South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project
The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One |
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1s |
|
Military History |
| Theatre of War | Medals | Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial |
|---|---|---|
| France and Flanders | British War & Victory Medals | Arras Memorial |
| Arrived in Theatre | Medal Citation (if app) | SWFHS Area Memorials |
| After April 1916 | ~ | Snitterfield |
| Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed | Date and Place Enlisted | Other War Memorials |
| First Battle of the Scarpe (Arras) | March 1916 at Sutton Coldfielf | |
| Place of Death | Previous Regiments or Units | |
| nr Plouvain | ~ | |
Circumstances of Death
|
Harry is listed as being killed in action on 11 Apr 1917, however he was originally reported missed and his death was not accepted for some and not before the family had written to the Red Cross to establish if he was being held as a Prisoner of War. The Battalion war diary for the 11 Apr 1917 is transcribed below along with a passage from The History of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. War DiaryDug Outs S of Athies 11th April 1917: 2.30am: Conference held at Brigade HQ and orders issued that 10th Brigade will attack at 12noon. Operation Orders attached. 8.30am: Battalion moved off to W of Fampoux and arrived 10am 11.20am: Battalion moved up to Assembly position on Sunken Road, on E edge of Fampoux and arrived at 12 noon. A & C Coys attack on 2 Coy frontage of 500x [yards] per Coy and B Coy follows in rear as carriers. 12 noon: Attack commenced and the 1st R Irish Fus and 2nd Seaforth Highlanders start going forward. 12.10pm: A & C Coys followed by B Coy follow these battalions our Battalion supporting the 1st R Irish Fus. The enemy shelled our Assembly Positions heavily and we had many casualties before starting. The enemy's Machine Gun fire held up our attack almost from the start and the Brigade consolidated a line about 400x in front of Assembly Position. Both Brigades on our right and left were held up also by M/Gun fire. Enemy put up a heavy barrage on Assembly Positions and vicinity. Battalion dug in and held a line from Huddle Trench at H.18.a.0.9 to H.18.b.1.3. with Seaforth Highlanders on left and 1st R Irish Fus on right. Enemy fairly quiet at night. Very cold and snow. Casualties: Killed 2 Officers and 33 Other Ranks; Wounded 5 Officers and 150 Other Ranks; Missing 1 Officer and 29 Other ranks. Extract from The History of the Royal Warwickshire RegtThe following is an extract from the Story of the Warwickshire Regiment by C.L. KINGSFORD
On 11 Apr 1917 the 1st Battalion were in the lines at Fampoux and were ordered to attack Plouvain in support of Royal Irish Fusilers whilst the Household Battalion attacked towards Greenland Hill on their left. There were many casualties from shell-fire before starting and the attack was almost at once checked by the enemy's machine-guns. The 1st Battalion had advanced till they found the leading battalion held up. Then, since the fire from the Chemical Works and Railway Embankment (see below) made further progress impossible Major Sir G. Lacon (who was in command that day) ordered a line to be consolidated and at nightfall had established his battalion with the Royal Irish Fusiliers on the right and Household Battalion on the left.
The failure to achieve more was due partly to the fact that the brigade has been practically in the view of the enemy as it came up to the assembly and partly due to the heavy barrage which the Germans at once put down. The battalion remained in their advanced position till April 13th and were in support for a week longer. The losses from the 9th to 20th April were 50 killed, including Colin and 213 wounded or missing.
Trench Map
Map Courtesy of www.tMapper.com |
| Personal & Family History |
| Birth Date/Place | Baptism Date/Place |
|---|---|
| 1 May 1877 at Snitterfield | 24 Jun 1877 at Snitterfield |
| Parents Names | Abode |
| Charles and Catherine Rollins nee Goode | Snitterfield |
| Wife | Marriage Details |
| Mary Jane Rollins, a widow, formerly Morris nee Burt | Jul Qtr 1916 at Tamworth |
| Schools | Colleges |
| Snitterfield Council School 1884 to 1899 | ~ |
| Address History | Employment History |
| 1877 - Shakespeare Cottages, Park Lane, Snitterfield | 1881 - Scholar |
| 1881 - Wolverton Road, Snitterfield | 1891 - Garden Boy |
| 1891 - Shalford Road, Sherbourne, Warwick (servant) | 1901 - Coachman |
| 1901 - Stoney Lane, Yardley, Worcs | 1911 - Domestic Groom |
| 1911 - Canwell Hall, Sutton Coldfield (servant) | 1915 - Coachman for Philip Staveley Foster MP (Stratford) |
| 1915 - Sutton Coldfield | |
- Harry married Mary Jane in the Jul-Sep Qtr 1916 at Tamworth. Mary's tale is a sad one. She was born to Frank and Ann Mary Burt in 1882 and in 1900 she married Herbert Morris, a blacksmith, in Sutton Coldfield.
- They had one child who died at a young age.
- Husband Herbert died during the Apr-Jun Qtr 1911, apparently committing suicide
- Mary then married Harry in 1916 and about 1 year later at age 35 was widowed for the 2nd time when Harry was killed.