"All along the line things began to go wrong"

On the 22nd August 1918 Joseph Vernon (the husband of my Great Aunt) died of wounds he had received in late July.

Joseph Vernon was born in 1882 in Brereton, Rugeley, Staffordshire, he was the fourth child of Joseph and Jane Vernon (nee Heaton). He had 3 older brothers, John (born 1875), George (born 1880) and Thomas (born 1881) and 2 younger brothers, Samuel (born 1885) and Herbert (born 1890) and one older sister Selina (born 1877) all were born in Brereton.

Joseph married my Great Aunt Elizabeth Ann Renshaw in 1902 at St. Michael’s Church Brereton, Rugeley.

Elizabeth Renshaw was born in 1885 in Brereton the daughter of George and Matilda Renshaw (nee Thompson). She had two sisters Dorothy (my Nan born 1902) and Alice (born 1883).

Joseph and Elizabeth had seven children Joseph (born & died 1903), Samuel (born 1905), Issac (born & died 1906), Mary (born 1908), Beatrice (born 1909) and Ethel (born 1912) and another child was born and died before 1911.

In 1911 the family were living at 6 Talbot Road, Brereton just 4 houses away from his parents, who lived at number 16. Joseph aged 29 was working in the local colliery as a coal miner / timberer below ground. Elizabeth parents lived at number 8 Talbot Road, her father George was also a miner in the local colliery.

Joseph Vernon was serving as a private with Royal Army Medical Corps having joined up in 1915 and at some point later was transferred to the 1/5th Kings Own Scottish Borderers. It’s not clear if he was still in the RAMC attached to the KOSB or had joined them out right. He had served in Egypt and taken part in the Battles around Jerusalem. He had been serving in France since May 1917.

His brother Herbert was serving with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and had enlisted in March 1915.

The battle of the Somme, which had began on the 1st July with such heavy losses continued to rumble on, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides for little territorial gain. During this continued fighting Herbert Vernon, aged 26, was killed in action on the 12th September.

The local newspaper - The Lichfield Mercury published the news a couple of weeks later.

29th Sept 1916 – Lichfield Mercury

Rugeley Casualties

Killed in Action. Official information has this week been received by Mrs E Vernon, Brereton Road, Rugeley, that her husband Private H. Vernon Grenadier Guards, was killed in action on Sept 12th, He joined the Grenadier Guards March 1915 and has been out at the front since last April. Previous joining the Army was employed as a miner the Brereton leaves a wife and one child.

Herbert is commemorated on Pier and Face 8D Thiepval Memorial and on the Brereton War Memorial.

Joseph’s Cousin Horace Vernon serving with the 2/6th North Staffordshire Battalion had been killed 17th May 1917 and another Cousin John Vernon had recently returned home July 1918 with what was probably the Spanish flu.

The official history of the 1/5th Kings Own Scottish Borderers details the events of late July

On the 27th July the 1/5th KOSB were Just south of Beugneux, where there is a small hill (158) which was covered by wood.

At 10.45pm the battalion marched from Bois de Bouef by Billy sur Oureq and Oulchy la Ville. They were heavily shelled by the German 5.9 guns, and suffered severe casualties. The pace was increased in order to get as quickly as possible through the shelled area but although all the companies had French guides, touch seems to have been lost. At any rate the leading company became divided in the wood.  On clearing the wood only Battalion Headquarters and half the leading company were present – three and a half companies were not there!

It was now three am in the morning and the advance was timed for 4.10am. By some mistake the company commanders had thought that orders had been given for the men to lie down. They continued to do so for over an hour, though they were under severe shell-fire during the whole time.

However Lieut. Dunn, a good officer was in charge of transport in the rear, During his advance many men and mules had been killed. He quickly realised the situation and rode to the headquarters. The remaining companies were hurried to the front and were in position only ten minutes before zero hour.

The Battalion went forward at 4.10am and began fighting its way to the front through fields of wheat standing breast high and through the woods to the south west of Beugneux. They got on well.

Then we were confronted with the village of Beugneux. There were woods both on the right and left of the village. The heavy machine gun fire from both the woods and the village stopped our advance.

At 6am, the prospects were decidedly promising, although there had already been heavy losses. It was very misty, and in parts of the battlefield when the day dawned “tear gas” was still drifting about the woods. The leading companies were also within range of German machine Guns. But then all along the line things began to go wrong.

D company was driven out of its position by our own magnificent barrage at 8am and the French put down a heavy barrage but unfortunately behind our front line. Regiments either side were forced to retire. Thus for the third time Beugneux had resisted the Allies attack.

Our casualties had been very heavy. Two officers had been killed and 17 other ranks. Five officers and 241 men were wounded and missing. All the missing were either killed or wounded.

It is likely that Joseph received his fatal wounds at this time and 100 years ago on the 22nd August 1918 Joseph passed away.

The Local newspaper – The Lichfield Mercury reported his death on the 6th September.

Fri 6th Sept 1918 – Lichfield Mercury

Joseph Vernon, 6 Talbot Road, died on the 22nd August at General Rouen, from wounds received July 29th. Private Vernon joined the RAMC in February 1915, served in Egypt. He then went to Salomes and later returned to Egypt, where he took part in the battles around Jerusalem. He was later transferred to the Scottish Borderers and went to France in May last. He was 36 years of age and leaves a widow and four children. He had not been home for three and a half years. The eldest child is 13 years of age and the youngest six. Previous to joining the army he was employed at the Earl of Shrewsbury’s Brereton Collieries. His brother Herbert was killed in Action in Sept 1916.

Joseph is buried in the Bois-Guillaume Communal Cemetery Extension, which can be found in a north eastern suburb of Rouen. The majority of burials in the original communal cemetery were from soldiers who had died at No 8 General Hospital, Rouen which was based at 147 Avenue de Marechal. Bois Guillaume. It is likely that Joseph was also in hospital in Rouen after being wounded.

Bois-Guillaume Cemetery, Rouen

The inscription on his grave reads “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”

He is also remembered on the Brereton War memorial along with his brother Herbert.

Brereton War Memorial

Also listed on the Brereton War Memorial is my three times removed half cousin Albert Hollins who was killed on the first day of the Somme.