In Memory of Charles Reginald Crompton Private 59864 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales Own) who died on 25 April 1918. Age 19. Son of Charles W and Lily Crompton of Hall Green, Chapelthorp, Wakefield. Buried in plot I.E.31 Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt, Somme, France. The cemetery was begun in April 1918 after the close of the German offensive in Picardy. It was located near the 3rd, 29th and 56th Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS), which were established 28-29 March 1918. Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission - http://www.cwgc.org

This information amends Reg's name to Charles reginald, gives his birth year as 1899 and confirms the date of Charles William and Elizabeth (Lily) Wright's marriage as the December Quarter of 1897 - Charles reginald being their eldest son.

Above: The official Director of Graves Registration photograph of Charles reginald's original headstone in the Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt, taken in the 1920s. Right: The official Director of Graves Registration Form informing of the location of Charles reginald's grave. Source: Family archives

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Above: A map locating Bagneux Military Cemetery

Charles reginald's military record

The National Archives (TNA), at Kew, London, record that when Charles reginald Crompton's military career began, at the age of 17 years and 7 months, he was a 'working farm pupil'. He enlisted in Wakefield on 13 November 1916 but wasn't mobilised to the 51^st Recruiting Area until 18 April 1917. His medical, completed that day, shows Charles reginald to be 5 feet 9½ inches, 147lbs and with a chest of 39" expanding by 3". He reported to 6(?) TR Battn. at Rugely Camp the following day. On 15 August 1917 he was promoted to acting Lance Corporal before reverting to his substantive rank of Private on 26 March 1918 on transfer to 3^rd Res Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment at Whitley Bay the following day. Source: Burnt Records, TNA, WO363/C1256, Kew, London.

Charles reginald, aged 19, embarked for France on 3 April 1918 and was posted to 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment on 4 April 1918 arriving as one of a reinforcement draft of 05, 08 or 10 April 1918.

Source: War Diaries of 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, April 1918, WO95/2004, TNA, Kew, London

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The War Diary of 10^th (S) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment for Charles reginald's only action

Ludendorff's advance of 23 March 1918, from the Hindenburg Line, ended on 5 April 1918 with part of the British Fifth Army's front line on the ridge at Mesnil. Further actions were to take place, during a period of fluid British defence and counter attack.

During the first part of April the 10^th (S) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment’s 50^th Brigade were in Divisional Reserve and Army Reserve. They appeared to be constantly on the move, from village billet to village billet, in a clockwise elliptical circuit from Mesnil. They were never more than 25 miles (41kms) from the front, being on a standby of between ten minutes and three hours notice, depending on their distance from the front. The main preoccupation, during this time, was accommodating the 438 reinforcements, training and brigade reorganisation.

Movements of 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regt in April 1918

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Between 17 and 22 April 1918 the 10^th (S) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment was at Mesnil-Martinsart, north of Albert, holding the line of the River Ancre. The War Diary of 10^th (S) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment describes the action.

Source: War Diaries of 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, April 1918, WO95/2004, TNA, Kew, London

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One platoon of 'D' Coy had dug-in and placed their machine guns along the railway line. Two companies were in reserve. The 10^th Notts and Derby held the right flank.

Attacking over the Thiepval ridge German pressure broke through the embankments defences causing the West Yorks to withdraw. The Notts and Derby’s were forced back, exposing the West Yorkshire’s flank, necessitating their withdrawal towards Mesnil. At sometime during this engagement Charles reginald was mortally wounded and evacuated to the one of the four hospitals at Gezaincourt. The rail rusty and abandoned railway track, which transported the wounded to the hospitals, still lies next to the Bagneux Military Cemetery where Charles reginald was interned after his death on 25 April 1918.

Above: Map showing position of German troops and West Yorkshire Regiment on 21-22 April 1918 Source: TNA WO29/1498, Kew, London

Double click on the map to open a full version.

Source: Institut Geographique National Map, Somme No 80, 1999		Source: Trench map: Beaumont 17-02-1917:   TNA, WO297/1498, Kew, London

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The maps above show Charles reginald's final action. The map on the left shows the location of the action and the movements of the 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment to the front line, and on their relief. The map on the right is a detailed map of the Battalion action, reflecting events in the War Diary. Charles reginald's company is unknown.

Above: A panorama of the battlefield of the 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment, Click on the image to open a larger A4 landscape image.

Above: An aerial view of the Mesnil battlefield, showing the approximate movements of the British troops and their defensive lines.

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Above: These photographs show the defensive line taken by one platoon of 'D' Coy along the embankments of the road, railway and River Ancre on 21 April. The lower photograph shows the position, across the green field, taken by the Germans after 17.00. The tall trees mark Railway Ravine from where a platoon of 'A' Coy tried to counter attack.

Above: The location of 10th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment's H2 in a field behind the church and to the side of the chateau, located behind the tall trees to the right background of the picture.

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Top: Looking down from Mesnil to the railway line, the River Ancre and the embankment defended by one platoon of 'D' Coy on the night of 21 April. It was in the lower field that the counter attack took place on the 22 April. Railway Ravine is to the left.

Bottom left: The near hedge line shows the position defended by 'A' Coy and from where they launched their counter attack. Note the Thiepval Memorial marking the fierce fighting of 18th Division for the Thiepval Chateau on 26-27 September 1916. To the left, on the sky line, can be seen the Ulster Tower, the memorial to the Somme casualties of the 36^th Ulster Division.

Bottom left: A modern extension to Howson Road, which extended to the railway and river. The German army launched their attack over the sky line. Having crossed the railway they made their line across the lower grass field. On the 22 April the 10^th Notts and Derby were forced back across the ploughed field in the direction of a line along Howson Road, compromising the positions of the 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment.

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Perhaps the more impressive memorial to Charles reginald is the view from Lutyen’s Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, where 72,112 names are commemorated. When the many thousands of visitors look through the central arch, over the 300 French and 300 British graves, few will appreciate that they can see the whole of Charles reginald’s final battlefield. Right: The Mesnil battlefield from the Thiepval Memorial. Mesnil can be seen in the trees beyond the field. Battalion headquarters were in the field where the central trees dip. 'A' Coy defended the thin line of trees in front of the plough land.

On Friday 30 May 2009 Professor Richard Holmes, Wellington Professor at Southampton University, spoke to an audience at Chipping Norton Theatre, Oxfordshire.  He said, ‘Look through the monument to the people and battles.  Look through Thiepval at Jacob’s Ladder.’  This was the communication trench which ran from Mesnil north-easterly direction to the River Ancre (see top of trench map): a communication trench perhaps used by 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment.  It is not know whether he was referring to the action in 1918.

Footnote: The 10th (Service) Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment was formed at York on 3 September 1914 as part of the K(itchener)2 recruitment. On 1 July 1916 the 10th West Yorkshire Regiment sustained 720 casualties, the most of any battalion on the opening day of The Somme. In Fricourt New Military Cemetery 159 of the 210 burials are of 10th West Yorkshire Regiment, placed in four mass graves. The sea of identical regimental badges, on headstones, brings home the enormity of that days casualties. The Battalion was disbanded in 1919.

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Mesnil-Martinsart yesterday and today

Above: 'British transport passing the ruined church in Mesnil, December 1916' Source: Imperial War Museum Q.1747

The photograph, taken after the closure of the Somme campaign, creates an atmosphere for the occupation of Mesnil by the 10^th Bn. West Yorkshire Regiment in April 1918. It is possible to suggest that, because of relative inactivity on this front, Mesnil remained much the same. The entrance to the field housing Batt H2 is between the houses on the left of the photograph.

The village appears to have been rebuilt on the footprint of these ruins. The pile of rubble and the hollow gable end have been replaced by the buildings seen across the road from the church (see photographs of modern Mesnil below). The church spire is recognisable today.

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Top left: The interior and east window of Mesnil Church, showing the cream plaster ashlar stucco work. Despite being closed the church is remarkably well kept and welcoming.
Top right: A painted image at the south-east corner of the rose window.
Bottom left: Looking from the Headquarters field to the Churches east window and the farm across the road.
Bottom right: The road leading from the village to the south-east and the battlefield.

Before World War One the village had a population of 800 people who were evacuated when the village was used as a depot for British troops; the 63rd Royal Naval Division was stationed here in preparation for the November Battle of the Ancre Heights at the end of the Somme campaign. Many natives never returned. The Church, perhaps because its tower could be used as an observation post, was destroyed in the war and rebuilt between 19?? and 1929. The materials and weathering of the other buildings would suggest a similar date for rebuilding. Now about 100 people live in this tidy and well kept collection of red bricked houses and farm, with their associated buildings. There is no shop or school and the Church, though well maintained, is closed and shows no evidence of a rota of service. Sadly a dying village ....

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Gezaincourt Casualty Clearing Station

Charles reginald's final action took place some 19 miles / 31km from Bagneux at Mesnil Martinsart. He would have been evacuated, from a Mesnil Advanced Dressing Station (ADS), to one of the four Gezaincourt Casualty Clearing Stations (CCS) or the Canadian Standing Hospital, in Doullens Citadelle for further treatment.

The Imperial War Museum's photographic archive (IWM) contains evidence of Charles reginald's final journey and of one of the CCS hospitals. In the publicity photographs everything appears calm, look immaculately clean and white, and does not illustrate the recent horrors witnessed. However they were taken two days after his death. Top: Source IWM - Q8749 Interior of a Ward on a British Ambulance Train. Near Doullens, 27 April 1918. Bottom left: Source IWM - Q8736 German Offensive in Flanders. French and British wounded having their wounds dressed in a British Ambulance Train near Doullens. 27 April 1918. Bottom right: Source IWM - Q8735 German Offensive in Flanders. French and British wounded having their wounds dressed at No.29 Casualty Clearing Station, Gezaincourt. 27 April 1918. It was the usual practice for the dead to be buried adjacent to the hospital.

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In death, Charles reginald is honoured by the idyllic Bagneux Military Cemetery which stands isolated up a farm road that winds its way out of the centre of Gezaincourt village. Its regimented headstones tumble on two axes toward the valley floor and the morning sun. The Stone of Remembrance stands on a raised dais which supports sandstone pillars at each corner and over looks the flat valley floor once strewn with hospital buildings.

Above: The cemetery grave registration entry Right: Two shots of the Cross of Sacrifice Below: The Doullens to Amiens railway, which brought wounded to the CCS Bottom right: The Stone of Remembrance - looking towards the possible site of the CCS

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Above: Charles reginald's headstone, March 2007	Above: The author at Charles reginald's grave March 2007

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The final statements

On 24 July 1918 Charles reginald's effects were sent home. Army Form B.104-126, from No 2 Infantry Records at York, lists them as:

Charles william acknowledged their receipt, at Hall Green, on 26 July 1918.

On 23 August 1919 Charles Ivens, vicar of Chaplethorpe near Wakefield, witnessed Charles william Crompton's signature on Army Form W.5080. This records and confirms:

• Charles reginald had neither wife not children;
• His father was Charles william Crompton of Hall Green, Wakefield;
• His mother was Annie elizabeth Crompton;
• His full blooded sisters were Lela wright Crompton aged 16 and Ruthie wright Crompton aged 11.

Source: Army Form W5080, WO363/C1256, TNA, Kew, London

Source: Wyrall, Everard, 'The West Yorkshire Regiment in the War - 1914 to 1918, Vol.2: 1917-1918', The Bodley Head, London 1928 - volume 2 contains the casualty lists

Some time after Charles reginald's death the family dedicated a chair, in York Minster, to his name. However, shortly after midnight on 9th July 1984 it is believed the Cathedral was struck by lightning. It took around 150 fire fighters from across North Yorkshire two hours to bring the blaze under control. A letter, from the Minster assured the family that Reg's chair was safe. But on subsequent visits it has been impossible to find the chair, even with the help of guides.

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Supporting accounts

In Chapter IX of 'Undertones of War' Edmund Blunsden describes his experiences in the Mesnil area during the campaign of 2 September 1916.  He shares many of his locations with Charles reginald.

'... Presently we reached an empty village called Mesnil, which, although it stood yet in the plausible shape of farmhouses and outbuildings, not shattered into heaps, instantly aroused unpleasant suspicions. Those suspicions were quickly embodied in the savage rush of heavy shrapnel shells, uncoiling their dingy green masses of smoke downwards while their white-hot darts scoured the acre below. On the west side, a muddy sunken lane with thickets of nettles on one bank and some precarious dugouts in the other led past the small brick station, and we turned out of it by two steps up into a communication trench chopped in discoloured chalk. It smelt ominous, and there was a gray powder here and there thrown by shell-bursts, with some of those horrible conical holes in the trench sides, blackened and fused, which meant "direct hits" and by big stuff. If ever there was a vile, unnerving, and desperate place in the battle zone, it was the Mesnil end of Jacob's Ladder, among the heavy battery positions, and under enemy observation.

Jacob's Ladder was a long trench, good in parts, stretching from Mesnil with many angles down to Hamel on the River Ancre, requiring flights of stairs at one or two steep places. Leafy bushes and great green and yellow weeds looked into it as it dipped sharply into the green valley by Hamel, and hereabouts the aspect of peace and innocence was as yet prevailing. A cow with a crumpled horn, a harvest cart should have been visible here and there. The trenches ahead were curious, and not so pastoral.

Ruined houses with rafters sticking out, with half-sloughed plaster and crazy window-frames, perched on a hillside, bleak and piteous that cloudy morning; derelict trenches crept along below them by upheaved gardens, telling the story of savage bombardment. ... The front line lay over this brow, and descended to the wooded marshes of the Ancre in winding and gluey irregularity. Running through it towards the German line went the narrow Beaucourt road, and the railway to Miraumont and Bapaume; in the railway bank was a look-out post called the Crow's Nest, with a large periscope. South of the Ancre was massive high ground, and on that a black vapour of smoke and naked tree trunks or charcoal, which I found was called Thièpval Wood. The Somme indeed! ...

... The battalion moved up to a straggling wood called from its map reference P. 18, near the little town of Mailly-Maillet. Here, three miles from the enemy's guns, it was thought sufficient to billet up in tents (and those, to round off my posthumous discontent, used specimens). Mailly-Maillet was reported to have been until recently a delightful and flourishing little place, but it was in the sere and yellow; its long chateau wall was broken by the fall of shell-struck trees; its church, piously protected against shrapnel by straw mats, had been hit. ...

... I went up next night with some heavy materials for the dump in Hamel, carried on the limbers. The transport officer, Maycock, was with us, which is saying we talked all the way. At Mesnil church, a cracked and toppling obelisk, there were great craters in the road, and when one of the limbers fell in, it was necessary to unload it before it could be got out. While this delay lasted, in such a deadly place, my flesh crept, but luck was ours, and no fresh shells came over to that church before we were away. The journal into Hamel that evening was unforgettable. One still sees in rapid gun-lights the surviving fingerpost at the fork in the unknown road. It helped us. ...

... On the evening of September 2, the battalion moved cautiously from Mailly-Maillet by cross-country tracks, through pretty Englebelmer, with ghostly Angelus on the green and dewy light, over the downs to Mesnil, and assembled in the Hamel trenches to attack the Beaucourt ridge next morning. ...

... Orders for withdrawal were sent out to our little groups in the German lines towards the end of the afternoon. ... Mesnil was its vile self, but we passed at length. Not much was said, then or afterwards, about those who would never again pass that hated target; among the killed were my old company commanders Penruddock and Northcote (after a great display of coolness and endurance) - laughing French, quiet Hood, and many more.'

Source: Blunden, Edmund, 'Undertones of War', R.Cobden-Sanderson, London, 1928

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The defence of Dernancourt

On the night of 27 March 1918, Australian soldiers of the 47^th Battalion (Queensland and Tasmania) and 48^th Battalion (South Australia and Western Australia) moved across fields to take up positions along the Albert to Amiens railway embankment facing Dernancourt and along the line as it curved away to the north–east towards Albert.

Dernancourt itself suffered considerably that day. Knowing it to be held by the Germans, the British artillery bombarded the village until 2 pm when enemy soldiers were seen leaving. However, when Australian troops went forward to scout out the situation, enemy fire from the village drove them back with heavy casualties. To assist in the possible reoccupation of Dernancourt a company of the 45th Battalion (New South Wales) was ordered forward. They were badly hit as they made their way down the hill towards the railway embankment.

Private Edward Lynch, of the 45^th Battalion, recorded his part in the defence of the railway embankment south of Albert and the 45^th part in the counter attack. The topography around Dernancourt, appears similar to that at Mesnil-Martinsart. Though lacking etangs the River Ancre meanders to the southeast of and parallel to the railway embankment and the land rises gently to the northwest. However, Dernancourt is a valley settlement whilst Mensil-Martinsart sits on the reverse slope of the valley side.

Perhaps even though the German attack and the British artillery bombardment lacked the intensity of Dernancourt, it is possible that the 10^th West Yorkshire Regiment shared many similar experiences on between 21 and 22 April 1918.

‘Now I am watching the railway embankment again. Some men are carrying stretchers about. Clouds and clouds of black dust and smoke leap skywards at each shell burst. Two shells land together. Two black funnels of earth and smoke viciously kick upwards. There's nothing more solid in the mountain of dust. Something spinning and turning in the dust cloud. Something like a thick catapult fork. A man with neither head nor arms, flying high above the embankment. ………

……… It's after nine o'clock. Over two hours since the barrage began, and no sign of slackening yet. Our brains can't house this awful swelling sound much longer. Surely our heads will explode! The buzz, buzzing within our brain must find a way out. Heads weren't made to hold this noise!

Still we hang on, taking turns to look over the parapet with not a straight nerve in our bodies. Shattered and shaking, but grimly holding on through it all. The shelling has been on for two and a half hours, and seems like keeping on forever as Fritz mean to smash us up properly before launching his infantry. ………

……… Wounded men are everywhere waiting for the shelling to ease before they can get out. Dead men, many of them half buried, are everywhere along the trench. Many of our dead have bandages on, telling that they had already been wounded before getting their final issue.

Many men are huddled against the wall of the trench. White faces stained whiter still by the flying chalk dust. Some men have the appearance of dead men except for their jerky breathing.

Suddenly the shelling is off us. The men are flying, rifles in hand, to line the parapet. From out in front I catch the rattle of machine-guns and rifles.

'They're coming!'
'Stand to!'
'Give it to 'em!'.
'Stand to' is being yelled everywhere as I race back to my post.

I see dazed, hopeless, despondent poor beggars rising from the floor of the trench like dead men from the grave, warmed back to life by the thought of getting some of their own back. ………

……… Thousands of Fritz are rushing the railway embankment from every¬where. We’re bowling them over, but nearer to the embankment they draw. The ground behind is carpeted with grey forms that lie still, that twitch and kick, lashing the ground in agony, but hundreds and hundreds of other grey forms are leaping from shell hole to shell hole and ever drawing nearer to the few men left on the embankment.

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Desperately we aim and fire to stem that closing grey wave. Many fall, but others rise in their places. Fritz is jumping through hell, but never slackens in that deadly advance. Sheer weight of numbers is carrying them towards our men.

‘My God! I never thought it was in ‘em!’ Snow exclaims, unable to hide his admiration for the men who advance in the face of what we’re giving them.

Wounded men are now seen running back from the embankment as Fritz gets there. Men stand and throw bombs at them, but still they close in on our chaps. We see two platoons leave our trench and race down to reinforce the 47th men on the embankment. Two more platoons race ahead and take up positions a little way behind the embankment.

In a couple of places, Fritz is now on the embankment as our men come back, then they finally take the embankment. Slowly our men are dropping back, firing as they come. Dragging or carrying their wounded with them. With a rush they’re into some trenches behind the embankment. The enemy, now lining the embankment, is firing at them and at us. The rifle duelling is ear-splitting. Still we keep on firing and firing. Men in this trench are stopping Fritz lead now, but we’ve got a score of Fritz for every one of us who gets hit.

Fritz is now advancing from the embankment, but falters as our two platoons down there pour in deadly rifle and machine-gun fire. He’s racing back for the shelter of the embankment! We’ve stopped him, though he’s taken the embankment. Then Fritz is coming again in front of us. More terrific firing and more bomb work below, the overwhelm¬ing odds are telling and the remnants of our front line are falling back and jumping into support trenches.

Fritz is well up the ridge now and above Dernancourt. They’ve made a fair advance, but every yard of it is marked by a fallen man. He’s bought his gain at tremendous cost! He still has to shift us if he wants all the ridge, as he undoubtedly does.

Time goes by. All is still, except for movement as wounded men try to crawl in. We expect the attack to be renewed any minute against a mere handful of men in those old support trenches between us and the enemy. Our turn next and we know it. Can we hope for better luck than the 47th? It’s not possible that any men can fight harder or braver than they did, but the terrific odds outbalanced them. Our officers are coming along the trench. ‘ Prepare to advance. We’re going forward to reinforce the front line.' And we get set to hop-over. ………………

……… Across the open and strung out, our platoons keep perfect parade-ground formation. Enemy machine-guns and rifles start up and men start dropping everywhere. Still we advance. Still that perfect parade-ground formation is kept despite flying bullets and falling mates, kept when each man knows any step may be his last, kept without an order or a direction given. Yet they say the Australians lack discipline — the biggest lie of jealous lying criticism.

We're nearing Fritz. We can see the steel helmets above the rifle-lined trench. On we go. The man next to me spins and gives a soft surprised gasp. The poor wretch staggers in front of me. I go cold and sick as I see the shuddering convulsion of his death shiver. He's down. I'm stepping over him like a man in a dream.

Another few yards. My foot strikes on something soft. I stumble over a man just fallen. He rolls over dead and I recognise him as the men begin to yell and shout. I'm running on with the rest, doing a desperate bayonet charge over the last hundred yards. The enemy are leaving the trench! They won't face our bayonets! They won't stand and fight it out! They're off! Running!

Source: Lynch, EPF, (Ed. Davies W) ‘Somme Mud – The Experiences of an Infantryman in France, 1916-1919’, Doubleday, Great Britain, 2008, pages 209-214

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version D18 Updated 30 July 2009

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