On hospital ship sunk by German U-Boat - 123 died
George Fletcher, 29, was one of those lost
THROUGHOUT the centenary of the First World War, we have been remembering the soldiers from the Loughborough area who lost their lives while serving their country. Here, with the help of Marigold Cleeve and a small number of researchers from the Loughborough Carillon Tower and War Memorial Museum, we look back at more of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in August 1918.
George Maltby Fletcher.
George Maltby Fletcher was born on 4th June 1889 in East Leake, Nottinghamshire.
He was the son of Owen Maltby Fletcher, a farm labourer, and his wife Emma (née Reed) who were married on 13th April 1879 at St. Lawrence’s Church, Gotham, Nottinghamshire.
When George was born the Fletcher family was living in Main Street, East Leake, but by 1901 they had moved to 26 Wellington Street, Loughborough. George had two sisters Elizabeth and Thirza; two brothers to George, Arthur and William, had died young.
George’s father was twice brought before the Loughborough Petty Sessions court and fined for being drunk and disorderly in the streets, once in 1901 and once in 1909.
In 1903 George’s sister Thirza caught smallpox in an outbreak in Loughborough and was removed to the local isolation hospital (a small rented cottage deemed by the authorities as inadequate). Fortunately she survived and the rest of the family escaped infection.
In 1911 George, aged 21, was an ostler for a public house and lodging with the Fletcher family at Wellington Street was a young hosiery seamer Flora Oram.
George and Flora were married on 23rd December 1911 at Holy Trinity Church, Loughborough, and set up home at 20 Queen Street, Loughborough.
George’s service papers have not survived but he appears to have enlisted in early September 1914.
He initially joined the King’s Own Scottish Borderers as Private 18328 and about a year later was transferred to the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as Private 43115.
George’s medal record shows that he was not sent overseas until after the beginning of 1916.
George is known to have served with the 1st Battalion and 10th (Service) Battalion of the Cameronians but his exact date of transfer from the King’s Own Scottish Borderers to the Cameronians, and exact date of transfer between the 1st and 10th Battalions of the Cameronians are unknown.
It is possible, however, that George transferred to the Cameronians in mid-1915 and was sent to France about a year later.
If George joined the 1st Cameronians in France in mid-1916 and remained with them for a couple of years he would, providing he was not wounded, have taken part in a number battles beginning with the Somme Offensive.
The battalion fought on 12th July 1916 in the Battle of Albert, on 14th July in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge, in the Attacks on High Wood on 18th July and in the capture of Dewdrop and Baritska Trenches on 25th October.
In 1917 the 1st Cameronians were in action in the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe (14th and 23rd April respectively), the Actions on the Hindenburg Line on 20th May, and the Operations on the Flanders Coast on 18th August.
On 24th September they fought in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge and four days later in the Battle of Polygon Wood.
If George was still with the 1st Cameronians in 1918 he would have taken part in the Battles of the Lys: Messines (11th April), Hazebrouck (12th April), Bailleul (13th April), Defence of Neuve Eglise (14th April), the First Battle of Kemmel Ridge (17th April), and the recapture of Ridge Wood (8th May).
If George was transferred to the 10th Cameronians soon after he was sent overseas he might have been involved in the German gas attacks at Hulluch (27th April 1916) and the action at the Kink Salient (11th May 1916).
With the 10th Cameronians he would also have been involved, providing he was not wounded, in four battles of the Somme Offensive of 1916: Pozières Ridge (8th August), Flers-Courcelette (15th September) and Le Transloy Ridges (9th October).
In 1917 the 10th Cameronians were, like the 1st Cameronians, involved in the First and Second Battles of the Scarpe (9th and 23rd April). They captured Guemappe, also on 23rd April.
By 31st July the 10th Battalion was on the Ypres Salient and in action at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. On 17th August 1917 they were at the Battle of Langemarck and on 22nd August were fighting for Zevenkote.
In March 1918, when the Germans began their Spring Offensive the battalion was in action at the Battle of Bapaume (24th March) and the First Battle of Arras (28th March).
George was wounded in action probably in the Battles of the Marne, either at Soissonais or Ourcq (23rd July) or in the attack on Buzancy (28th July). He was transferred to the hospital ship HMAT Warilda (His Majesty’s Australian Transport) to be taken from Le Havre to Southampton.
On the 3rd August 1918 the Warilda was crossing the English Channel when, despite being clearly marked with the Red Cross, she was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-49.
As with a number of other hospital ships torpedoed during the war, Germany claimed the ships were also carrying arms.
The ship had 801 persons on board and sank in about two hours, with the loss of 123 lives.
Many of the wounded on board had eye injuries and as they could not see were rendered helpless. George, aged 29, was one of those lost.
Amongst the survivors was her commander, Captain J. Sim, who was later awarded the OBE by King George V.
The wreck of the Warilda lies in the English Channel.
George is remembered on the Hollybrook Memorial, Southampton.
George’s father predeceased him by a few months in 1918.
George’s widow was remarried in Loughborough in the summer of 1919 to Thomas West.
Thomas Arthur Butler.
Thomas Arthur Butler was born in Loughborough in late 1897.
He was the son of George Henry Butler, a brickyard labourer, and his wife Marintha (née Swain Grundy) who were married in Loughborough in 1888. Thomas had two brothers Albert and George and four sisters Annie, Emma, Marintha and Ellen.
Four other brothers had died young and Thomas’s sister Marintha also died, aged 15, in 1916.
In 1901 the Butler family lived at 21 Cradock Street, Loughborough, but by 1911 had moved to Court A, 3 Dead Lane.
In 1916 the family was at 73 Pinfold Street and from 1919-1922 at 7 Court E, Pinfold Gate.
Thomas, a labourer, enlisted on 20th May 1916. He was allotted to Army Reserve and mobilised on 5th September that same year.
He was initially sent to Norwich to train as a Driver for the Royal Field Artillery.
On the 2nd October, however, he was admitted to the Military Hospital, Lakenham, suffering from palpitations, dyspepsia, and tachycardia on exertion. After he was discharged from hospital on 25th October he was posted to Edinburgh to the 104th Young Soldier Battalion of the Training Reserve.
On 15th January 1917, however, he was admitted to the 2nd Scottish General Hospital at Craigleith, Edinburgh, with a recurrence of heart problems and he remained there until 8th June 1917.
When he was discharged he was posted as Private 33860 to the 4th (Reserve) Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment at Seaford, Sussex.
On 6th November 1917 Thomas was posted to the British Expeditionary Force in France and travelled via Folkestone and Boulogne to the 17th Infantry Base Depot at Etaples. Three days later he was sent to join the 7th Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment in the field.
Thomas joined the 7th Battalion at Quernes, north-west of Béthune. On 11th November the battalion marched to Guarbecque for inspections, physical drill and bayonet practice. Training continued from 16th-21st November at Calonne and subsequently at Merville.
The December 1917 war diary of the 7th Battalion is unfortunately missing but on 1st January 1918 the battalion was still undergoing training at Merville.
This continued until 15th January, when the battalion moved to billets at Bac St. Maur, near Sailly-sur-la-Lys, at Sailly until 21st January and then at Rue du Bois until 28th January.
On 29th January the battalion went into the trenches in the Fleurbaix sector until 5/6th February. After proceeding to billets at Le Nouveau Monde the men provided working parties for the Royal Engineers.
On 14th February the men returned to the front line where they stayed until 22nd February. The battalion then went into reserve in and around Fleurbaix and from 24th-28th February training in a special attack scheme took place.
On 1st March the battalion two new enemy posts were detected and a party of soldiers from the battalion was selected to attack these under a covering bombardment.
Although the enemy put up a counter-bombardment of gas shells and some stout resistance the party entered the enemy lines, killed twelve German soldiers and took one prisoner.
On 2nd March the battalion moved to billets in Sailly-sur-Lys to provide working parties and on 6th March was entertained by a concert in the Y.M.C.A. hut.
On 9th March an enemy shell hit the billets of B Coy, causing 12 casualties. On the following day the battalion went into the trenches near Fleurbaix and over the following nine days experienced heavy enemy barrages, shelling and artillery action.
On 19th March the enemy succeeded in entering the battalion’s front and support lines and the men were withdrawn to a camp at Estaires.
The battalion then began preparations for a move to the area of the German Spring Offensive which had begun on 21st March.
On 24th March the battalion marched via Busnes to L’Eclaime and were taken by bus to the Doullens-Albert road near Senlis. They were then ordered to march to Fricourt to provide support on the Contalmaison-Mametz line.
After a critical situation suddenly developed, however, the battalion told to return to Albert to establish outposts to cover the approaches to Albert and Aveluy.
On 26th March the battalion moved with the brigade to take up a line on the River Ancre between the northern outskirts of Albert and the southern edge of Aveluy. An order came to blow up the bridges over the Ancre but the Royal Engineers ran out of explosives.
After the enemy advanced in large numbers into Aveluy the brigade was ordered to withdraw to a nearby hill.
The brigade was relieved from this position, which had become precarious, on 28th March and the battalion, which had suffered severe casualties, proceeded with the brigade to Henencourt.
After five days of reorganisation and training in the chateau grounds at Henencourt the battalion returned to the trenches at Millencourt on 2nd April. The enemy intermittently shelled Millencourt and the valley east of it and on 8th April released a large number of gas shells.
After a return to Henencourt on 10th April the battalion marched to Harponville to provide working parties for the Royal Engineers, after which they marched to Toutencourt for training from 16th-22nd April.
On 23rd and 24th April the battalion marched via Lealvillers to Mailly-Maillet where they were in brigade reserve until the end of the month, working on trench improvements and participating in night working parties.
In May the battalion did one trench tour before going into brigade support at Mailly-Maillet.
On 10th May Thomas was sent to No. 37 Field Ambulance with impetigo (a highly contagious bacterial skin infection) and remained there until 3rd June, when he rejoined his battalion which was training at Arqueves.
On 7th June the men were entertained by performances from the ‘Spades’ concert party and the Divisional band.
On 16th June the battalion moved to a camp south-east of Forceville and continued training until 19th June. On 20th June the battalion moved to the north edge of Senlis preparatory to going into the trenches at Aveluy Wood.
By 21st June, however, Thomas was suffering from debility, was admitted to No. 34 Casualty Clearing Station and sent to No. 47 General Hospital at Le Tréport.
On 18th July he was transferred to No. 12 Canadian Hospital at Le Tréport, again suffering with impetigo.
On 22nd July Thomas was discharged from hospital and sent to No. 12 Infantry Base Depot at Calais. On 26th July he was sent back to join the 7th Norfolks and joined them in the field on 28th July. At the time the battalion was in training at Saint-Sauflieu, south of Amiens.
On 30th July the battalion marched to Prouzel, entrained for Canaples and marched to Halloy-les-Pernois. On 2nd August they proceeded by bus and march to a camp in a wood west of Franvillers and on the following day went into the support lines at Treux.
On 5th August, when B and D Coys were in the front line and A and C Coys were in reserve the enemy bombarded the area with gas shells. On 7th August the battalion was in the front line at Morlancourt when the enemy put down a heavy mustard gas bombardment.
On 8th August, the day that General Ludendorff described as ‘ The black day of the German Army in the War’ the 2nd Battle of Amiens began on the front from Morlancourt to Montdidier.
The Germans were completely surprised when British tanks broke through their defences and whole German formations surrendered.
Thomas went missing on this day and was presumed killed in action, aged 20.
His body was eventually found and buried in Morlancourt British Cemetery No 2, Somme, Grave A. 10.
Horace James Kerr.
Horace James Kerr was born in Bethnal Green, Middlesex, in the late spring of 1898. He was the son of Menotti Walter Kerr and his wife Ellen (née Clarkson) who were married on 13th October 1889 at St. Matthew’s Church, Brixton, Surrey.
Horace had four brothers Sidney, Montague, Frederick and Ernest and one sister Nellie. Another brother Henry died, aged three, in 1893.
Horace’s father was an upholsterer and in 1901 the Kerr family, apart from Horace’s sister Nellie, was living at 59 Ravenscroft Buildings, Bethnal Green.
Nellie was in the Children’s Hospital in Hackney Road, Bethnal Green. By 1911 the family had moved out of London and were living at 4 Limmer Cottages, Booker, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
At Booker Horace’s father and three older brothers Sidney, Montague and Frederick were all employed in the flourishing furniture industry there.
During the First World War the Kerrs moved again, this time to Hop Villa, Packe Street, Loughborough.
Horace’s oldest brother Sidney who was in the 1/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion, a territorial battalion of the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, went to France in March 1915.
His brother Frederick also went to France with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in 1916. Horace and his brother Montague were not far behind in following their brothers – by 1916 they had enlisted together, joined the 2/1st ( Territorial) Buckinghamshire Battalion for young soldiers as Privates 4224 and 4225 and were training with the battalion firstly at Chelmsford and then at Parkhouse Camp, Salisbury Plain.
On 25th May 1916 Horace and Montague sailed with the battalion on the HMT Connaught from Southampton to Le Havre.
After a night in a rest camp the battalion entrained for Berguette and marched to billets in Le Sart. Company training took place from 30th May – 8th June when the battalion marched to billets at Riez Bailleul.
A day of practical instruction in the trenches followed, after which the battalion went straight into the trenches at Laventie until 15th June. After a break in rest billets at Laventie the men carried gas cylinders up to the front. From 21st-27th June the battalion returned to the front line in the right sub-sector of Fauquissart.
On the first two days of the Somme Offensive the battalion was in rest billets at Laventie and then went into Divisional reserve at Fosse. On 6th July the battalion was suddenly ordered to proceed to the front line at the Ferme du Bois section.
The battalion was relieved six days later and moved to billets at Richebourg St. Vaast.
On 15th July the battalion moved to Laventie and went into the trenches at Fauquissart opposite the Sugar Loaf salient.
On 19th July the battalion launched an unsuccessful attack on the enemy and sustained nearly 322 casualties, many from from shellfire, in the process.
Horace received a gunshot wound in his right shoulder on 19th July and was sent back to England.
He was admitted to the Chelsea VAD Hospital of St. John and St Elizabeth on 2nd August. Discharged on 20th September 1916 he was granted a period of furlough.
Horace was subsequently transferred to the 2/4th Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as Private 266615 and it is possible that this transfer took place in late 1916 or early 1917.
Horace’s service papers have not survived but the 2/4th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry received a draft of 102 Ordinary Ranks on the last day of December 1916 and it is possible that Horace was with this group.
In late December 1916 the 2/4th Battalion was in reserve billets at Hedauville. They remained there until 8th January 1917 when they moved to support hutments at Martinsart.
On 15th January the battalion began a four-day transfer by march via Puchevillers, Longvilletteon, and Domqueur to Maison Ponthieu where they remained in rest billets until 3rd February.
The battalion then moved to rest billets at Brucamps for training until 12th February.
On 13th February the battalion marched to Longpré, entrained there for Marcelcare and marched to hutments at Wiencourt, taking over the huts from French troops.
On 15th February they marched from Wiencourt to reserve billets at Rainecourt, where they remained until the 21st before marching to billets at Herleville.
On 23rd February the battalion went into the front line trenches in the left sub-section of the Ablaincourt sector. Most of the trenches being deep in mud or water, parties were engaged day and night in clearing up. All companies in the line sent out patrols at night.
On 27th the enemy bombarded the trenches for four hours and on 28th repeated the performance as well as launching a raid which penetrated the centre company front.
A counter attack was organized, and the enemy driven out, but not before he had inflicted heavy casualties
The battalion came out of the trenches on the 2nd March, had one more tour in the line from the 9th to the 15th, and then moved quarters several times until, on the 31st, Caulaincourt was reached.
On 1st April C and D Companies moved to Sailor’s Wood, in close support to the 2/1st Bucks and on 3rd April D Company moved up to the line in the sector east of Soyecourt, with the other three companies in close support.
On 6th April the battalion took part in an unsuccessful attack on the enemy trenches by the 184th Brigade. Relieved on 7th April three companies of the battalion moved to Caulaincourt while one company went into support at Sailor’s Wood.
The 9th April was spent consolidating and holding a line of trenches west of Holnon Wood and on 10th the battalion marched to reserve billets at MonchyLagache.
From 11th-19th April the battalion was in rest billets and training at Hombleux after which they marched to reserve billets at Germaine.
From 20th-25th April the battalion was in the support line at Holnon and moved into the front line on 26th.
On 28th April a raiding party captured two enemy machine guns and one German soldier but at the cost of 60 casualties. Relieved on 29th April the battalion marched to reserve billets.
On 2nd May the battalion marched into divisional reserve and were billeted at Vaux and Etreillers. They remained there until 12th May training and furnishing working parties.
On 13th May the battalion moved to billets at Mesnil St. Nicaise. Two days later the battalion entrained at Nesle for Longeau and marched to Rivery from where they proceeded to Vicogny on 17th and on to Neuvillette on 21st. On 23rd and 24th May they moved via Barly to huts at Duisans where a week’s training took place.
After Duisans the battalion marched to Tilloy and on 1st June went into the reserve line trenches in the Monchy sector. Here they formed working and carrying parties until 6th June when they moved up to the front line.
On 7th A Company, pushing forward under cover of darkness, occupied a line of shell-holes unobserved by the enemy; consolidated them; and dug communication trenches.
A patrol of five Germans, unaware of A Company’s advanced position, walked into it, and were captured.
On 9th June the battalion returned to reserve-line trenches for one day before marching to bivouacs at Tilloy. On 11th they marched to billets at Berneville and remained there, resting and training, until the 22nd.
On 23rd June the battalion entrained at Gouy-en-Artois for Auxi-le-Chateau and marched to billets at Noeux, where the remainder of the month was spent.
From 1st-25th July the battalion was in rest billets at Noeux, carrying out training. On 26th July they marched to Auxi-le-Chateau, and moved by train to St. Omer, before marching to billets at Broxeele.
From 27th July-14th August the battalion was under training at Broxeele On 15th August the battalion entrained at Arneke for Abeele and marched to camp at Watou.
On 18th July the men marched to a reserve camp in the Ypres north area and two days later went into the front line trenches in the St. Julien area to prepare an attack on the German position.
The attack took place on 22nd but was unsuccessful, although some ground was regained the following day. Afterwards the enemy made some local counter-attacks; which were repulsed with heavy loss.
After being relieved the battalion marched to camp near Goldfish Chateau, Ypres, and from there on 25th moved to Query Camp near Brandhoek. The battalion then rested for five days before returning to the Ypres area.
From 1st-6th September the battalion remained in reserve camp at Ypres. On the 7th September it moved up to the support line at Wieltje, and on the 9th to the front line at St. Julien.
On 10th September two companies proceeded to attack certain German positions on Hill 35 but were held up by enemy machine gun fire and the battalion was withdrawn to the reserve camp at Ypres.
From Ypres the Battalion moved to Brandhoek on the 13th September, to Watou next day, to Wormhoudt on the 17th, and by rail to Aubigny on the 18th.
From Aubigny the battalion marched to Gouves on the 19th, and to Grimsby Camp, St. Nicholas, Arras, on the 24th.
The Battalion remained in the vicinity of Arras through October until the end of November, taking its turn in the Greenland Hill sector and Chemical Works sector of trenches and providing working parties.
On the 30th November the battalion entrained at Dainville for Bapaume, but on arrival previous orders were cancelled and the battalion was hurriedly conveyed in buses to Bertincourt, information having been received of a German counter-attack in the vicinity of Cambrai.
In December there was little fighting. Christmas was spent at Suzanne and on New Year’s Eve the battalion moved to Caix.
From 1st - 9th January 1918 the battalion was training at Caix and Voyennes before moving to hutments at Attilly.
During the rest of January he battalion completed four trench tours, two in the front line of the Gricourt sector, and two in the support trenches at Maissemy.
After a few days in reserve billets at Holnon Wood the battalion went into the line near Fayet on 3rd February, and remained in the front line and in support at Holnon until the 19th, when it moved into reserve at Vaux.
On the 23rd front-line trenches were taken over again.
Relieved on 2nd March the battalion moved to reserve billets at Ugney, where it remained until the 10th when it moved to Attilly Huts and took over positions in the Battle Zone.
A substantial German offensive was now expected.
On 18th March the battalion moved into the Forward Zone, placing companies at the front, in Sunken Road, at the Willows and at the Enghien Redoubt. The next two days wer spent wiring and improving trenches and fighting patrols were sent out.
On 21st March, the opening day of the German Spring Offensive, the battalion’s positions were subjected to a severe enemy bombardment, with gas shells being freely used on the back areas and keeps.
Under a heavy smoke barrage, a strong enemy attack was launched, penetrating the Forward Zone and surrounding Enghien Redoubt.
The garrison of the latter held out till late afternoon when, owing to casualties, they attempted to fight their way out.
The remainder of the battalion (less than 50 men) attached themselves to the 2/5th Gloucesters.
In one day there were 581 casualties in the battalion, including 407 men taken prisoner by the Germans.
Between 22nd and 31st March the few men who remained were formed into a composite company with the survivors of other battalions of the Brigade and were ordered to retreat.
As the retreat continued, the men of the 2/4th Battalion grew fewer each day as the casualty figure rose to 631.
By 1st April the remnants of the battalion were at Gentelles. On 3rd April they marched to Longeau and on by bus to Mericourt.
On the 7th April the battalion marched to Avesne. Here the battalion received a draft of 431 Other Ranks from England in addition to some 300 of the 25th Entrenching Battalion (late 2/1st Bucks Battalion), which was now amalgamated with the 2/4th Battalion.
On 11th April the battalion, now upwards of 1,000 strong, marched to Hangest and there entrained for the north.
At Hangest there was a delay of several hours, a change of destination being necessitated by a German attack at Armentières. Between Candas and Doullens the train broke in half, which caused further delay, but no accident.
On 12th April the battalion finally arrived at Steenbecque and was ordered to march forward at once and take up a defensive position along the line of the River Noe, as the Germans had broken through the line and were threatening Merville.
An advance party of company commanders rode forward through SaintVenant to Les Amusoires, and found the situation to be serious.
Orders were given for an attack to be pressed if necessary in order to gain the south-east bank of the River Noe and the battalion moved forward along the St. Venant-La Haye-Les Amusoires road. The battalion took control of the
Robecq-Calonne road, with patrols across the Noe River; took a bridgehead and drove the enemy from Bacquerolles Farm.
Some ground was lost on the following days after counter-attacks by the enemy but a huge German attack on 15th April was successfully prevented by heavy artillery fire.
A further enemy counterattack east of Hennebecq, however, forced one company of the battalion to withdraw.
On 16th April the battalion was relieved and went into cellar billets at Saint-Venant which was being heavily shelled.
On 19th April they returned to the front for four days and during this tour improved posts and wiring, took part in attacks on Bois de Pacaut, south-west of Bailleul, and the Carvin area north-east of Lens.
On 24th the battalion moved to billets in SaintVenant and then at Robecq for cleaning up, training and working parties.
Throughout May and June the battalion remained in the same area, completing trench tours in the front and support lines at Robecq, spending some time in reserve at St. Venant, and with breaks at La Perrière. Some progress was made in advancing the line.
On 9th June the battalion began to suffer from influenza and by 26th June work was severely handicapped by the number of influenza cases.
From 29th June- 9th July training, football and boxing competitions took place at La Perrière. Training continued for the rest of July at Liettres for a week, and subsequently at Saint-Hilaire-Cottes, Warne and Pont Asquin.
On 4th August the battalion proceeded in lorries to Thiennes and next day took over front line trenches in the Arrewage sector.
On 7th August A and B Companies carried out a successful attack on the German front line between the Hazebrouck-Merville road.
On 8th August the Germans launched a gas attack and Horace, aged 20, was killed in action.
Horace was buried in Aval Wood Military Cemetery, Grave I. AA. 20.
Horace’s brother Frederick was also killed in action in August 1918.
His brothers Sidney and Montague survived the war.