Family :

Education & Career :

Cheltenham College

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

WAR DIARY The Attack on MONTAUBAN RIDGE 1st July 1916 1916. July. A/1. SUBSECTOR. ?. MONTAUBAN RIDGE 1st. From midnight on the enemy shelled our front line and the assembly trenches mostly with 10.5 cm. and 15 cm. shells knocking in the trenches in several places and several small dugouts, causing a total of 13 casualties 3 killed and 10 being -wounded. Enemy Artillery was less active from about 5 a.m. until 6.30 a.m. when he started an intense but distributed bombardment, a large amount of which fell round the Right Battalion Headquarters. At 5.30 a.m. Companies reported that they were in position and that all the necessary stores etc. had been issued. At 7.15 a.m. Adjutant left the Headquarter Dugout to observe the attack from our parapet. At 7.27 a.m. 'B Company started to move out to their wire. Captain Neville strolling quietly ahead of them, giving an occasional order to keep the dressing square on to the line of advance. This Company took four footballs out with them which they were seen to dribble forward into the smoke of our intense bombardment on the Hun front line. The first part of B Company's advance was made with very few casualties, but when the barrage lifted to the second Hun trench, a very heavy rifle and machine gun fire started from our front and left, the latter coming apparently from the craters and the high ground immediately behind them. At 7.50 am The Adjutant reported that the Battalion was in the German trenches. Hand to hand fighting went on for a long time in the German trenches and news received that both Captain Flatau and Pearce had been killed and later it was known that Captain Neville Lieuts, Soames, Musgrove, and 2/Lieuts Kelly and Evans had also been killed. At 6.05 a.m. the Battalion Bombing Section was sent forward and at 8.07 a.m. 2/Lieut P.G. Heath i/c two Stokes Guns was sent out with orders to proceed as far as he could with reasonable safety, and report to the nearest East Surrey Officer and find out how best his Guns could be used. At 8.10 am, and again at 8.25 am. The Adjutant returning from our front line trenches reported heavy machine gun and rifle fire from the left and that apparently the craters and the high ground immediately behind them had not been successfully dealt with by the Battalions on the left.

Probate MUSGROVE George Henry Stuart of 4 Pelham-street Thurloe-square Middlesex temporary lieutenant in H.M. Army died 1 July 1916 in France or Belgium Probate London 19 September to sir George Power baronet. Effects £133 9s. 6d.

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley