Arthur DICKINSON MC

[jayaygee]

I wonder if someone can help me decide which War Diary I should order from TNA in the hope there will be a mention of the action which led to my uncle being awarded an MC in WW 1.  In the London Gazette this is what I have found:
“T./Lt. Arthur Dickinson, 10th Bn., Yorks. R. attd 12/13th Bn., North’d Fus.”
(MC Awards – Supplement to London Gazette – 29 Nov 1919 – 14787)
So should I go for the Yorkshire Regiment or the Northumberland Fusiliers?

Arthur DICKINSON was born in Sheffield on 24 March 1897.  According to my father he lied about his age,  joined the 1st Surrey Rifles and was sent to France early in 1915, which is confirmed by the London Regiment medal roll: "Theatre of war in which served 1(a) 15/03/15 to 29/01/1916". (I presume 1(a) is France.)

I have found him in the medal rolls of the London Regiment (n° 1524) and of the 10th Yorkshire, but I don't think his war record has survived. 

If anyone can suggest other sources of information about his military career, I’d be most grateful.

Judith

[MaxD]

The citation was originally published on 2 Dec 1918.  The original entry said he was with 62 LTM Battery.  The entry you are looking at corrected that to give the correct unit.  The original citation is here:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2970509 - on page 387

It has been annotated to show the action was at Beaucourt on 21 August 1918  The correct unit is the one he was attached to 12/13 NF but see below.

The relevant diary is able to be downloaded free at the moment  from the National Archives at:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7353161

That said, the citation implies that he was commanding trench mortars which do not figure in the diary at first sight.  More work needed.

More in due course.

maxD

[jayaygee]

That's great - thank you so much.  I have always been daunted by military records, so am very grateful for your help.

Judith

[MaxD]

Hi Judith

Daunted - rightly, years of dealing with them and still have to hack my way through a thicket of confusion!

All is now clear.  He was in command of the trench mortars of 62 Infantry Brigade to which 12/13 NF belonged at that time.  In the attack launched on 21 August he had 12 mortars, 4 of which were borrowed from 64 Brigade.

The battle is described in considerable detail in the 62 Bde diary and I'd suggest reading the citation, along with that diary, will give a better picture than the 12/13 War diary.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14054198

The attack was on the enemy positions on the River Ancre, in and around Beaucourt sur l'Ancre.  This link:
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=15&lat=50.07847&lon=2.66810&layers=101465227&right=BingHyb
shows the trench system on the east from which the attack was launched on Beaucourt on the right centre of the image.  It is clear from the diary record that the success of the attack on Beaucourt was due in large part his handling of his mortars.

He was commissioned into 10 Yorkshire Regiment on 29 Jan 1916.  He was "attached" rather than posted to 12/13 NF which is why he still appears on the Yorkshire  Regiment roll.  You may be able to find his arrival to 12/13 NF in their diary

His service record does not seem to have survived.

MaxD

[jayaygee]

Many, many thanks, MaxD.  That's all extremely useful information. Thank you too for clarifying which Beaucourt was the one mentioned as there are three in the Somme and I had been looking -there seemed to be two possibilities.

If I may, I'll come back later with a request concerning my father in WW 1, but as he was a private and his record doesn't appear to have survived either, there probably isn't any specific info - I'd just like to download the right War Diary to have some idea of what he did.  I must first see if my sister has any info additional to what I know.

Thank you again.

Judith

[MaxD]

I should be delighted to look at it.

maxD