Category Archives: Somme

Oswald Leopold House

Army, Commemorated name/s, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Oswald Leopold House
Private 2718 “D” Company
1st/4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 41

House O photo  CIMG2008

Oswald Leopold House , was the son of Frederick Arthur and Emily Maria House, of 42, Edinburgh Road, Reading.  The 1911 census gives Oswald’s occupation as a scholar, he wasthe 14 years old.  Oswald was the youngest child of his parents he had two older sisters,his father was a Law Writer. Ancestry UK also indicated that his 1914 – 15 star has been found in a car boot sale by Andrew Hadden.

Oswald Housewas killed in action on the 14th August 1916, aged 19.  He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme.  Pier and Face 11D.

The following account summarised from Battalion history outlines and attack which took place on 12th August 1916.  Oswald House was almost certainly involved in this attack and the role of “D” company is given.  It is possible that he was killed in this action but because his body was not found that the date of the 14th was reported to parents.  Or, he could have survived this major action and been killed in the preparations for an attack on Thiepval attack which was planned for the 18th August 1916.

On the night of the 12th August the 5th battalion Royal Berkshire Regt., who were close by,  took the enemy by surprise and seized “Ridge Trench” on the crest of the hill.  Next morning the 5th Battalion were relieved by the 4th Oxfords with the 1st/4th’s in support.  At 9.30p.m. the Oxfords gave notice that the Germans were trying to bomb them out of the trench.  Two platoons from the Berkshire battalion, numbers1 and 2, were sent forward to supply the Oxfords with bombs.  “D” company was put under the command of the Oxfords Colonel with a further supply of bombs.  The Oxfords were due to lead a counter attack but it was the 1st/4th who were eventually given the command to lead.  In a manner typical in the chaos of the war, a barrage planned for before the attack did not take place and later, without detailed orders, the Berkshire men tried to cross the 250 yards of open ground facing the Germans.  The Germans, relatively safe and protected in their trenches, were able to shoot unhindered on the advancing lines of men.  The image is one frequently painted during the Great War.  For the survivors of the attack, shelter was poor but fortunately a British aeroplane responded to signal flares and as a result British artillery opened up on the German trenches and the remaining Berkshire men were able to get to safety.  Losses for this flawed action were very high, 140 casualties from the ranks including 59 killed and missing.  Petre comments in his account that, “Failure is often more heroic than success, and these loyal men fought and died with great honour”.

Lionel Flaxman Hotson

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Somme

Lionel Flaxman Hotson
Private 307710
1st/8th Batt. Royal Warwickshire Regt.

Division 2

Lionel Flaxman Hotson was the son of William and Caroline Flaxman Hotson, of 30 Highgrove Street, Reading.  He died on the 27th August 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. Pier and Face  9A, 9B and 10B.

Lionel Flaxman Hotson is remembered  on the headstone of his parents grave.  The grave location, using the notation of the Berkshire Family History Society, is 2E9. It is believed that Lionel was the eldest of four children, he had a younger brother and two younger sisters. His father had owned his own grocery and provisions business. The family moved to Reading from Essex where Lionel had been born.

The details pertaining to  the death of Lionel Flaxman Hotson are not known.  His battalion was one which suffered very high casualties on the first day of the Somme as they fought along the line of the Serre road, just north of Hawthorn Ridge.  The battalion casualties numbered 588 names.   The 1st/8th had been attached to the 4th Division on the 1st July, their own Division the 46th fared little better being used in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt.

On the 2nd July the 46th Division returned to normal trench warfare.  The war of attrition of the Somme battles with attack and counterattack, continued throughout the summer until mid November.  Whatever the action that Lionel Flaxman Hotson found himself in when he was killed at the age of 18, he became one of the 73,367 men with no known grave as a result of these battles.

Tom Gray and Fred Gray

Army, Registered War Grave, RFC / RAF, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme
Gray bros photo
Tom Gray
Air Mechanic II  33053
Royal Flying Corps		 Fred Gray
Lance Corporal 19990
1st Royal Berkshire Regt.

Tom  and Fred Gray were the sons of T. and Elizabeth Gray of 31 Zinzan Street, Reading.

Tom Gray is buried in a registered war grave and commemorated on a CWGC war pattern headstone.  Grave number 3686A.  He died of meningitis, at the time referred to as spotted fever on the 15th March 1917.  Tom Gray was the husband of L. Gray and was aged 33.

TGray grave

Fred Gray is commemorated on his brother grave on a scroll stone.  The inscription states “Killed on Somme”.  Tom is also commemorated on the scroll stone which finished with the words “FOR KING AND COUNTRY”.

Fred was killed by a machine gun whilst taking trenches on November 14th 1916.  The Battle of Ancre, the 4th phase of the Somme battle, had begun the day before and Beaumont-Hamel was captured during the offensive.  The Somme Battle finally came to and end on 18 November 1916.

Fred Gray is buried on the Somme in Munich Trench British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel, location B.II.

 FGray grave

 

 The small cemetery, which holds about 100 graves, was started in January 1917.  Munich Trench was captured on the 11 January 1917 by  V Corps and the cemetery was originally known as V Corps Cemetery No.8.  The burials of those who took part in the last phase of the Somme battle were carried out in the spring.  Although Fred Gray’s body laid out on the battlefield throughout the winter months the ground was not fought over and this enabled the remains to be identified.  Many casualties of the Somme battles were posted as missing and their bodies never found.   Another Reading man, George E. Thatcher is also buried in Munich Trench British Cemetery and a small stone bearing his initials has been found in the Reading Cemetery.