The Battle of Dogger Bank

24^th January 1915  – The Battle of Dogger Bank

The German raid on Scarborough on the 16th December 1914 had resulted in 86 dead and 424 wounded, the public outcry against this attack on civilians was huge and at the inquest the coroner remarked “Where were the Navy?” With young children among the casualties Real Admiral Franz Hipper had earned his new sobriquet “Baby Killer”. The Royal Navy waited for the German High Seas Fleet to reappear.

On the 24^th January 1915, the Navy got its chance!

Naval intelligence reported that the German Battlecrusier Squadron had left its Jade Island base late the previous day. Hipper’s flagship Seydlitz was accompanied by Moltke, Derfflinger and Blucher. The 2^nd Battlecruiser Squadron under the command of Admiral Sir David Beatty on his flagship The Lion, accompanied by Tiger, Princess Royal, New Zealand and HMS Indomitable sailed to intercept.

Serving on board HMS Indomitable was Stoker (2^nd Class) Robert Harris, my Great Grand Father in Law.

Stoker 2nd Class - Robert Harris

Contact was made with the enemy at 7.20am and a deadly pursuit began immediately. As the stern chase started the response of the engine room was magnificent, By 8.30am the British squadron were doing 26 knots, Admiral Beatty called for 27. Yet the Indomitable, commanded by Captain F.W. Kennedy, whose trail speed was just over 25 knots was keeping up. The flagship in admiration signalled “Well steamed, Indomitable” (The Great war at Sea).

At 8.52am The Lion fired at couple of ranging shots and whilst still at 20,000 yards Beatty ordered his other ships to “open fire and engage the enemy”

Like the older Blucher, Beatty’s rearmost ship, the Indomitable, was no longer able to hold the pace and was dropping astern. Moltke, Defflinger and Seydlitz all concentrated their fire on the Lion and between 10.30 and 10.50am the Lion received heavy damage and was hit 15 times. The Seydlitz and Blucher were also badly damaged, which caused the Blucher to slow to 17 knots.

At this point a submarine periscope was spotted and fearing they had been lured into a trap the British turned allowing the Germans to make a run for it, leaving the Blucher to her fate. Beatty wanted the pursuit to continue and Indomitable to finish off the Blucher by herself, but due to a signalling misunderstanding all four remaining ships concentrated their fire on the stricken Blucher.

Although the Blucher fought on valiantly to the end, her fate was sealed and she eventually sank with the loss of 792 men. 234 men were saved by the British ships but efforts to rescue more were ended when a German Seaplane attacked the scene, although no damage was done the British ships were sitting targets for further attacks and withdrew.

SMS Blucher Sinking

By this time, Hipper had escaped and his ships were now too far away for the British to catch them again.

The Indomitable had fired 134 shells, hitting the Blucher 8 times and had received one direct hit, but there were no casualties on board Robert Harris' ship.

But the danger for those on-board the Indomitable was far from over. The badly damaged Lion had to be towed back to port by the Indomitable, at a maximum speed of just 10 knots, the danger of submarine attacks was great and a screen of over fifty ships was assigned to guard the two battlecruisers on their long and dangerous voyage home.

"The War Illustrated" reported on "The Naval Victory in the North Sea - Triumph of British Gunnery and Seamanship" (6th Feb 1915), the truth analysed over the last 100 years perhaps paints a different picture, the accuracy of the German fire was better and their ships were able to withstand greater damage than ours but at that time there was no doubt in the press that the "Baby Killer" had been given a bloody nose and that British Naval honour had been restored

References

The Great War at Sea, Richard Hough

The War Illustrated.

Wikipedia - The Battle of Dogger Bank

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.

A Christmas Truce

25^th Dec 1914 – A Christmas Truce

For Corporal John Graffham (My Great Grand Uncle in Law) serving with the 2^nd Battalion The Queens, Royal West Surrey Regiment Christmas day 100 years ago must have been a very strange experience indeed.

Earlier in the week on the 18^th December his battalion had supported a heavy attack on the German trenches in which the Warwicks, South Staffords and Royal Welch Fusiliers had received heavy casualties. The following day a local armistice occurred to collect the dead, during which time a officer from the South Staffords was killed by a sniper and two officers and seven stretcher bearers who had been enticed into the German Trenches and were taken prisoner. The armistice on the 19^th came to a swift end when the British shelled the German Trenches.

So one can only image the feelings and thoughts of John Graffham as the events of Christmas day 1914 unfolded. He had been involved in some of the heaviest fighting of the war over the last 3 months, with comrades being killed or wounded on a daily basis and yet.

Diary Extract – 25^th December 2^nd battalion the Queens Royal West Surrey

Xmas Day – At 11.0 am an armistice began – It started opposite the left of the Wiltshire Regt – the Regt on our right. Many German officers and men came out of their trenches to midway between the two lines – parties were sent out to collect and bury the dead who had been killed on the 18^th – graves were dug in the centre between the lines. 71 bodies were collected chiefly Warwicks….

…The Germans were nearly all belonging to the 55^th Regt – Several Staff officers also came over – these were quite a different class to the infantry officers, who were of a very low class. All professed themselves as confident as to their being able to end the war in their favour. They had no opinion of the Russians who they considered already beaten. All gave the appearance however of being fed up with the war. Armistice concluded at 4.0 pm with agreement to resume it at 9.0 am following morning as dead were not all buried.

The armistice at Christmas 1914 is one of the best known stories of World War One and even today is featuring in TV adverts. For John Joseph Graffham, my Great grand Uncle in law, 100 years ago today he experienced it with his own eyes.

No mention of Football though! More clearing and burying the dead, perhaps not a merry Christmas as the legends of the 1914 Christmas truce would make out.

Merry Christmas

Tony

Home by Christmas

23^rd December 1914

Home by Christmas

Private Charles Henry Bush (my 1^st Cousin 3 times removed) 100 years ago was serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and had been out with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France since August 20^th.

Charles was serving at No 9 General Hospital, which had been initially established in Nantes at the outbreak of war and it had moved to Rouen in November 1914.

The common perception when war broke out in August 1914 was that the conflict would be all over by Christmas and everyone would be return home victorious.

How wrong that would prove to be! 

However, for Charles Bush, on the 23^rd December 1914, that situation was about to change. After 126 days in France, Charles, aged 36, was posted to New End Military Hospital, Hampsted and was home for Christmas Eve 1914.

New End Military Hospital

A huge change from the tented general hospitals based in Rouen. This new military hospital was established to cope with the ever increasing number of wounded servicemen from the front. Originally a Workhouse, which closed in January 1915 to become a military Hospital.

Tony

Life in the Trenches

9^th December 1914 

For Corporal John Graffham serving with the 2^nd Battalion The Queens, Royal West Surrey Regiment, the reality of life in the trenches was no doubt a vastly different experience than what anyone could have imagined the war would be like. The Battalion had just moved into the trenches West of La Boutillerie, Northern France and 100 years ago today the conditions for my Great Grand Uncle in law were far from ideal.

Battalion War Diary extract from 9^th December.

Trenches. The communication trenches very bad & in some places up to over knees. Three men had to be dug out of the mud last night (one man was rescued in the morning having been stuck in the mud all night. One man was killed by a sniper today whilst cutting branches of a tree). There are casualties reported daily the men prefer to walk in the open & be shot at than to walk along these terrible communication trenches. Strict orders have been issued about men exposing themselves. (A very dark night several messages came down that enemy were attacking our line eventually a report came in that the enemy were in our trenches. A star shell was fired & there was no sign of the enemy).

19 officers. 956 other ranks.

1 Killed 1 wounded 5 to hospital

How quickly the open warfare at the beginning of the War in 1914 had changed to the realities and conditions of trench warfare so associated with the conflict today. One can only imagine what my ancestors thoughts and daily experiences were. The constant daily danger and what he needs to do to survive, thoughts of home, Daisy his wife and his young son, Albert, only a few months old...

For reference - The man killed was Private John Holloran L/8459 he is commemorated on the Ploegsteert memorial (CWGC)

Tony

The attack was timed for 6.15am. There was a heavy mist...

7^th November 1914

Diary extract from the 2^nd Battalion, The Queens– Royal West Surrey Regiment

The attack was timed for 6.15am. There was a heavy mist and it was only just becoming day light… the Queens forming the first two lines. They advanced over the rise in the ground and a heavy machine gun fire was opened by the Germans. The second line came up with the first and together the charge was made. It was completely successful and the enemy got out of their trenches and ran away. The advance continued and the trench D was taken but could not be hold owing to enfilade fire. During the charge Capt. Roberts was hit when he had led his men almost up to the German position. Lt. Lang Browne & Lt Collis were also wounded & taken prisoner. Lt. Haigh was killed and Lt. Pascoe wounded, Sgt. Major Lucas was also killed.

Three machine guns were taken in the German trench… There was considerable rifle fire all day and the enemy also fired many high explosives, percussion & shrapnel, but did no damage…

The losses of the Regiment had been heavy but the enemy were driven from the footing they had secured and time was given for the French reinforcements to come up.

Casualties on 7^th Nov

Killed -14 - Officers 2, Other ranks 12

Wounded – 64 - Officers 5, Other ranks 59

Missing 19

Total Casualties - 97

Although the Battalion remained in the field for the following day, the 7^th November saw their last action in the Firstbattle of Ypres.

Serving with the 2^nd Battalion was Private John Joseph Graffham (my Great Grand Uncle in law). John was born in 1891 in Dorking, Surrey, the son of Peter and Sarah Graffham; he had 3 brothers and 3 sisters. He married Daisy Denman in 1911 in Reigate, Surrey and their first son Albert had been born earlier in 1914.

The 2^nd Battalion had been stationed in South Africa at the outbreak of war, recalled to England in September and finally arriving in Zeebrugge on the 4^th October. They had been in contact with the enemy almost immediately upon arrival, retiring, holding lines, supporting the Belgium and French armies and other units of the BEF. 

John Graffham’s Battalion had been involved in fierce fighting continually from 15^th October onwards, Casualties were high - 18 Killed, 123 wounded and 37 missing on the 21^st. 16 killed on the 24^th. 9 Casualties on the 26^th , 12 on the 27^th, 13 on the 28^th, 92 on the 29^th, 90 on the 30^th, 99 on the 31^st, 24 between the 1^st & 3^rd Nov and a further 30 casualties on the 5^th.

The Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment as a whole recorded 457 fatalities (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) from 4^th Oct to the 8^th November 1914 highlighting the heavy fighting and huge losses of Britain's professional army in 1914.  The 2nd Battalion itself had suffered 676 casualties since landing in Zeebrugge in October.

As the open war of movement stagnated into fixed trench warfare all along the Western front, new replacements appeared in the ranks and John Graffham had undergone a baptism of fire.

Tony

Gallipoli - Opening Shots

HMS Indomitable had remained in the Mediterranean after the unsuccessful pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau at the outbreak of War. Serving on-board, deep in the engine room, was my Great grandfather in law, Stoker 2nd Class Robert Harris.

HMS Indomitable

On 3 November 1914, 100 years ago today, Churchill ordered the first British attack on the Dardanelles following the declaration hostilities between Turkey and Russia the previous day. The attack was carried out by HMS Indomitable and Indefatigable, as well as the French pre-dreadnought battleships Suffren and Verite. 

The intention of the attack was to test the fortifications and measure the Turkish response. The results were deceptively encouraging. In a twenty minute bombardment, a single shell struck the magazine of the fort at Sedd El Bahr at the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, displacing (but not destroying) 10 guns and killing 86 Turkish soldiers, Total casualties during the attack were 150, of which forty were German.

The fort at Sedd El Bahr (photo actually taken in 1915 during the Gallipoli landings)

The most significant consequence however was that the attention of the Turks was drawn to strengthening their defences and they set about expanding the mine field in the straights.

The attack actually took place before the formal declaration of war had been made by Britain against the Ottoman Empire which didn't happen until the 5th November.

HMS Indomitable was ordered to return to England in December where she joined the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron. 

References

Wikipedia

Robert Harris Navy Service Record (Personal Collection)