WW1 WAR RECORD for R.E. Richards
REUEL EVAN RICHARDS b. 15 February 1887 in the parish of SCULCOATES, KINGSTON-Upon-HULL, EAST YORKSHIRE.
Enlisted in Hull on the 10 September 1914 into the DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY (D.L.I), aged 27 years 8 months. He stated his trade at time of enlistment as Blacksmith.
Rank: Pte number 13645, named on army character card as, “Renel* Richards”. Complexion “Dark”, eyes “Brown”, hair “Brown”, height believed to be 6’1’’.
* Probably misspelled at time of enlistment from Reuel
DATE (S) | PLACE | EVENT | COMMENTS |
10.9.1914 | Wenlock Barracks, Anlaby Road, Hull | Enlisted in D.L.I* | War declared on 4 th August 1914 *Recruitment for the 7 th (Hull) Battalion of the East Yorkshire regiment took place on 1 st September 1914 at Wenlock barracks (later renamed the 10 th Battalion EY regiment “The Hull Pals”). In charge was Major William H Carver who had been asked the night before by his friend Lord Nunburnholme, the Lord Lieutenant East Yorks to raise a battalion as part of Kitcheners army. This battalion was made up exclusively of commercial people, clerks, grocers, drapers etc who did not wish to mix with people of the “lower orders”. On that basis as a working class blacksmith Granddad would not have been accepted into the battalion. Other Hull battalions were nicknamed the “Tradesmen”, the “Sportsmen” and the “T’others”. A total of 20,000 men from Hull who joined up in the first months of the war. People not accepted into the local groups could enlist in a regiment of their choice, and this may explain why he later enlisted with the DLI, or the DLI may have also been recruiting in Hull area at that time. See “The Trench” by Richard Van Emden published by Corgi books for an account of a repro trench experience shown on BBC 2 in 2002. |
16.09.1914 to end November 1914 | Bullswater Camp, near Purbright, Surrey. Assigned to 13 th Battalion DLI commanded by Colonel G A Ashby C.B to July 8 th . Succeeded by Major J R O’Connell | Training camp | Cold, wet conditions |
End November1914 to end February 1915 | Malplaquet Barracks, Aldershot | Training camp | 2 weeks in this period spent at Wokingham. |
End February 1915 to 23.05.1915 | Ashford, Kent | By train from Aldershot to Ashford into billets. | Khaki uniforms issued, musketry training, brigade exercises |
23.05.1915 to 25.08.1915 | Bramshott, Hampshire | By train from Ashford to Bramshott camp into billets | A new camp off Portsmouth road between Hindhead and Liphook, Hampshire |
FRANCE | |||
25.08.1915 to 26.08.1915 | Folkestone to Boulogne | Entered France | Arrived early hours of 26 th August 1915, possibly transported by commercial paddle steamer. |
26.08.1915 to 27.08.1915 | Moulle, Northern France | Marched to billets | Arr. billets 27 th August. Moulle nr St Omer, SE of Calais |
27.08.1915 to 06.09.1915 | Moulle, Northern France | Training | |
06.09.1915 | Whole brigade (68 th brigade of 23 rd Division) | Marched to Hazebrouck | Hazebrouck, East of St Omer |
07.09.1915 | Whole brigade (68 th brigade of 23 rd Division) | Marched to vicinity of Steenwerck | Steenwerck, SSW of Ypres |
09.09.1915 | Whole brigade (68 th brigade of 23 rd Division) | Marched south to Erquinghem | 13 th battalion billeted at Petit Moulin on the River Lys. S of Ypres, East of Lille |
25.09.1915 | Stood to arms, but not used. 6 men of “C” company 13 th battalion wounded in bivouac by German anti aircraft shell | Major British offensive Bois Grenier to Armentieres region | |
P.M 26.09.1915 | 12 th and 13 th battalions,DLI | Marched down through Estaires | Billeted for night on the Le Bassee road |
27.09.1915 | 12 th and 13 th battalions | Marched back to Petit Moulin | |
28.09.1915 to 04.10.1915 | 12 th and 13 th battalions | Marched back again to Estaires under orders of the 20 th division | Moved to bivouacs near Erquinghem 4 th October. |
07.10.1915 | 13 th Battalion, | Relieved the 12 th in the trenches beyond Bois Grenier | Very wet weather, trenches in terrible condition |
19.10.1915 | 13 th DLI | Lance Corp Claire and Pte Hickson won MM | Towards end October weather so wet some working parties cancelled |
04.11.1915 | 13 th DLI | Pte Kenny won V.C for bravery under fire trying to rescue wounded officer | |
05.12.1915 | 13 th DLI | Holding the left of the line near the Lille road. Lance Corp Hornby and Pte Worton won DCM | Daring raid on German held position known as German house. Christmas leave for some? No record of this for Grandad |
13.02.1916 | 13 th DLI | Before leaving sector heavy bombardment killed 5 and wounded 14 men. | |
25.02.1916 | 13 th DLI | Moved to Sailley, Lille | Wintry weather |
26.02.1916 | 13 th DLI | Reached Morbeque, SW of Ypres,ENE of Lille. | Wintry weather |
29.02.1916 | 13 th DLI | Auchel, nr Lillers, WSW of Lille | Rain, hail, snow |
Early march 1916 | 13 th DLI | Hermin, SW of Lille, NW of Arras | Improved weather |
17.03.1916 | 13 th DLI | Calonne, W of Lille, NE of Lillers | Into trenches, enemy aggressive some men wounded on 19.03,1916. Total casualties 13 th “only 132” – few battalions spent 7 months on the Western Front with such light casualties. |
26.03.1916 | 13 th DLI | Calonne | Joined in with bombardment of enemy lines. |
Early April 1916 | 13 th DLI | Calonne | Enemy bombardment intense, extensive damage to trenches. “A” company heavily shelled near Pit Prop corner where a slag heap continually smouldered |
06.04.1916 | 13 th DLI | Calonne | All occupants of a dug out from “C” company killed |
10.04.1916 | 13 th DLI | Calonne | Hoax attack, 13 th in cellars in Calonne in support |
12.04.1916 | 13 th DLI | Moved back | Much work strengthening communication trenches etc over hill from Bully Grenay, WNW of Lens |
26.04.1916 to 05.05.1916 | 13 th DLI | Arrived in Pernes | SW of Lillers |
05.05.1916 | 13 th DLI | Moved to Reclinghem, W of Lillers. | Resumed training, Capt G white in command |
20.05.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector. SW of Lens on the Vimy ridge | Back in the line, much fighting with rifle grenades and trench mortars |
21.05.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector | Tear gas attack on trenches |
23 &24.05.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector | Gas alerts |
02.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector | Raiding party killed at least 8 Germans and bombed dugouts in German trenches. *I think I remember granddad telling me something about this? |
03.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector | Huge German reaction, heavy shelling. Attack expected but did not materialise. |
04.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Souchez sector | “Day of hate”, relieved by 12th that evening. |
05.06.1916 to 13.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Notre Dame de Lorette spur. Arras | Tour in support |
15.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Moved to Delettes, S of St Omer | Major R V Turner now in command |
21.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Divisional commander presented medals and decorations won in the Souchez raid | MC to Lieuts Clarke and Target, and MM to Sergts Boagey and White, Lance Corps Bowran and Hetherington, Pts Barker, Dodds, Hart, Hedley, Keenan, Middleton, Moyle, Orr, Stephenson and Williams. |
24.06.1916 | 13 th DLI | Marched to Aire and entrained for the Somme along with 12 th battalion | Aire-sur-la-Lys, NW of Lillers |
THE SOMME | |||
25.06.1916 | 13 th battalion, DLI | Picquigny, NW of Amiens, W of Albert | “Comfortable days”! |
03.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | South of Albert | In reserve trenches along railway embankment |
04.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Becourt Wood | Pouring rain, wood crowded with guns, cookers ,reserves of 69 th brigade. 12 th battalion bivouacked in the wood, 13 th returned to Albert. |
06.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Becourt Wood | In reserve until 4pm 7 th July |
07.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | West of Contalmaison | Waist deep in mud, dark, trenches crowded with wounded and carrying parties |
08.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | West of Contalmaison | By dawn occupying line from Birch Tree Avenue near Peake wood to captured strong point at the crossroads. Heavy shelling from German lines. 2 nd Lieut Wheatley and 21 wounded, 7 others killed or missing. |
09.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | West of Contalmaison | Dug in from crossroads and 500yards south. Attacked Bailiff Wood but fire from own guns together with enemy m/c guns made position untenable. 80 men killed or wounded. Lt Kerridge mortally wounded. |
10.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Contalmaison | Contalmaison captured by 69 th brigade. Two platoons of a company 13 th helped consolidate. |
11.07.1916 to 15.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Marched back to billets in Albert. | Before returning to Albert, Capt Long, 2 nd Lieuts Wharton and Green wounded, 58 casualties in the ranks. Lieut G S Kaye-Butterworth (famous composer and musician) awarded MC and took command of “A” Company 13 th . |
16.07.1916 | 12 th and 13 th battalions, DLI | Pozieres | 12 th battalion moved forward on evening of the 16 th to a line in front of what was Pozieres before the shelling. 13 th took over trenches from the 6 th Bedford regiment near Contalmaison Wood. |
17.07.1916 | 12 th and 13 th battalions, DLI | Pozieres | At 8pm 12 th were to advance upon enemy trenches which crossed the road to Contalmaison south of Pozieres and extended to the Bapaume road. 13 th to occupy the line vacated by the 12 th . 12 th advanced to find the wire uncut and into a hail of bullets from machine guns. 130 men killed. 13 th lost 50 men in two days from shelling |
19.07.1916 | 13 th battalion, DLI | Pozieres to Albert | Relieved by Australian division and withdrew to Albert under a barrage of gas shells. |
20.07.1916 to 26.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Franzvillers, SW of Albert | 68 th brigade r/c drafts, inspections held and MM presented to Sergt Fitzpatrick and Ptes Hutchinson and Suddes of 13 th . |
26.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | Contalmaison | Occupying support trenches in Contalmaison village |
27.07.1916 | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | Took over front line trenches O.G.1 and O.G.2 (Old German) linked to German front line by Munster Alley where several unsuccessful attacks had previously taken place. |
28.07.1916 to end of July. | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | “A” company gained some ground by digging Butterworth trench.10 men wounded. Lt Sauerbeck attacked up Munster Alley with bombers. 50 men lost in the ranks. Relieved that night by 10 th Duke of Wellingtons, returned to Albert. Lieut Colonel R W Turner left battalion due to ill health and was replaced by Major G White MC. |
01.08.1916 | 13 th DLI | Peake Wood | |
02.08.1916 | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | Back in front line by evening. During the night a sap was dug from Butterworth trench towards the German switch line, and Munster Alley bombing post strengthened.. |
03.08.1916 | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | British shells falling short, D company had to evacuate hard won position. Relieved in the evening and withdrew to dug outs near Contalmaison.29 casualties |
04.08.1916 | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | On the afternoon of the 4 th moved to Point 41 in trench O.G 2 ready for attack on Tore trench and junction with Munster Alley. “D” company in New trench, “A” company in Butterworth,”B” company at point 41 and barricade in Munster alley,”C” company in Gloster Alley. Attack set for 9.16pm. British artillery were ineffective and”D” company were exposed to enfilade machine gun fire at close range and effectively wiped out. A block was made up Munster Alley and held against repeated counter attacks by the second wave of 13 th . Fighting continued all night and into the 5 th August. |
05.08.1916 | 13 th DLI | NE of Contalmaison, SE of Pozieres | The brigadier called upon the 13 th for a further effort. British shells were falling short however and the bomb fight still raged in Munster Alley where Lt Target MC fought and died with most of his men. On the evening of the 5 th the 8 th Yorkshire regt took over and the 13 th moved back to Albert. Lieut Kaye Butterworth killed (English composer and friend of Vaughan Williams). Casualties in the ranks 126 Almost certainly including Pte Richards. Sergt Galley, Corpl Bellerby, lance Corp Claire and Ptes Anderson, Brough, Dickenson, Hickson, Kerr, Luke, Maughan, Simms and Wilkinson all awarded MM for gallantry displayed during these operations. |
08.08.1916 | Left France | Wounded in arm and affected by gas, Grandad was treated initially in France then shipped home on the 8 th August. | |
31.01.1917 | York | Final discharge papers issued. | “No longer physically fit for war” after serving 2 years and 144 days with the colours. Age 30 years and 3 months. |
Grandad awarded Victory Medal, British War Medal, 1915 Star and Silver War Badge.
Entitled to wear one gold wound strip*
* on discharge papers, should be stripe?
Comments about this page
Thank you for your service, granduncle, Reuel. I wish I had a chance to know you better. Rest in Peace. Mel, if you want to get in touch with me, please email! I have a copy of the marriage certificate between Thomas E Richards and Elizabeth Steeksma.
Reuel E Richards was my great uncle. His brother Grotius was my Grandfather and I would be appreciative of any information you may have [or photos of him] I am doing my family history. Do you have a photo of Reuel’s mother Minnie Gertrude Richards? – my grandmother. My mother is IRENE JOHNSON nee RICHARDS a daughter of Grotius.