Attested July 1913 with the 4th Battalion at Londesborough Street Barracks Hull – Medal Index Card Entered Boulogne France 17 April 1915 with 1/4th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment – Effects to Widow and sole legatee Emiley – Photo and Write up – Commemorated East Yorkshire Regiment War Memorial Beverley Minster East Yorkshire
War Diary
24 April 1915 at Vlamertinghe
1.30am Turned out & marched to hold east bank of Ypres canal. Map Belgium sheet 28.C 25.a. In position 3.15 pm being attached to 13th Brigade. Four men wounded by shell fire. 10.00 am Orders received to march to Wieltje. Arrived there 1.00pm and dug ourselves in at a point a few hundred yards NE of the Headquarters 27th Division at Potijze Chateau. 3.00pm Received orders to support an attack being made by the Canadians on Fortuin. Moved out about 3.45pm in support to the 4th Yorkshire Regiment towards Fortuin and soon came under heavy artillery fire from our left flank from the direction of St Julien. Artillery formations were adopted, the Battalion moving in lines of platoons-two platoon’s D coy leading. The attack on reaching a point C 24a (map Ypres 28) swung to the north towards St Julien and then came under somewhat heavy rifle & machine gun fire. Rifle fire was opened at 950 yards & eventually at 500 yards. These two battalions joining up with the 18th Royal Irish Regiment who had apparently been sent on a similar mission. No fire from the direction of Fortuin had during this time been heard and no Canadians seen. 7.30 pm The OC Royal Irish having received orders from his General that we were to retire when it became dark, we did so. The retirement was carried out in good order by platoons and our Potijze trenches were reached about 11.00pm.
Casualties
Lt Col Shaw, Major Theilmann and Captain B Farrell and 12 other ranks
killed. 66 other ranks wounded, 10 other ranks wounded and missing and 7 other ranks missing.