The Edward Fether service number 16034 was Hampshire Regiment 1st Bn and the date of his death 01/07/1916 corresponds with the "Battle of Albert. 1-13 Jul 1916"
Battle of Albert Saturday 1st July 1916
"In the opening phases of the Somme the great attack of July 1st 1916 on a 25 mile front began. The fourth were facing stronger defenses than anywhere else. They were to attack north of Beaumont Hamel where two redoubts and a quadrilateral trench were particularly strong. It was hoped that the Brigade would reach Munich trench 1000 yards behind the front line where supporting the 10th and 11th would go through it. At 7.20am 10 minutes before zero hour a large mine as blown up under the German redoubt Hawthorn Ridge. This gave away the exact time of the attack. After the heavy guns stopped firing the Germans had ample time to man there positions after being in deep undamaged dugouts. The Hampshire (leaving there trenches at 7.40) followed the East Lancashire who had already been almost wiped out. Very few Hampshire made it to the wire a few bombers were reported to have gotten into the German line, but the majority were brought down at or short of the wire. The survivors could only seek the poor shelter of the shell holes which pitted No Mans Land here they had to lie for hours until darkness fell . This was the 1st Hampshire's worst experience of the war it had cost them 11 officers and 310 men killed and missing, 15 officers and 250 men wounded."
http://1rhamps.com/ww1/Battalions/1stBn.html#2Very sad, perhaps war diaries may mention more? The exact date of death and regiment/battalion would show the other men that died with him. On the surface of it , he seems to have been only 25 years old.
Some of the men from the Hampshire Regiment that died in same battle on the same day.
1st of July 1916: L/Cpl F. Purdue of the 1st Battlion Hampshire Regiment - Redan Ridge No. 3
1st July 1916: Private A. E. Ward of the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment (19 years old and Mentioned in Despatches) - Redan Ridge No. 2
http://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/somme/beaumont.html1 July 1916 Private George Henry Wickens 1st Battlion Hampshire Regiment
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Topic: Death certificate (Read 1907 times)