Grenville Dabson Flack, Borden, Kent

[SueB2015]

Hi - I am researching some if the WW1 'Fallen' from Borden, Kent.  I have found the above chap in the UK Directory for Borden 1918 which states that he owned/rented Vigo Farm, Borden.  I would like ti find out what I can about this - any help would be most appreciated
Thank you

[Per Quist]

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/54095/FLACK,%20G

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56528280

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url=https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/[/url

[url]https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/2477638

You spelled his first forename wrongly, and so did the Army, on his Medal Roll entry for his entitlement to the award of the 1914-1915 Star Campaign Medal they made a typo and wrongly recorded his forename as Branville.

Private Granville Dabson Flack, 270574 The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and 2256 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion.

He died in France, from wounds, on 21st October 1918 after serving for over 3 years in several theaters of war.

He is buried in Lapugnoy Military Cemetery near Bethune in the Arras area of the Pas de Calais area in France, he was known by the authorities to have been buried in that cemetery, but the location of his grave was unknown to them, and so he is commemorated on a memorial within the cemetery.

According to his 1918 probate record, he appears to have been a Lance Corporal at one period of his service, but that isn't mentioned on his surviving military documents.

He was born in the Borden area in late 1887 or early 1888.

The 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion was a Territorial Force Bn. which was affiliated to the regular Regiment of The Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

Both regimental numbers were for the 10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion, that's because the 10th Yeomanry Bn. was a Territorial Force unit, and from 1st April 1917 all men serving in a Territorial Force Yeomanry unit were allocated new regimental numbers which were issued from pre allocated number blocks which were issued to each regiment and then each regimental block was further sub divided into separate number blocks which were then allocated to each separate battalion within the regiment.

At that time, there were three territorial Force battalions affiliated and attached to the Buffs (East Kent Regiment).

Plus the former 2/1st Bn. Royal East Kent Yeomanry (The Duke of Connaught’s Own) (Mounted Rifles) but in 1916 they were converted to be a T.F. Cyclist Battalion and in the 1917 T.F. renumbereing they were treated as being part of the Royal West Kent Regiment for renumbering purposes.

1/4th and 2/4th Battalions...1/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion...2/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion...10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion

Yes I know that sounds like 5 Battalions, and it was, but it was really the the 4th and 5th Bns. each of which had two sub Bns., plus the 10th Bn. as a separate Bn.

That was because at the start of WW1 and up until the introduction of conscription in April 1916 soldiers in T.F. units, even in wartime, could only be obliged to serve within Britain, unless they volunteered to be liable for overseas service, and soon after the start of WW1 a lot of them did volunteer.

So the Army separated the men of each T.F. battalion into separate Bns. which each included either overseas service volunteers or non volunteers.

The Bn. number of the overseas Bns. was prefixed with the number 1 the non overseas Bns. were prefixed with the number 2, which were then known as either first line or second line Bns. respectively.

So for example, the 4th T.F. Bn. of the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) was divided into the 1/4th and 2/4th Bns. and some units with more than two T.F. sub Bns. were given additional Bn. prefix numbers of 3 etcetera.

[Per Quist]

Anyway, his new second regimental number of 270274 which was issued to him in April 1917 was issued from a block of numbers which was allocated to 10th Bn. (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry).

He first entered a theater of War on 24th September 1915 in the Balkans (2b) theater = Gallipoli (Dardanelles) and he was awarded a 1914-1915 Star Campaign Medal in respect of that service, that medal was awarded to 2256 Flack 1/1st Royal East Kent Yeomanry.

The evacuation of Gallipoli was completed on 9th January 1916.

However, the 10th battalion (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) didn't exist in 1915, and it wasn't created until 1917.

10th (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) Battalion was formed at Sollum in Egypt on 1st February 1917 from the dismounted troops from two Yeomanry regiments,...Royal East Kent Yeomanry and the West Kent Yeomanry Regiments.

At the start of WW1 the official title of the Royal East Kent Yeomanry was, the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Duke of Connaughts Own) ( Mounted Rifles ) ( Hussars) but they were usually referred to as the Royal East Kent Yeomanry or the East Kent Yeomanry, and 1/1st Bn. Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Duke of Connaughts Own) ( Mounted Rifles ) sailed from Liverpool on 24th September 1915 bound for Gallipoli and they landed in Gallipoli on 8th October 1918 it's counterpart the West Kent Yeomanry also sailed for Gallipoli at the same time, his unit was evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916 to the Island of Mudros, then in February 1916 it went to Egypt.

So it was as a soldier in the Royal East Kent Mounted Rifles (Duke of Connaughts Own) that he would have served during the Gallipoli campaign and his 1914-1915 Star medal was issued to Pte. 2256 Flack 1/1st Bn. RWKYMR, his British War & Allied Victory medals were issued to 270574 10th Bn. Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry.

However, his medal records say that he entered the Balkans theater of war on 24th September 1915 and so those dates for his unit's embarkation and entry into a theater of war in the Balkans need to be compared and checked against some original primary sources such as the Battalion War Diaries which will give a contemporary day by day account of the location and activity of the battalion.

Pre WW1 the Battalion had 4 squadrons whilst in England in 4 areas, with sub detachments in each area, B Squadron was based in Faversham and had sub detachments in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Sheerness, and Sittingbourne, so chances are that a resident of Borden would have enlisted into the Sittingbourne detachment and there is a source which says that he enlisted in Sittingbourne.

The 10th Battalion (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) served against the Turkish Army in Palestine, and took part in the 2nd Battle of Gaza in April 1917, the Battle of Beersheba in October 1917, and in the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917.

In February 1918 the 10th Battalion (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) went to France and landed in Marseilles on 7th May 1918.

The 10th Battalion (Royal East Kent and West Kent Yeomanry) served in the Second Battles of the Somme in August/September 1918, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line in September/October 1918, the final Advance in Artois and Flanders and ended the war in Tournai in Belgium in November 1918.

Sorry that you asked. ? 

[Per Quist]

Lieutenant Colonel Charles E. Ponsonby was first a Lieutenant and later a Major in the the Royal East Kent Yeomanry in WW1 and in 1920 as a Lieutenant Colonel he published a book called,
West Kent Yeomanry & 10th (Yeomanry) Battalion,The Buffs By Lt Col Charles Ponsonby

In that book he gave the following timeline for the unit.

42nd (East Lancashire) Division)...5th August 1914 Mobilized and concentrated at Maidstone
9th August 1914 - Arrived at War Station, Sturry, Fordwich and Westbere near Canterbury
April 1915 - Inspected by H.M The King
23rd September 1915 - Sailed from Liverpool on the SS Olympic (White Star Line) Troopship
HMT 2810, 2nd October 1915 - Arrived Mudros, 7th October 1915  Arrived Cape Helles, Gallipoli
31st December 1915 Left Cape Helles, 1st January Arrived Mudros,
5th February 1915  Arrived Sidi Bishr near Alexandria, Egypt,
16th March 1915 El Kubri (Suez Canal), 13th April 1915 Suez Canal,
18th May 1916  El Shatt (Suez Canal), 1st July 1916 El Ferdan (Suez Canal), 27th July 1916 Sidi Bishr, 6th August 1916 Marsa Matruh Western Front Egypt,
14th January 1917 Sollum Egypt Regiment to be disbanded


10th Battalion
1st February 1917 Almagamation of 1/1st West Kent Yeomanry with 1/1st Royal East Kent
Mounted Rifles, 16th March 1917 Sidi Bishr, 11th April 1917 Deir el Belah,
18th April 1917 Second Battle of Gaza (74th Division held in Reserve), 22nd April 1917 Tel-el-Jemmi
29th April 1917 Shellal and Hisea, 28th May 1917 Wadi Levi, 9th July 1917 Dorset House,
7th August 1917 Deir el Belah (fig grove), 28th August 1917 Sheikh Hamuda,
6th September 1917 Regents Park and Samson's Ridge near, Gaza, Egypt,
20th September 1917 Sheikh Hamuda, 25th October 1917 Abu Sitta, 28th October 1917 Tel el Fara
30th October 1917 Khasif, 31st October 1917 Battle of Beersheba, 1st November 1917 Wadi Saba
3rd November 1917 Muweileh, 6th November 1917 Battle of Sheria, 10th November 1917 Karm,
18th November 1917 St James Park, 23rd November 1917 Deir Seneid,
25th November 1917 El Mejel, 26th November 1917 Nahr Sukereir,
27th November 1917 Junction Station, 28th November 1917 Latrun,
29th November 1917 Beit Nuba (52 miles from St James Park)
2nd December 1917 New Kent Road, near Ammam ( which in 2015 = Jordan )
7th December 1917 Wadi Moya, near Kubeibeh, 8th December 1917 Battle of Jerusalem,
9th December 1917 Beit Iksa, 15th December 1917 Beit Hanina, 21st December 1917 Wadi Moya,
27th December 1917 Beit Izza, 29th December 1917 Ramallah captured (now West Bank of Israel),
3rd January 1918 Beit Izza, 5th January 1918 Beit Likia, 9th January 1918 Beit Sira,
18th February 1918 Kurbeha Ibn Harith, 4th March 1918 Balua Lake, near Ramallah,
9th to 12th March 1918 advanced towards Nablus, Yebrud and Burj Badawile occupied,
13th to 26th March 1918 Turmus Aya outpost line, 7th April 1918 Burj Badawile, leaving Palestine, 8th April 1918 Near Beitunia, leaving Palestine, 9th April 1918 Beit Sira, marching to leave Palestine,
10th April 1918 Kubub, 11th April 1918 Sura Fend, near Ludd, 14th April 1918 Kantara,
1st May 1918 sailed frpm Alexandria, Egypt,

7th May 1918 arrived Marseilles, France, 11th May 1918 Foret L'Abbaye, 22nd May 1918 Buneville,
25th May 1918 Izel-les-Hameau, 25th June 1918 Enquin les Mines, 10th July 1918 Ham in Artois,
11th July 1918 La Pierriere, 23rd July 1918 La Miquellerie,
4th August to 24th August 1918 Operations in Merville Sector, Collone St Floris, St Venant,
24th August 1918 La Pierriere, 26th August 1918 Cotes,
29th August 1918 Entrained at Lille and arrived Heilly, near Amiens, 31st August 1918 Maricourt,
1st to 24th September 1918 advanced towards the Hindenburg Line,
25th September 1918 Aubigny, Villers Bretonneaux, 27th September 1918 Heilly,
28th September 1918 Allouayne, 1st October 1918 Basse Rue, 8th October 1918 Lattre,
11th October 1918 Near Sainghin, 13th October 1918 Fournes,
16th October 1918 Quinquibus Farm, 18th October 1918 Wattignies, 19th October 1918 Engrain,
20th October 1918 Baisieux, 25th October 1918 Orcq, 29th October 1918 Marquain,
30th October 1918 Hertain, 8th November 1918 Faubourg-de-Lille,
9th November 1918 entry into Tournai,
11th November 1918 hostilities ceased, moved to Montreuil-au-Bois, 12th November 1918 Escalette
14th November 1918 Herquecies, 18th November 1918 Barry,
7th December 1918 Visit of H.M The King, 15th December 1918 Fresnes,
17th December 1918 Thollembeek and Vollezeel, Belgium,
26th January 1919 Review at Brussels, Belgium by H.M The King of Belgians,
27th February 1919 Grammont, 17th June 1919 Consecration of Colours at Canterbury,
21st June 1919 Colour handed for safe custody to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury,
21st June 1919 10th (Yeomanry) Battalion, The Buffs DISBANDED

[Per Quist]

http://oi62.tinypic.com/vs13zl.jpg  http://oi59.tinypic.com/24qtj5x.jpg

http://oi62.tinypic.com/15efdja.jpg  http://oi60.tinypic.com/2eocom0.jpg

http://oi60.tinypic.com/2hgbf60.jpg  http://oi62.tinypic.com/wbanhg.jpg

http://oi62.tinypic.com/2ufdixt.jpg   http://oi58.tinypic.com/2ue5mqx.jpg

His birth certificate is available from here
http://www.kent.gov.uk/births-ceremonies-and-deaths/Births/birth-certificates

Probate of his estate was granted in London, and his probate records can be obtained from here.
https://courttribunalfinder.service.gov.uk/courts/london-probate-department

http://www.probateforms.info/probate-registries/

His Army death certificate should normally be available from the General Register Office for England and Wales, http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ but very unusually, he doesn't seem to have a death registration in the Army casualty records.