From Brereton to the front

On the 31st March 1918 John Vernon was deployed to France serving as a Private with the 2/7th West Yorkshire Regiment.

John was born in 1899 in Brereton, Rugeley. One of eight children of John and Louisa Vernon (nee Harvey). John had two older brothers Horace (born 1895) and Harry (born 1897) and one older sister Ada (born 1892). He also had two younger brothers George (born 1904) and Percy (born 1907) and two younger sisters Clara (born 1901) and Mary (born 1903) all born in Brereton.

John’s Uncle Joseph Vernon was married to my Great Aunt Elizabeth Ann Renshaw.

In 1911 the family were living in Armitage Lane, Brereton. His father and two older brothers all working at the local colliery.

John had enlisted on the 27th April 1917 with the 5th training reserve battalion depot North Staffordshire Regiment. He was just 18 years of age, with his occupation listed as a farm labourer. He had been training in England since enlistment.

On the 31st March John was transferred 7th Reserve West Yorkshire Regiment and left for France on the 1st April 1918. Germany had launched Operation Michael ten days earlier, which had inflicted heavy losses on the British army in an attempt to win the war before the American troops could be deployed fully in Europe and the temporary numerical advantage enjoyed by Germany being able to release it's army from the Eastern front due to the collapse on the Russian army was gone.

One wonders how much John would have known about the "Kaisers Battle" currently waging as he sailed to France. Other members of his family had already lost their lives in the War, so he must surely have been under no illusions as to the dangers awaiting him.

John’s eldest brother Horace had been killed on the 8th May 1917, just a week after John had been called up. Horace was serving as a corporal with the 2/6th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. The 2/6th Battalion had been in Ireland in 1916 during the Easter rising and fought in France from 1917.

On the night of the 8th May 1917 Horace’s battalion were ordered to attack the German positions, their objectives being

Trench running from L.6.a.5.5 to F.30.c.2.7.
(62.c.N.E).
The UNNAMED FARM and trench from it to L.5.b.8.4
The attack was carried out in one wave.

The Battalion War diary for 8th May reads as follows

21.50 In attack German trenches … attacking troops were met by very heavy M.G. fire, one platoon “B” Coy under Lieut P.G Coleman with 15 other ranks reached their objective and consolidated it, meeting several bombing attacks from both flanks.
24.00 A & B Coys less 1 platoon did not reach their objective. UN-named Farm reoccupied by C coy after very heavy shelling

Casualties :-
Missing believed killed Officers – 3, Other Ranks – 28
Killed Officers – Nil, Other Ranks 2
Died of wounds Officers – NIL, Other Ranks 1
Wounded Officers – 5 Capt. Charlton, Lieut P. G. Coleman, 2nd Lieut Burt, 2nd Lieut Fryer, 2nd Lieut Johnson, Other Ranks 42

9th May 
10.00 UN-Named Farm heavily shelled
21.00 The platoon of B coy under Lieut. Coleman which had reached its objective was attacked several times during the day and previous night by German bombing of the trench, and after using up all their supply of ammunition and bombs, Lieut. Coleman used German bombs which he found, and repeatedly picked up German stick bombs which had been thrown at his party and threw them back at the Germans.
22.30 The platoon of B Coy under Lieut. Coleman withdrew from the German trench which they had held during the day after having expended all ammunition and bombs. They were charged by the Germans previous to withdrawing but used their bayonets with great effect. Lieut. Coleman was again wounded (in the mouth) with a fragment of a bomb just before he withdrew from the German trench.

Lieut. Coleman was awarded the Distinguished Service Order on the 29th May for his actions on the 8th & 9th

Corporal Horace Vernon has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial on Pier & Face 14B and 14C and also on the Armitage war memorial.

Horace Vernon - Armitage War Memorial

His uncle Herbert Vernon, serving as a Private with the Grenadier Guards, had been killed on the 12th September 1916 during the battle of the Somme. Like his nephew Herbert Vernon has no known grave and is also commemorated on the Thiepval memorial and on the Brereton War Memorial.

Herbert Vernon - Brereton War memorial

His other Uncle Joseph Vernon was serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Attached to 1/5th Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers (or had perhaps transferred to infantry KOSB) and was currently in Egypt.

After the horror of Hohenzollern - A final resting place in Armitage.

On the 12^th November 1915, my Great Uncle, Benjamin Hollins, who was a Lance Corporal serving with the 1/6^th North Staffordshire regiment died of his wounds.

Benjamin Hollins

The Lichfield Mercury reported the news on Friday 19^th November

Armitage – Military Funeral – The funeral took place, with military honours, at the parish church on Monday afternoon of Lance-Corporal Hollins, the North Staffords, who died of wounds received in action in France. The service was conducted by the Rector (The Rev E. Samson). An escort and firing party attended, and the conclusion of the service the last post was sounded. Lance Corporal Hollins had been in the Old Volunteer Force and Territorials for some years, at the outbreak of war offered himself for foreign service and had been out in France for eight months. A few weeks ago was seriously wounded in the leg and was also badly gassed at Loos. He was removed to the American Women's Hospital, Paignton, South Devon. Leaves Wife and three children. The eldest child is only six years old and the youngest, born since he has been in France, has never seen Lance Corporal Hollins, who was a native of Rugeley and has three brothers now serving with the army, one of them having been twice wounded.

It is likely that Benjamin Hollins received his wounds during the attack on the HohzollernRedoubt on the 13th October, the plight and suffering of the wounded is described in detail during that terrible day.

Also wounded that day was Sergeant Sydney Norton, of the 1/6th North Staffords, who also eventually arrived at a hospital in Devon. From there, he was able to write to his wife in Fazeley and describe how he had reached his present destination:

"I am very comfortable and being well looked after. I only wish they had put me a bit closer to home so you can come and see me but never mind, you will know I am in a safer place and in old England again.

It's a very nice place where I am. About 200 in the same ward and they are all strangers to me. I don't know any of them. It's about 14 miles to Plymouth on the sea coast. I shall be able to tell you more about it next letter.

I arrived here on Sat. night at 6. I started from a place called Bethune in France in a hospital train. It took us 26 hours to get to Le Havre. I was in a bed - nicely fitted up - but in awful pain on my back - could not move. Then I got to No. 2 General Hospital and got my wound dressed before going on the hospital ship. Then we moved on to the ship into beds all fitted up to date. Doctors coming to see us all the while and nurses galore. Then I landed at Southampton and we had to stop in the harbour all night till Sat. morning. We were put into a hospital train there. It took us 10 hours to get to this hospital so you see I had a bit of knocking about”.

I can only assume that Benjamin must endured a similar experience during his evacuation to the American Women’s Hospital in Paignton.

American Women's Hospital, Paignton.

The American Women’s Hospital was the former Oldway Mansion of the Singer family (Of Singer Sewing Machines) The American Women’s War Hospital was housed in a marbled mansion with mirrored corridors reflecting sculptures, paintings and Singer wealth. Its sweeping staircase became the entrance to an operating theatre, its grand ballroom and domed riding school wards of beds, and its ambulances were made by Rolls Royce. Over the course of the war, more than 5,000 men were treated at Oldway.

One can only wonder if Benjamin’s wife Hilda was ever able to visit.

Lance Corporal Hollins was buried at St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Armitage.

Armitage War Memorial

Benjamin Hollins 1915

Of those listed as killed in 1915 on the Armitage war memorial James Clarke (aged 21) was in the 1/6^th North Staffs and died on the 10^th August, Arthur Legge Samson (aged 33) was in the Royal Welch Fusiliers and died on the 25^th September, his father The Rev E. Samson conducted Benjamin’s funeral. Reginald Clarke (aged 19) was killed on the 13^th October in the attack on The Hohenzollern Redoubt and served with the 1/5^th North Staffords. Samuel Leigh (Aged 47) who served in the Royal Veterinary corps and died in March 1915 is also buried at St. John The Baptist in Armitage.

Sources

Callan Chevin - Hell at Hohenzollern

CWGC website

British Newspaper Archive website.

The North Staffords arrive in France

On the 5^th March 1915 My Grand Uncle Benjamin Hollins arrived in France with the 1/6^th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment.

Benjamin Hollins

Benjamin Hollins was born in 1887 in Rugeley, Staffordshire. He was the eldest son of Benjamin and Ann Hollins (nee Hodson). Benjamin had an elder sister Mary Ann and 3 younger brothers James, Edward and Arthur (my Grandfather).

Benjamin was married to Hilda Pedley in 1908 at St. John the Baptist in Armitage and they had two young sons Benjamin was four and Henry two. A daughter Mabel had died as an infant in 1911. Hilda was from Penkhull, Stoke and was the daughter of Henry and Emma Pedley.

In 1911 they were living with the Pedley family at 2 Ricardia Terrace, Armitage and Benjamin was working as a plumber.

The 1/6^th battalion had arrived in Southampton from Saffron Walden on the 1^st March. C and D companies embarked on the 2^nd on-board the S.S. Balmoral for Le Harve. Headquarters and A & B companies embarked on the 4^th on-board S.S. Empress Queen arriving at Le Harve on the 5^th March 1915, 100 years ago today.

Arriving with him was his brother James Harry Hollins, William Henry Cunningham, George Hollins

James Hollins, Benjamin's younger brother was born in Rugeley in 1891. The 1911 census shows him living with his parents and siblings at 27 Bow Street in Rugeley. he was working as a horse driver in the local colliery. His brother Edward Hollins also worked in the mine (it is likely that he too arrived in France at the same time, but this is not confirmed) as did his father Benjamin.

William Henry Cunningham, (My Auntie's Uncle in law) was born in Rugeley in 1892 and was the oldest son of Thomas and Hannah Cunningham (nee Mills). In 1911 he was living with his parents at 74 Sheep Fair, Rugeley and was working as colliery rope rider below ground, his father also worked at the mine as a bankman above ground.

Benjamin Hollins 2nd cousin, George Hollins was mentioned in a later newspaper report as being "out with the Territorials in March 1915" (Lichfield Mercury 6th Sept 1918) so again it would seem likely he embarked with the rest of the North Stafford's. George was the son of William and Sarah Ann Hollins (nee Wood) and brother in law to Frederick Williscroft and James Fisher. He was born in 1886 in Rugeley and married Emily Mary Hiley in 1907 at St. John the baptist Church in Armitage. By 1915 they had two children George born in 1908 and Sarah in 1911 both born in Rugeley.