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 :

ACLAND, John Henry Dyke, was a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and was attached to the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry as Medical Officer. As such he was responsible for all medical matters within the battalion and especially concerned with the treatment of the wounded in the front line and advanced sectors before they were sent back for further treatment.

He had returned to Britain on the outbreak of war and volunteered for the Royal Army Medical Corps, was Gazetted Captain in October 1915 and was attached to the 1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, a 'Regular' battalion in the 11th Brigade of the 4th Division. He was present on the 'First Day of the Somme' July 1st 1916 and was involved in one of the bloody failures as the 1st Somersets tried in vain to take the Redan Ridge and The Quadrilateral.

At the end of that day the History of the battalion notes that "With the exception of the Medical Officer, Captain Acland, R.A.M.C., and Second Lieutenant Marler, the Brigade dump officer, no single officer, including those in charge of carrying parties, who had formed up in the assembly trenches remained for duty at the end of the day. Lieut.-Colonel Thicknesse and the Adjutant, Captain Ford, were both killed before no-man's land was reached. The Battalion's casualties were 26 officers and 438 other ranks". It is very likely that almost all of these casualties were sustained within the first hour of the attack - by 08.30hrs. Captain Acland was later killed on the 12th July in the trenches near Bertrancourt on the Somme. He was 36 years old. At his own request he had gone out at night into no-man's land to search for a wounded man and was shot by a sniper. The Commanding Officer of his battalion explained in a letter to his family, which is shown in the account of The Western Times.

His death was reported across the newspapers, one account of which appeared in The Western Times : CAPT J.H.D. ACLAND - How an Unlucky Bullet Found and Old Bluncellian - Capt. John Hy Dyke Acland, R.A.M.C., attached Somerset Light Infantry, was killed on the night of July 12. Born in June, 1890, he was the second son of the late Rev. Henry Dyke Acland, rector of Luccombe. He was educated at Blundell's School and St. Thomas's Hospital, and was M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. Eng. He practiced for many years in Rhodesia, but at the outbreak of war returned to England to go to the front. He married in November, 1914, Elizabeth Margaret, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Corner, of the Lodge, High Ham near Langport, Somerset. The officer commanding the battalion writes: "He went out int he front of our line to try and find a wounded man, who was reported to be there. By the greatest misfortune he was hit by a bullet and died almost at once. It is a very great loss to us. Besides being a skilful doctor, he was a most cheery companion, and we all miss him dreadfully. He did most gallant work in the attack of July 1st. I immediately recommended him for the Military Cross, and, if he had been spared, there is not the least doubt he would have been awarded it. He died whilst trying to perform an act of mercy."

His death was further reported in the Shepton Mallet Journal 28th July, 1916.

Probate ACLAND John Henry Dyke of 22 Gledstanes-road West Kensington Middlesex captain R.A.M.C. died 12 July 1916 in France on active service Probate London 7 September to Elizabeth Margaret Acland widow. Effects £450 16s. 8d.

His gravestone bears the inscription 'Requiescat in Pace. 'With Captain Acland on that terrible day of 1st July was Brother Lance Sergeant Edward HOSKINS of 1/Somerset Light Infantry and FAITHFULL LODGE No. 473 who was killed in action. By coincidence one of Acland's predecessors as Medical Officer of the 1st Somersets was also a freemason, Lieutenant John Raymond WADDY, MC, of KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL LODGE No 2973 who had been killed in March 1915 near Ploegsteert Wood, South of Ypres.

John is also remembered on the King's College Hospital Memorial.

See also: History of the 1st Btn Somerset LI 1916-1918
See also: Blundells School Memorial .
See also: The Peerage.

Masonic :

Register of Bulawayo Lodge shows "Killed in action 27 July 1916".

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