Category Archives: Western Front

Stanley Martin

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Loos, Other Regiments, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Stanley Martin M.M.
Sergeant 200620
1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment  and

2nd Lieutenant
2nd London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers

Sergt Martin, Stanley photo MARTIN S2 AS

Stanley Martin was the son of Charles Alfred and Maria Martin who lived at 22, Hatherley Road Reading. The home address in 1901 was the same as the caption on the photograph. Charles Martin’s occupation was a cooper, by 1911he was a foreman cooper at the Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Factory. Stanley was the youngest of four children, he had two older sisters and an older brother. In 1911 he was still in school.

He enlisted in 1914 in the 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment aged 17½ and reached the rank of acting C.S.M. when he was recommended for a commission being promoted to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Fusiliers.  He was still with the  1st/4th’s when he received the Military Medal for “conspicuous good work in an attack on April 5th 1917.

Details of the action were published in the Standard May 12 1917 in relation a Lance Corporal Herbert Degrucy of 29 Grosbrook Road, Caversham who, like Sergenant Stanley Martin  was awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous good work.  ‘During the attack on the villages of Ronssoy, Basse and Lempire, after the village was entered the company had to push on to link up with another battalion 1,000 yards through the village, and during the flight that ensued this N.C.O. showed great ability, being a great help to the C.O.  he set a fine example and displayed great bravery and devotion to duty.  Sergeant Stanley Martin, was awarded the Military Medal in connection with the engagement detailed above.

He was killed in action on September 18 1918 aged 24 years and buried at Ephey Wood Farm Cemetery, the Somme.  The village of Epehy was captured at the beginning of April 1917.  It was lost at the beginning of the spring offensive on March 22nd 1918, after a gallant defense by members of the 21st Division.  British defenses were broken through on this day and the allies made a hasty retreat.  The Germans claimed the taking of 16,000 prisoners and 200 guns.

The village was retaken on 18 September 1918 in the Battle of Epehy, which started September 12 1918.  The cemetery takes its name from the Ferme du Bois and Plots I and II were made by the 12th Division after the capture of the village, and contains the graves of the men and officers who died during the battle 18th September 1918.

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.

Charles Henry Lukeman & Thomas Lukeman

Army, Commemorated name/s, Huntley & Palmers, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Batholomew's Church, Ypres

Charles Henry Lukeman
Sergeant 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 60
Adjacent to wall with Wokingham Road

Lukeman CH photo Lukeman CH mem name Lukeman T photo

 

Charles Henry Lukeman is commemorated on a large family headstone along with his brother Private Tom Lukeman. Both men are commemorated on the St. Bartholomew’s Church war memorial. They lived at 152, Chomley Road, Reading.

Charles Lukeman was killed by a sniper on August 16th 1917 aged 30.

The allied forces had on that day attacked along a nine mile front north of the Ypres – Menin Road crossing the Steenbeek River.  The ground was torn by the barrage and the low water  table made No-Mans Land a morass.   All the objectives were captured and the British reached Langemarck and half a mile beyond however,  the  Germans pressed the British back from the high ground won earlier in the day.

Charles Lukeman enlisted in 1914 and had been in  France 29 months.  Charles survived a  head wound received in September 1916 during the last phase of the Somme battle.

Charles was born in Reading and educated at Newtown School. Before the war he worked in the Continental Dept. Reading Biscuit Factory.

Charles Lukeman has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial – Panels 105,106 and 162.

Tom Lukeman
Private 41247
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Tom Lukeman joined the Army in June 1917 and went to France in October 1917.  He was reported  missing last seen November 30th 1917.  He was  32 years.

Whilst the Third Battle of Ypres was still raging an offensive further south was being planned, which was later to be known as the Battle of Cambrai.  Taking place on ground so far undisturbed by fighting it would involve the use of tanks in unprecedented numbers the object being the main and support trenches of the Hindenburg line.

The 5th Battalion reached the battle zone in the early hours of  20th November and formed up behind the tanks in a position east of Gonnelieu.  The attack began at 6.10am  and such was the success that by 8.00am the main Hindenburg line had been taken along a six mile stretch.  By the end of the day an advance of  three to four miles had been made.   There were 4000 casualties and 179 tanks lost.

During the following days consolidation of the line took place and it came as something of a shock when the Germans counterattacked on the 30th November with an opening barrage at 7.00am this and a heavy barrage of trench mortars inflicted heavy casualties.  When the front line was breached a withdrawal was ordered.  120 men were missing, among them Tom Lukeman, 120 wounded and 55 killed.

Tom Lukeman is commemorated on the Cambrai memorial to the missing panel 8.

Like his brother Tom was educated at Newtown school and prior to enlisting was employed by Huntley and Palmersin the Sugar Wafer Department. His name appears on that memorial which is held by Reading museum.