 Pte Theodore Veale, 8 Devonshire, 20 July 1916, High Wood, France

Battle of Delville Wood 42

137 Maj William Congreve, Rifle Brigade att'd HQ76th Brigade, 6-20 July 1916, Longueval, France

139 Pte William Faulds, 1 South African Infantry, 18 July 1916, Delville Wood, France

141 Cpl Joseph Davies, 10 Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20 July 1916, Delville Wood, France

142 Pte Albert Hill, 10 Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 20 July 1916, Delville Wood, France

146 Sgt Albert Gill, 1 King's Royal Rifle Corps, 27 July 1916, Delville Wood, France

148 CSM George Evans, 18 Manchester, 30 July 1916, Guillemont, France

151 2Lt Gabriel Coury, 1/4 South Lancashire, 8 August 1916, near Arrow Head Copse, Guillemont, France

152 Capt Noel Chavasse, RAMC att'd 1/10 King's (Liverpool), 9 August 1916, Guillemont, France

Chapter 3 Battle of Poziéres Ridge (Master Maps 2 and 3) 66

143 2Lt Arthur Blackburn, 10 Battalion, AIF, 23 July 1916, Pozières, France

144 Pte John Leak, 9 Battalion, AIF, 23 July 1916, Pozières, France

145 Pte Thomas Cooke, 8 Battalion, AIF, 24-25 July 1916, Pozières, France

147 Sgt Claude Castleton, 5 Machine Gun Company AIF, 28-29 July 1916, Pozières, France

149 Pte James Miller, 7 King's Own (Royal Lancaster), 30-31 July 1916, Bazentin-le-Petit, France

150 Pte William Short, 8 Green Howards, 6 August 1916, Munster Alley, France

153 Pte Martin O'Meara, 16 Battalion, AIF, 9-12 August 1916, Pozières, France

154 Capt William Allen, 1/3 Field Ambulance, RAMC att'd 246, 3 September 1916, near Mesnil, France

158 Cpl Leo Clarke, 2 Battalion, CEF, 9 September 1916, Pozières, Prance

Chapter 4 Guillemont and Flers-Courcelettc (Master Maps 2 and 3) 99

Battle of Guillemont 99

155 Lt John Holland, 7 Leinster, 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France

156 Pte Thomas Hughes, 6 Connaught Rangers, 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France

157 Sgt David Jones, 12 King's (Liverpool), 3 September 1916, Guillemont, France

Battle of Flers-Courcelelte 104

159 Lt Col John Campbell, 3 Coldsneam Guards, 15 September 1916, Ginchy, France

160 LSgt Frederick McNess, 1 Scots Guards, 15 September 1916, Ginchy, France

161 Sgt Donald Brown, 2 Otago, NZEF, 15 September 1916, High Wood, France

162 Pte John Kerr, 49 Battalion (Edmonton), CEF, 16 September 1916, Courcelette, France

Chapter 5 Morval and Thiepval Ridge (Master Maps 2 and 3) 124

Battle of Morval 124

163 PteThomas Jones, 1 Cheshire, 25 September 1916, Morval, France

Battle of Thiepval Ridge 129

164 Pte Frederick Edwards, 12 Middlesex, 26 September 1916, Thiepval, France

165 Pte Robert Ryder, 12 Middlesex, 26 September 1916, Thiepval, France

166 Capt Archie White, 6 Green Howards, 27 September & 1 October 1916 Stuff Redoubt, near Thiepval, France

167 2Lt Tom Adlam, 7 Bedfordshire, 27-28 September 1916, Thiepval, France

Chapter 6 Transloy Ridges and the Ancre (Master Maps 1 and 3) 143

Battle of the Transloy Ridges and Subsequent Operations|P143

168 Lt Col Roland Bradford, 9 Durham Light Infantry, 1 October 1916, Eaucourt I'Abbaye, France

169 2Lt Henry Kelly 10 Duke of Wellington's (West Riding), 4 October 1916, Le Sars, France

170 Sgt Robert Downie, 2 Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 23 October 1916, east of Les Boeufs, France

Battle of the Ancre Heights 156

170 Ppr James Richardson, 16 Battalion (Canadian Scottish), CEF, 8 October 1916, Regina Trench, Courcelette, France

Capture of Dewdrop & Boritska Trenches 162

172 Lt Eugene Bennett, 2 Worcestershire, 5 November 1916, near Le Transloy, France

Battle of the Autre 1916 166

173 Lt Col Bernard Freyberg, West Surrey att'd Hood Battalion, RND, 13 November 1916, Beaucourt sur Ancre, France

174 Pte John Cunningham, 12 East Yorkshire, 13 November 1916, opposite Hébuterne Sector, France

Biographies 174

Index 502