Category Archives: Graves

Cecil Rupert May

Army, Commemorated name/s, Royal Berkshire Regiment

Cecil Rupert May
Private 1st/4th Battalion
Royal Berkshire Regiment

May CR photo May CR grave

Cecil Rupert May is commemorated on his parents grave. He was the son of Frederick and Harriet May of 51, Market Place,  Reading.  It has not been possible to obtain information about Cecil Rupert May from Ancestry sources. He was killed in action on 16th May 1916.  Cecil May is buried in Hébuterne Military Cemetery, location I B 9.

The 1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment were the first British Battalion to take over from the French.   In May, the 1st/4th’s took over “G” sector, an area of unfamiliar and difficult ground near Tourvent farm on the outskirts of Serre.  The ground was badly cut up with old trenches and shell holes and littered with bones from the fighting in June 1915.  The communications trench was 1½ miles long and in a very poor state.  Rations had to be brought up from Hébuterne.  The front line was itself a salient which projected towards the strong German defence system around Serre.  The line was defended with some difficulty using an arrangement of disconnected outposts.

At 12.30 a.m. on the morning of 16th May a raid took place.  The Germans had opened a violent bombardment on another sector around midnight on the left of the 48th Division.  The guns of the 48th division responded to a false SOS and the Germans, after registering on the division guns, then directed heavy fire at the batteries.  Across a frontage of 600 yards two platoons of the 1st/4th’s manned seven detached posts.

The bombardment lasted half an hour and was directed at the front and supervision lines.  At 1 a.m. the bombardment shifted to the support and reserve trenches with shells falling at a rate of a hundred per minute.  “B” company in their outposts were over powered and half a supporting platoon of “A” company were destroyed in the bombardment.  When the Germans finally made their attack the outposts were in such disarray that they managed to get in behind and attack the Berkshires from the rear.  The attack, continued by German infantry until 1.40a.m. along different parts of the salient, and the bombardment went on all night until it stopped at dawn.

Losses numbered 98, 18 killed and 29 missing, later most were reported as prisoners of war.  ‘B’ company lost half its fighting strength.  This was the first serious test for the 1st/4th’s and their endurance, discipline and fighting spirit were praised by the Divisional and Corps Commanders.  Cecil May was killed during this action.

Detail of this action are taken from the History of the Royal Berkshire Regiment by Petre and as written up in ‘The School,the Master,the Boys and the VC’ – the story behind the Alfred Sutton School War Memorial and the Great War 1914-1918.

 

George Henry Martin

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

George Henry Martin
Sapper 235379
Royal Engineers

Division 49 

Martin GH photo

George Henry Martin  lived at 45, Cranbury Road, Reading.  His death was notified in the Standard on 27th April 1918. He died on April 3rd 1918, aged 23 years.

He is commemorated on a family grave.  His parents were George and Sarah Martin. George’s father was a painter and decorator and George Henry probably worked for him. His occupation as stated in the 1911 census was painters lad. George Henry Martin’s attestation papers are available. He attested on 29 January 1916. Upon enlistment his occupation was given as Crane Driver and driller. He had served 2 years in the 1/4 Royal Berkshire Territorial unit and tried to sign for overseas service in September 1914 but was not considered suitable  due to flat feet and a weak right ankle. After attesting he was posted to the Army Reserve the next day and later to Royal Engineers. He served at home from from 21January 1917 until 2 February 1918 where he may have spent sometime working for Inland Waterways. On 2 February 1918 he was discharged as no longer fit for service although it is noted that he would have to attend a further medical examination. George Henry Martin suffered an accident whilst on duty on a barge when woden beams fell on him and severed his spinal cord resulting in paralysis of his lower limbs and requiring constant care.

The author is carrying out further enquiries to establish whether he would be entitled to registration under the CWGC and would be eligible for a war pattern headstone. Sapper Martin is actually buried in the grave currently no information can be found as to his war record through the CWGC Internet site.

Walter John (Jack) Malham

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, RFC / RAF, Somme

Walter John Malham
Rifleman R/11278 7th Battalion
Kings Royal Rifle Corps

Division 40

Malham J photo Malham JH dad of J photo

Walter John Malham   is commemorated on a small scroll stone which gives the first names of other family members (probably sister and mother) and the legend ‘Jack 19 Died in France 1916’.  The Berkshire Family History Monumental Inscriptions files enabled me to locate the scroll (40G26) and their work also identified the family name of Malham.  A CWGC search then enabled the identification of ‘Jack’.  He was the only son of John Henry and Lillian Malham, of 59, Brunswick Street, Reading.  His father also served in the army, first in the Army Service Corps and later as a 1st Air Mechanic with the RAF.

Walter John, who was obviously known as Jack to his family, died of wounds on 20th September 1916, aged 19.  He is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt-L’Abbe, Somme.  The village is some 10 kilometres west of Albert. The 36th Clearing Station was at Heilly from 1st April 1916.  It is not known how or when Jack was wounded.  However, the 14th Division was in the area of Delville Wood 15th July to 3rd September 1916 fighting in the battle of the same name.  The Division also fought in the Battle of Flers -Courcelette 15th to 22nd September 1916.  In this last battle, tanks were used for the first time.

Ancestry UK indicated that Walter John Malham was born 23 February 1897. He was a warehouse assistant in 1911 and his father was a engineering pattern maker. He had two older sisters.