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Royal Warwickshire 2/8 Battalion

johnbluebeam

Brummie babby
My grandfather was Pte. H. Watts, 306100, 2/8 RWR.
From this site I gather that they were formed in October 1914 and landed in France 21 May 1916. He is listed as being killed 2 April 1917 and buried at Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery.
Is there any way of finding out when he actually enlisted and what actions the 2/8 RWR took part in up until his death?
 
John,
there is an excellant book all about the RWR in WW1
titled... Meet me At Dawn Unarmed
Author..Andrew Hamilton & Alan Reed. ISBN-978-0-9561820-0-5
Captain Robert Hamilton's (RWR) account of the trench warfare
and the Christmas truce in 1914 (it really is about the RWR)
 
Correction. The Hamilton book is not 'all about the Royal Warwickshire Regiment' but is very good on the 1st Battalion of regulars in the first 9 months of the war i.e. until Hamilton got a blighty one.

For the 2/8th Territorials you need to consult 'Black Square Memories. History of the 2/8th 1914-1918' by H.T. Chidgey 1924. 184 pp. Available for consultation in the Local Studies Department of Birmingham Reference Library.

The place of burial is interesting as Cerisy is near the River Somme, 10 km southwest of Albert. It was the site of a Casualty Clearing Station 13 which once treated Wilfred Owen - he was there March 17-30 1917.

I see that Harry Watts was a Saltley man,
 
John,
2/8th Battalion
Formed in Aston Cross in October 1914 as a second line battalion.
Became part of 2nd Warwickshire Brigade, 2nd South Midland Division.
August 1915 : redesignated as 182nd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division.
Landed in France on 21 May 1916.
20 February 1918 : disbanded in France and personnel transferred to 2/7th Battalion and 25th Entrenching Battalion.
 
John,
Battle Honours of the Warwicks 1914-18.

Battle Honours: Le Cateau; Marne 1914; Ypres 1914, 1915, 1917; Somme 1916, 1918; Arras 1917, 1918; Lys; Hindenburg Line; Piave; Sari Bair; Baghdad. Retreat from Mons; Aisne 1914, 1918; Armentières 1914; Langemarck 1914, 1917; Gheluvelt; Neuve Chapelle; St Julien; Frezenberg; Bellewaarde; Aubers; Festubert 1915; Loos; Albert 1916, 1918; Bazentin; Delville Wood; Pozières; Guillemont; FlersCourcelette; Morval; Le Transloy; Ancre Heights; Ancre 1916; Vimy 1917; Scarpe 1917, 1918; Arleux; Oppy; Bulle-court; Messines 1917, 1918; Pilckem; Menin Road; Polygon Wood; Broodseinde; Poelcapelle; Passchendaele; Cambrai 1917, 1918; St Quentin; Bapaume 1918; Rosières; Estaires; Hazebrouck; Bailleul; Kemmel; Béthune; Drocourt-Quéant; Epéhy; Canal du Nord; Beaurevoir; Selle; Valenciennes; Sambre; France and Flanders 1914-18; Vittorio Veneto; Italy 1917-18; Suvla; Gallipoli 1915-16; Tigris 1916; Kut al Amara 1917; Mesopotamia 1916-18; Baku; Persia 1918.
 
Sorry to be pedantic but it is necessary to point out that the battle honours listed are for the entire Regiment not just one battalion.
 
I did...Battle Honours of the Warwicks 1914-18.
The locations and dates,can now be used to find,where a batt.was at any given time.
 
Chris,
I refer to "the long,long trail website"frequently, and have only just noticed your copywright...we might say you are "one of our own".
Well done mate.
 
Definitely! Brummie family on both sides going back as far as I can trace them. We don't seem ever to have left the place until my parents moved us to Lichfield in 1971. Glad you find the site useful, Ray.
 
Chris,
When I said "one of ours",I meant on the forum.
I would never doubt your Brummy credentials.:rolleyes:
 
I have searched BHF but could not find anything, other than a book reference, about this Officer of the Royal Warwickshires.
Capt. Robert Hamilton
https://www.itv.com/news/2014-12-11/christmas-truce-1914-the-truth-behind-the-myth/
http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/reed.htm
I suppose many of us know about this unusual, but historic event but interestingly I was reminded about by a Christmas Day Homily (sermon) by an Abbot of an Abbey in West Ireland. His talk mentioned the trees and Silent Night being sung by both combatants on Christmas eve and the football of Christmas Day. It seems the 'brass' on both sided were very concerned and hushed it up but once it was known in the United States they had to admit it.
 
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