C Company Rolling History

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After a period of training to become an observer he was posted to 21 Squadron on 16th July 1917. The unit was operating ...
24/07/2024

After a period of training to become an observer he was posted to 21 Squadron on 16th July 1917. The unit was operating in the Ypres sector.

Second Lieutenant Cecil Brandon Payne

Cecil was born in Lahore, India in 1897.

He was educated in Blundell's School, Tiverton, Devonshire, and then the Royal College of Science at London University.

His family home was in Barnes, London.

He was granted a commission in the Royal Field Artillery and arrived in France in October 1916.

He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps on 4th May 1917.

After a period of training to become an observer he was posted to 21 Squadron on 16th July 1917. The unit was operating in the Ypres sector.

At 8:40am on 20th August 1917 Cecil and his pilot 2nd Lieutenant A N Donnet took off in RE8 A3603 for an artillery observation mission.

They were attacked by enemy aircraft. Cecil was killed and Donnet although severely wounded managed to land the aircraft.

He is buried in Gwalia Cemetery.

Second Lieutenant Cecil Payne was 19 years old.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
01/07/2024

At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

We Will Remember Them.

His first experience of combat was in the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915.The following year he fought in the Battle ...
20/06/2024

His first experience of combat was in the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915.
The following year he fought in the Battle of the Somme.

Private Thomas William Lemon

Thomas arrived in France on 14th April 1915.

He served in “D” company 1st/6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment).

His first experience of combat was in the Battle of Aubers Ridge in May 1915.

The following year he fought in the Battle of the Somme.

He was killed on 17th September 1916 when the trench his company were holding near Thiepval was hit by an enemy artillery barrage.

He is buried in Lonsdale Military Cemetery close to where he fell and within sight of the Thiepval Memorial.

He is included in the Keighley, Yorkshire Great War Roll of Honour and is commemorated on the war memorial in Stretton, Burton upon Trent.

He fought in the Battle of the Somme and was killed in action at Thiepval on 27th September 1916.
07/06/2024

He fought in the Battle of the Somme and was killed in action at Thiepval on 27th September 1916.

2nd Lieutenant Ian Henry Munro Ross-Taylor

Ian was born in Bombay, India. His family’s home was in Lamarsh, Essex.

He was educated at Radley College.

When he left college in 1911 he was employed by The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China.

He enlisted in the Army and was commissioned in February 1915.

He arrived in France in February 1916 and served in “A” company, 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment.

He fought in the Battle of the Somme and was killed in action at Thiepval on 27th September 1916.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial to the missing.

2nd Lieutenant Ian Ross-Taylor was 22 years old.

Second Lieutenant Alan Gates was 21 years old.
29/05/2024

Second Lieutenant Alan Gates was 21 years old.

Second Lieutenant Alan Ferrier Gates

Alan was born in the city of London in the province of Ontario, Canada.

He served with “B” Battery 307th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

He was killed in action on 21st August 1917 during the 3rd Battle of Ypres.

He is buried in Brandhoek New Military Cemetery.

Second Lieutenant Alan Gates was 21 years old.

He was granted a commission and transferred to 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment on 20th June 1916.His unit took part ...
03/04/2024

He was granted a commission and transferred to 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment on 20th June 1916.

His unit took part in the assault on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916.

Killed in the first hours of the Battle of the Somme.

Second Lieutenant Henry Hampton Cowin.

Henry was born in 1885 in Douglas, Isle of Man. He had two brothers.

He worked for Lloyds Bank, firstly on the Isle of Man and then in Liverpool.

Soon after the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Liverpool Regiment.

He was deployed to France in November 1915.

He was granted a commission and transferred to 21st Battalion, Manchester Regiment on 20th June 1916.

His unit took part in the assault on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 1st July 1916.

They formed part of the second wave and were deployed to reinforce the 1st Battalion, South Staffs in the capture of the fortress village of Mametz.

In comparison with many battalions that day the 21st Manchester’s losses were light with only 63 men killed. One of those killed was Henry.

He is buried in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery.

Second Lieutenant Henry Cowin was 31 years old.

Postscript
Henry’s 21 year old brother Air Mechanic 1st Class Reginald William Cowin was killed in a flying accident serving with the Royal Air Force in August 1918.

He was killed by machine gun fire on 23rd September 1918 near Arleux-en-Gohelle as he made his way forward to the battal...
02/04/2024

He was killed by machine gun fire on 23rd September 1918 near Arleux-en-Gohelle as he made his way forward to the battalion’s out post line.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/KaW2E75pCr1T9BYe/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Killed after 4 years in the front line.

Lieutenant Colonel Auriol Ernest Eric Lowry DSO, MC, Croix de Guerre.

Auriol was born in December 1892 in Lee-on-Solent. He was one of five siblings. His father had been a tea planter in India.

He was educated at St. Andrew's, Southborough and Cheltenham College.

He went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in 1911.

He was granted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the West Yorkshire Regiment in February 1913.

At the outbreak of war he was serving with 2nd Battalion West Yorks in Malta.

His unit were deployed to France and disembarked on 5th November 1914.

He fought in most of the significant Battles of the war, as follows:-
1915 Neuve Chapelle, Aubers Ridge and Bois Grenier
1916 The Battle of the Somme
1917 The Third Battle of Ypres
1918 The German Spring Offensives and the Allies last 100 day offensive.

In March 1918 Auriol and his younger brother Cyril were serving together in 2 West Yorks. The unit was fighting to stem the German spring offensive when Cyril was mortally wounded on 25th March. Auriol held his brother in his arms as he lay dying and while doing so was captured.

He was taken back behind the German lines but managed to escape dressed in a discarded German trench coat and helmet. As he attempted to reach British lines he was fired on by both friend and foe but did manage to re-join his men.

By the time the British Army launched their assault at Amiens on 8th August 1918 Auriol was a Lieutenant Colonel and the Commanding Officer of 2 West Yorks.

He was killed by machine gun fire on 23rd September 1918 near Arleux-en-Gohelle as he made his way forward to the battalion’s out post line.

Lieutenant Colonel Auriol Lowry is buried in La Targette British Cemetery, Neuville-St. Vaast.

He was 25 years old.

Postscript
In addition to his DSO, MC and Croix de Guerre he was Mentioned in Despatches 3 times.
His other brother William was killed in Gallipoli in June 1915.

Lieutenant Ronald McDougall was 24 years old. He had been with a machine gun section under his command when a shell expl...
22/03/2024

Lieutenant Ronald McDougall was 24 years old. He had been with a machine gun section under his command when a shell exploded amongst them. The Trench

Lieutenant Ronald McDougall

Ronald was born in the Woolwich in December 1889.

He was educated at Stratheden House School, Blackheath and then Tonbridge School in Kent.

While at Tonbridge he joined the Cadet Corps.

In 1908 he went to Pembroke College, Cambridge.

He joined the Regular Army in August 1912 and served as a Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regiment.

He arrived in France with his Battalion on 10th September 1914.

The unit was in action for the first time on 21st September.

They were heavily shelled and attacked by strong enemy forces at Radinghem, near Lille on 20th October. The days fighting cost the battalion 4 officers killed and 4 wounded, 17 other ranks killed, 57 wounded and 62 missing.

One of the officers killed was Ronald. He had been with a machine gun section under his command when a shell exploded amongst them. Nine of the group of twelve men were either killed or wounded.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial.

Lieutenant Ronald McDougall was 24 years old.

Sadly killed 11th of November 1918 the last day of the First World War.They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow...
15/03/2024

Sadly killed 11th of November 1918 the last day of the First World War.

They shall grow not 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. 🕊️

Killed on the last morning of the war.

Private Aneurin Owen Roberts.

Aneurin was born in Glasfryn, North Wales. He had a sister and brother.

He attended the Ysgol Rhydgaled school at Groes.

He lived for many years with his uncle and aunt at Rhiw, near Bylchau.

Before the war he worked on a farm.

He enlisted in the Royal Welch Fusiliers but later transferred to the 50th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.

He was killed in the morning of 11th November 1918, the last day of the war.

The news of his death was particularly tragic as the family believed he had been killed by friendly fire.

Private Aneurin Roberts is buried in Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, France.

He was 22 years old.

He was 24 years old when he was killed and left a widow and young son.
26/02/2024

He was 24 years old when he was killed and left a widow and young son.

Sapper Charles William Vernon.

Charles was from Wakefield, Yorkshire.

In peacetime he had been a fitter.

He was 24 years old when he was killed and left a widow and young son.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

He served in 82nd Field Company Royal Engineers.

During the night of 29th / 30th July 1916 near the village of Bazentin le Petit he was part of a group tasked with constructing defences. The 40 men were to wire in some tactical strongpoints captured during the days fighting.

For four hours they worked in extremely dangerous conditions under a storm of machine gun and artillery fire.

By the time the work had been completed 6 men had been killed and 19 wounded.

A fine memorial “To the memory of nine brave men” marks the site of the action. It records the names of the 6 sappers killed that night and three who were killed the previous night.

The names on the memorial are listed below.
Sapper Thomas Blakeley
Sapper Richard Choat
Sapper Charles Ellison
Sapper William Haviland
Sapper John Higgins
Sapper James Joiner
Sapper Ambrose Robotham
Pioneer Fred Tregidgo
Sapper Charles Vernon

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Westbury

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