Family :

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 :

Lieutenant Raymond Gilbert Hooker Yeatherd, 2nd Dragoon Guards. Educated at Sandroyd School, Winchester College (1904 to 1908) and then at Quidenham, Norfolk and later at Christ Church College Oxford taking his degree in 1913. He was a Barrister and member of the Inner Temple. Raymond Yeatherd was the son of Lt. Col. Ernest Walter Yeatherd, killed in the South African War during the Relief of Ladysmith, 1900 and the brother of Captain Montagu Locke Yeatherd, his elder brother, killed at Arras, 1917. All feature on a memorial in All Saints Church Buckworth.

At the outbreak of war he was studying in Paris for the Diplomatic Service; he volunteered at once, and was given a commission in the 2nd Dragoon Guards on 15th August 1914. He was once mentioned in despatches.

At the end of June 1916 the 1st Cavalry Division was moved up behind the Somme in the expectation that there would be a breakthrough, and after four days' marching the Bays arrived at Querrieu, where they were concentrated with the rest of the division in readiness for the opening of the Somme offensive on 1 July. These hopes were to be dashed, and the Bays, together with the rest of the cavalry, moved in and around Querrieu for the whole of July, until on 9 August they were withdrawn to the north west of Amiens, still waiting hopefully for the breakthrough. On 6 September they were moved forward to the Carnoy valley, bivouacking and seeing tanks for the first time.

On 15 September the Bays were ordered forward, and 'A' Squadron under Major Pinching, MC, advanced into a valley south west of Leuze wood. The ground, after the battle, was a wilderness, and two patrols under 2nd Lieutenants Yeatherd and Macnaughten were sent on to maintain contact with the infantry. Yeatherd's patrol, north of Leuze Wood, came under heavy fire as it advanced dismounted, every member being wounded, and Yeatherd himself missing. One of the wounded died the next day and Yeatherd's body was discovered a week later near Ginchy Telegraph. He was buried on the battlefield and commemorated at Thiepval.

His brother Captain Montagu Locke Yeatherd, 12th Royal Lancers will be killed on 11th April 1917, aged 33.

See also: Facebook Post.

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