9am on 11th Nov - The Attack begins

My Great Uncle Solomon Charles Wraight was serving with the Machine Gun Company of the 315 Infantry Regiment of the United States Army. The last couple of months had seen him involved in some of America's heaviest fighting of the First World War at Meuse - Argonne and at Grand Montagne. General Pershing - in command of the American Army was determined to keep on the offensive.

Solomon Wraight

The Official War History of the 315th Regiment picks up the story from the 8th November  

At 3am November 8^th, we were relived by the 311^th Machine Gun Battalion as we were to go forward with the attack planned for that day. The first platoon and one section of the Third platoon were to go forward in support of companies “E” and “F”, the balance of the Company remaining under the command of Sergeant Borresen. At 11am the infantry started forward, covered by a barrage delivered by the 312^th machine Gun Battalion, and advanced about 3 kilos to the Bois de Reville, where the First Platoon and the section of the Third above mentioned immediately mounted their guns, awaiting an expected counter attack, which did not materialize.

The next morning we moved through the village of Etraye, which had been captured by the 315^th Infantry. Just beyond Etraye, we met strong opposition from the enemy artillery and machine guns on Cote d’Orne, and there we were held up all day. All that night our guns maintained a harassing fire into the German advance positions, for the benefit of their machine gunners. At 6am November 10^th, we laid down an overhead barrage to aid the infantry, which again advanced slowly but surely all day.

On the night of the 10^th, the remainder of the Company, which been under Sergeant Borresen, was brought forward, and at 5am November 11^th, orders were received to move forward to the hill east of Wavrille.

We moved on ahead of the infantry, took up positions, and prepared to put over a barrage on the enemy positions on Cote de Morimont. Our movements were concealed by a heavy fog, and we got close to the enemy without being seen. At 9am we let go with all 12 guns. The Boche laid down a terrible barrage, attempting to blow us off the earth, but his aim was poor and we suffered no casualties. At 10.45am the guns were dismounted and taken to dugouts and at 11am the Captain informed us that the Armistice had been signed, announcement which made everybody sore (?).

The company spent the next two days in those dugouts and on the afternoon of the 13^th moved back to Etraye

Photo of machine gun company

List of roster

So after four year and four months of fighting the Armistice was signed and the gunfire ceased. For my Great Uncle Solomon Wraight, the fighting continued right up to the 11^th hour of the 11^th Day of the 11^th Month and then just stopped. One can only wonder at his feelings and thoughts at that moment.

For Solomon's uncle - Albert Benjamin Uden serving with the 4^th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, the official war diary has the following entry for the 11^th November

An Armistice was declared at 11.00 hrs this morning.

A Coy were on road repair work, filling in crater at Viic46 (sheet 45) laying corduroy road. Repairing road at p28a97 P34a56. Widening road bridge at P34c27 (sheet 45) clearing debris from road at P34a79 to P35d91 (sheet 45) and making reconnaissance of roads.

B Coy were removing road mines.

C Coy were repairing road and filling craters

D Coy were standing by.

Both were thousands of miles away from their new homes in Philadelphia and Toronto, but both had made it through the War.

On Leave but 4,000 Miles from home

On the 12th October 1918, My Great Grand Uncle, Albert Benjamin Uden, who was serving as a Lance Corporal with the 4th Field Company, 2nd Canadian Engineers was granted 14 days leave.

Obviously unable to return the 4,250 odd miles to Toronto to see his wife Maud and two young sons, Albert and George, one wonders how he spent his leave, did he just stay in France or was he able to visit his parents in Dover.

Albert Benjamin Uden was born on the 17th October 1882 in Dover, Kent. He was the youngest child of Albert and Eliza Uden (nee Sowman). An older brother Charles Edward Uden had died in infancy in 1880, his older sister Alice Uden (My Great Grandmother) was born on the 21st February 1873 in Bridge, Canterbury

His father was a Potato merchant and the family grew up on Seven Star Street in Dover. Albert married Maude Torr, also from Dover, in 1905 in Paddington. Along with their newly born son Albert they emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1907 sailing on the Empress of Britain.

A second son, George was born in 1910 in Ontario and in 1915 when Albert enlisted the family were living in Bellwoods Ave, Toronto.

Albert’s parents Albert (born 1846, Bridge, Canterbury, Kent) and Eliza Sowman (born 1845, Boxford, Suffolk) had met around 1870, whilst working as servants for the Rev. John Hamilton, Vicar of Lynsted, Kent where Albert was employed as a coachman and Eliza as a cook. 1911 Albert’s parents were living a 3 Star Street, Dover, Kent with Albert Snr working as a greengrocer.

Albert Uden (Snr)

Albert’s wife Maud was also from Dover, both her parents, David & Charlotte Torr had passed away (David in 1903 & Charlotte in 1896). It is unlikely that Maud's childhood memories of Dover would be recalled with much pleasure.

Her father was the Landlord at the Barley Mow Inn and in 1890 he was charged with being in possession of 14 pounds of smuggled tobacco, for which he was found guilty and fined £5 10s.

Barley Mow Inn, Dover (photo from John Gilham Collection)

On the 7th Sept 1889 the Thanet Advertiser reported that

Charlotte Torr, wife of David Torr, Landlord of the Barley Mow Public House, Commerical Quay, was summoned for beating and ill treating her daughter, Maud Torr – Mr V Knocker prosecuted – From the evidence it appeared that the child’s eyes were blackened through being struck by the mother. The mother in defence denied striking the child on one occasion, but acknowledged striking her some days after, for disobeying her. The bench fined the defendant £5 and 24s or in default one months imprisonment and ordered her to be bound over to keep the peace. 

And on the 29th August 1890 the Dover Express reported that

Police said that on 18th July this year, he was in Snargate Street, when his attention was called to a child named Maud Torr, about eight years of age, she was very wet and cold, it being a wet day. He took her to her fathers house, the Barley Mow Inn, and found the mother was in bed drunk and the father not sober. He told the father to give the child food but he said he had no food in the house and was going to give her port wine. The superintendent then took the child to a coffee shop, and got her proper food. He could not get any guarantee that the child would be properly treated, he sent her to a relation, who took charge of her for the night. Torr and his wife were summoned for neglecting the child and the case was adjorned for two or three months, for him to put the child where it would be properly treated. Police-constable Knott was called, and corroborated Superintendent Sander's evidence. Witness said he had been called to the house on two or three occasions when there was disturbances between Mr. Torr and his wife. Neither of them were sober when witness had gone to the house.

Police-constable Fogg deposed: On July 10th, in consequence of something I was told, I went to Strond Street, and saw a large crowd of people outside the “Barley Mow” public-house. Mrs. Torr was the worse for drink, and was standing near the door with her face covered with blood. I went into the house, and saw the landlord, who was also drunk. I have seen Mr. Torr the worse for drink on more than one occasion, and also his wife.

Mr. Torr said he did not see why he should have to leave his house through his wife misbehaving herself. He had been nearly twelve years there.

Unsuprisingly David Torr had his licence refused and he eventually he was forced to vacant the premises.

Albert Uden, had been serving in France with the 4th Field Company, 2nd Canadian Engineers, Canadian Expeditionary Force since 1915 and On the 26th June 1918 he was admitted to hospital.

Perhaps he manged to visit his sister Alice, who was living in Battersea, with her husband Solomon Wraight and their family.

The Wraight Family Circa 1910

Alice's oldest son Solomon had emigrated to America in 1915 and was now serving in the American Army in France. Solomon's brother, William was a mechanic with RAF.

Perhaps this was his only opportunity to visit family relatives, whom he probably hadn't seen for over 10 years, would he ever get another? Albert returned to his unit after his leave on the 26th October 1918.

References
Canadian Library & Archives
Dover Kent Archives
British Newspaper Archives

Repairing the Canadian trenches

On the 26th June 1918, my Great Grand Uncle, Albert Benjamin Uden was admitted to hospital. Albert Uden was serving as a Lance Corporal, with the 4th Field Company, 2nd Canadian Engineers, Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Albert Benjamin Uden was born on the 17th October 1882 in Dover, Kent. He was the youngest child of Albert and Eliza Uden (nee Sowman). An older brother Charles Edward Uden had died in infancy in 1880, his older sister Alice Uden (My Great Grandmother) was born on the 21st February 1873 in Bridge, Canterbury.

His father was a Potato merchant / greengrocer by trade. The family grew up on Seven Star Street in Dover, having moved there from Bridge, Canterbury in the early 1880’s shortly before Albert’s birth. Albert married Maude Torr, also from Dover, in 1905 in Paddington and along with their newly born son Albert they emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1907 sailing on the Empress of Britain.

In 1915 Albert, Maude and their two sons Albert (born in Paddington in 1906) and George (born in Ontario, Canada in 1910) were living in Bellwoods Ave, Toronto.

A carpenter by trade Albert was aged 32 years and 2 months when on the 20th January 1915 he enlisted as a sapper in the 4th Field Company of the Canadian Engineers. He was 5ft 5in tall with brown eyes, dark brown hair and a dark complexion. Albert also had two vaccination scars on his right arm and a scar on his left shin.

The 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers, had left Halifax, Nova Scotia on the 18th April 1915 bound for England on board the HMT Northland. The voyage took 11 days in total, the Company, under the command of Major G.A. Inksetter. arrived in England on the 29th April 1915.
After six months of training in England, the company embarked for France on the 16th September 1915.

Albert Uden had recently been appointed (7th May 1918) to the rank of Lance Corporal and on the 26th June 1918, 100 years ago today, the company were based at La Riviere and were engaged in various tasks working on two dugouts , fixing the wire in another part of their sector and working on theatre hut (source War Diary 4th Field Company, Canadian Engineers) . However on this day Albert Uden was admitted to the 5th Canadian Field Ambulance suffering from a varicose ulcer on the right leg. The problem had been an on-going one during recent months.

He had previously received treatment on the 1st January 1918 at the 6th Canadian Field Ambulance for an ICT (Inflammation of the Connective Tissue) of the right leg, he had been discharged back to duty on the 9th January.

The War Diary for the 6th Canadian Field Ambulance for the 1st January 1918 reads

Fine – Cold

Estree Gauchie S9 W1 SP7
De La Haie         S10 W0 SP55

Games, gas and squad drills during the morning. Capt D W McKechnie has been promoted to the rank of Major from 17-12-17

Quiet Day

S = Sick, W = Wounded, G = Gassed, SP = Sick Parade


Albert would later be transferred on the 1st July on to the No. 6 General hospital in Rouen, for further treatment on his ulcer and he was finally discharged back to reinforcements in Etaples on the 23rd July 1918.

Inflammation of the Connective Tissue along with trench foot was one of the more common aliments that affected soldiers in World War One. For Albert constantly repairing trenches in all conditions it is not surprising he suffered with this condition.

Albert’s nephews Solomon Charles Wraight was serving with the 315th Infantry Division of the United States Army having emigrated from England in 1915 and William John Wraight was serving with the Royal Air Force

References
Canadian Library and Archives

Answering Canada's call

20^th January 1915

100 years ago today Albert Benjamin Uden (My Great Grand Uncle) enlisted at Ottawa with the Canadian Expeditionary force.

Canadian Red Ensign

Born in Dover, Kent on the 17^th October 1882, the son of Albert Uden and Eliza Sowman. His father was a Potato merchant and the family grew up on Seven Star Street in Dover. Albert married Maude Torr, also from Dover, in 1905 in Paddington. Along with their newly born son Albert they emigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1907 sailing on the Empress of Britain.

In 1915 Albert, Maude and their two sons Albert (born in Paddington in 1906) and George (born in Ontario, Canada in 1910) were living in Bellwoods Ave, Toronto.

A carpenter by trade Albert aged 32 years and 2 months enlisted in the 4^th Field Company of the Canadian Engineers. He was 5ft 5in tall with brown eyes, dark brown hair and a dark complexion. Albert also had two vaccination scars on his right arm and a scar on his left shin. 

Eight years after sailing 1,000's of miles to start a new life in Canada, Albert Uden volunteered to return.