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 :

James SPEEDY lost his life on the Somme. The 'History of the Rangers' (the 12th Battalion London Regiment were known as The Rangers)records on the 6th October 1916 the Battalion received orders to attack the German positions next day in conjunction with the 167th Brigade on the left and another battalion of the i68th Brigade on the right, the objective allotted to the Rangers being known as Dewdrop Trench. It goes on to give a detailed account of the circumstances in which James SPEEDY died. The task of the 168th Brigade was to attack and capture the German position between Les Boeufs and Le Transloy. There were two objectives. First, a line just west of the crest about 800 yards to the front. Secondly, a line of detached German positions further east. The Rangers were to assault on a three-platoon front in four waves. The leap-frog method of attack was employed, the two leading waves being detailed to move at 50 yards interval, secure the first objective and dig in, the third and fourth waves to move 20 minutes later, overrun the first objective and capture and consolidate the second objective. The order of battle was as follows : First wave : 2 platoons, D Co. ; 1 platoon, A Co. Second wave : 2 platoons, D Co. ; 1 platoon, A Co. Third wave : 2 platoons, A Co. ; 1 platoon, C Co. Fourth wave : 3 platoons, C Co. Reserve, B Co. (less 1 platoon). The remaining platoon of B Company with two Lewis guns was ordered to move 50 yards in rear of the left flank on the fourth wave along the road which formed the Rangers' left boundary. The role of this platoon was to establish a strong point on the left flank of the final objective so as to be able to command the road in the direction of the enemy and bring fire to bear itself right along the front of the position when captured. The two leading waves moved forward at Zero (1.45 p.m.), and immediately on leaving Rainy Trench came under very heavy and accurate machine-gun fire from Dewdrop Trench on their left front. After going some 50 yards only about 15 men of the leading wave were left and the advance was checked. The second wave suffered a similar fate, and as neither of the succeeding waves were able to get up in sufficient strength to carry the attack forward, the remnant of the first and second waves hung on in shell holes until dusk, when they re-occupied Rainy Trench. The third and fourth waves, whose positions of assembly were in Burnaby Trench and a line of shell holes 50 yards in rear, advanced to the attack at 2.5 p.m. They had been shelled steadily since Zero and began to suffer further heavy casualties directly they advanced. A wounded officer reported that by the time they had gone 40 or 50 yards he could see no man of the third wave left standing and a like fate subsequently overtook the fourth wave. The fate of B Company's Platoon detailed for the strong point is unknown. The officer in command (he had only just joined us from England-an actor by profession and a right merry fellow from all accounts) was never seen again, and most of his men were missing also at the end of the day. Brigade Headquarters received a very definite report from an aeroplane scout that he had seen British troops consolidating a strong point on the objective allotted to this Platoon, and the inference is that this gallant little party died in a manner worthy of the best traditions of British infantry. October 7th, 1916, was a disastrous day for the Rangers and for many others. The attack of the brigade on our left failed as also did that of the troops on our right. The weather was appalling, the ground was greasy and slippery with recent rain and there was more than one subsequent abortive attack after we were releved before the position was finally won. At 2a.m. on the morning of the 8th the Battalion was withdrawn to the old German third line, our places in the front line being taken by the Q.V.R. who with the L.R.B. had been placed under the command of the 168th Brigade for the purpose of further operations fixed for that afternoon. Parties from the reserve company were employed all night in collecting wounded. At 11.30 p.m. we moved up to Shamrock Trench and the night was again spent in collecting wounded.

Masonic :

Steward

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