Peter,
The grave you have found is indeed a man of the 6th Welsh Regt.
I have no record of his death apart from what is on CWGC. All I can assume is that he was would in the field and taken home to recover, the few weeks beofe his death the 6th Welsh were in the trenches most of the time working around SPANBROUKE MOLEN & THE BLACK REDPUBT.
listed below is from the War Diary of the about 2 weeks prior to his death, the unit suffered almost daily casualties of men killed by shell fire, and the latter part of 1915 the 'Sniper' was a real killer for troops woking in the trenches.
I am trying to obtain pictures of all the 6th Welsh Graves in France, Belgium and UK, and this one has been on my hit list for a while.
If anybody is interesdted I have a small 'potted history' of the 6th Welsh I will be happy to pass on to any who are interested, it is about 8 pages on A4, drop me a line with e-mail address and will send on.
Simon
Sept. 8 1915 - Evidently the enemy have a good
supply of Stem Engines because
another one was reported working in
the same place this morning.
They are apparently making
SPANBROUKE MOLEN into a REDOUBT.
Very little is actually happening
but there seems just that stir
in the air that heralds big things.
September 9th 1915
Today we shelled the BLACK REDOUBT
with High Explosives, with good
outward results, a good deal of their
parapet was knocked down
and judging from the amount
of earth etc, that has been
churned up from these, some
mess was made inside.
C + D Coys releived, A + B Coys.
in the trenches. The whole
relief was completed by 9 . 30 PM
this is the record to date.
Lt Frisby came back from leave
& Lt Langer went on leave.
The work in the trenches at the
present time chiefly consists
of refacing the parapet &
digging shell trenches & repairing
the firing platform, some
drainage was also done.
A patrol of ours last night
reported that they could hear
the enemy drive stakes of timber
in houses West of E1, in the
gully where fire is always seen.
No working party are visible.
Sept. 10 1915 - Shell trenches are being
dug with great activity, also
General repairs are everywhere
being executed.
Troops were seen passing
through WYCHEATE just at dusk
their progress was estimated
+ they were shelled.
The enemy continues to fortify
SPANIBOOKE MOULIN and to reparing
the whole of the front line
trenches generally.
Sept. 11 1915 - The permanent men on the
Communication trenches are doing
good work + having finished
PALL MALL are now busy with
REGENT STREET in which they have
dug a drain & relayed boards
for a distance about 100 yards.
The same work in the
fire trenches continues today
as yesterday. A patrol
examined the enemy's wire
yesterday which they reported
as good work no gaps.
Some fresh wire has been
placed near this extended sap
in front of E2.
Sept... 12 1915 - We shelled the BLACK
REDOUBT again today both with
heavy + high explosive shells
and fairly knocked the place
about. The enemy started
with whizz bangs, one of which
set the Old Farm + Haystack on
fire behind S.P.8, a Machine
Gun + rifle fire was directed
on the camouflage position which
prevented communication to S. P. 8
so another trench was started
skirting the farm.
A working party was observed
placing wire around this
extended sap in front of
F2 a little rapid fire from
the garrison of 3 bays assited
by a machine gun traversing
over the parapet was used
+ the work was not further
Proceeded with during the night.
A mountain gun and some
Trench Mortars pourded explosives
into the ruined houses in front
of E2, to one very large
explosion, it is thought that
an ammunition store was
hit. These houses are now
raised to the ground.
Our snipers observed an enemy
MG emplacement about 100 yards
NW of SPANBROUKE MOULEN.
Working party seen steam
pump working discharging some
water + steam this morning, alongside
the houses we shelled, the night before.
Lt Frisby took over the transport
+ Lt Davies went in to the trenches.
Sept. 13 1915 - Nothing to report.
Sept. 14 1915 - The work of repairing the
parapet + completing the shell
trenches is still in progress.
In E7 nearly five new dugouts are completed.
A party working on the
C. T to S.P.8. have finished
the line at an average depth of three feet.
An enemy working party seen
40 yards North of SPANBROUKE MOULIN
large peices of timber being
laid in the trench, the Artillery
were informed + operations
stopped. Heavy artillery put
7 shells right on to BLACK
REDOUBT. Enemy making small
saps, just in front of SPANBROUKE
MOULEN, it is thought they intend
to join up to extended saps
in front of F2.
15 Sept... 1915 - The work of drainage and refacing
Is continuing, & satisfactory progress is being made.
Enemy have been seen carrying
stakes + timbers that looks
like match boarding to a point
in their trench about 40 yards
NW of SPANBROUKE MOULEN. Our
Artillery dispersed them. The
fire in empty houses in front
of E2 is surmised to be merely
a blind to hide the pump working
in the Sap behind. A Trench
Mortar fired on these houses
with good effect.
Author
Topic: "Died at HOME" Service Record (Read 11843 times)