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9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment was raised at Norwich in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Third New Army. They joined 71st Brigade in 24th Division in the area of Shoreham for training. The division suffered from a lack of equipment and a lack of trained officers and NCOs to command the volunteers. In late June 1915 they moved to Aldershot for final training and they proceeded to France, landing at Boulogne on the
30th of August 1915. The 24th Division concentrated in the area between Etaples and St Pol on the 4th of September and a few days later marched across France into the reserve for the British assault at Loos, going into action on the 26th of September and suffering heavy losses. On the
15th of October 1915 the 9th Norfolks transferred with 71st Brigade to 6th Division. In 1916 they were again in action at Battle of Flers-Courcelette on The Somme, and again in The Battle of Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy, in 1917 they were in action at Hill 70 and Cambrai.In 1918 they saw action in the Battle of St Quentin, The Battles of the Lys, The Advance in Flanders, Battles of the Hindenburg Line and The Pursuit to the Selle. After the Armistice, 6th Division were selected to join the occupation force and they moved into Germany in mid December, being based at Bruehl by Christmas 1918.
18th September 1915 Attack in St Omer
19th November 1915 Trenches in Poor Repair 
20th November 1915 Busy Day in the Trenches
13th of April 1918 Under Heavy Attack
14th of April 1918 A Counter-Attack
15th of April 1918 A Quiet Day
15th Apr 1918 Attacks Made
16th Apr 1918 Attacks Made
17th Apr 1918 Attacks Made
19th of April 1918 A Quiet Day
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment? There are:5240 items tagged 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.
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Those known to have served with9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Archer George. Pte. (d.8th October 1918)
- Armfield Samuel Percival. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1915)
- Barber Isaac George. Pte. (d.2nd Oct 1917)
- Beaumont Arthur George. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1915)
- Bond Leonard. Pte. (d.18th Oct 1916)
- Brooks George Henry. Pte. (d.22nd Oct 1918)
- Bulley Elvin Spencer. L/Cpl. (d.17th Sep 1916)
- Bulley Elvin Spencer. L/Cpl. (d.17th September 1916)
- Bunn MM. Clifford Charles. Cpl. (d.21st March 1918)
- Burlingham William Robert. Pte.
- Butt Frederick. Pte. (d.23rd Oct 1918)
- Clarke Leslie William. Pte. (d.20th Nov 1918)
- Cole Walter John. Pte. (d.31st Dec 1915)
- Constable Charles Havelock . Pte. (d.15th September 1916)
- Cooper George Samuel. Pte. (d.8th Oct. 1918)
- Cross William Larkin. Pte (d.16th July 1917)
- Curtis Harry Edward. Pte. (d.26th September 1915)
- Day Herbert Winfield. Pte. (d.16th July 1918)
- Dewing William Anthony. Pte. (d.15th Sept 1916)
- Douglas George Dennis. Pte. (d.15th Sept 1916)
- Dyble Walter. Pte. (d.25th Jan 1916)
- Everitt Percy Reginald. Pte. (d.12th Oct 1915)
- Field Albert Henry. Pte. (d.27th May 1918)
- Foyster John. Pte. (d.1st May 1917)
- Futter Robert. Pte (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Gage Sidney William. Pte. (d.25th March 1917)
- Garbutt Lawrence Mark. 2Lt. (d.10th Aug 1918)
- Gunton Louis. Pte (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Gunton Louis. Pte. (d.15th September 1916)
- Gutberlet Charles William. Pte. (d.15th Sept 1916)
- Hayes George Arthur. Pte. (d.29th May 1918)
- Howden Owen. Pte. (d.10th Apr 1918)
- Hudson John. A/Cpl. (d.16th Sep 1916)
- Jolly John Sydney Christmas. Pte. (d.26 Sep 1916)
- Kybird Cecil Frederick. Pte.
- Larrington Alfred. Pte. (d.8th Oct 1918)
- Lee George. Pte. (d.21st Mar 1918)
- Leeder George. Pte
- Leman Ernest John. Pte. (d.15th September 1916)
- Light Arthur Edward. Pte. (d.15th April 1918)
- Massingham Horace William. Pte. (d.26th Sep 1915)
- Matthews Alec James. Pte. (d.4th February 1917)
- Merton Alfred. Pte. (d.15th September 1916)
- Mobbs MM Alfred Horace. Sgt
- Mobbs MM. Alfred Horace. Sgt.
- Pearman William Frederick. Pte. (d.8th Oct 1918)
- Price Arthur George. Pte. (d.8th Oct 1918)
- Ramm Herbert Leonard. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Rigden George James. Pte. (d.5th July 1918)
- Smith Robert. Pte. (d.21st May 1918)
- Sparrow Charles. Pte (d.18th October 1916)
- Starling Arthur William Bampton. Pte
- Starling Arthur William Bampton. Pte.
- Suffling Henry George. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1916)
- Talman Archibald Arthur . Pte. (d.29th Sep 1918)
- Talman Archibald Arthur . Pte. (d.29th Sep 1918)
- Thaxter John Henry Lewis. Pte. (d.20th Nov 1917)
- Tyrrell Clifford Henry. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1917)
- Tyrrell Clifford Henry. Pte. (d.28th Jan 1917)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please Add a Name to this List
Records of 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. Arthur George Price 9th Battalion Norfolk Regiment (d.8th Oct 1918) Arthur Price was the beloved 2nd son of Albert & Phoebe Price. Who was killed in action in France on 6th October 1918 in his 23rd year.
He is buried at High Tree cemetery, Montbrehain, France.
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Pte. Clifford Henry Tyrrell 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.28th Jan 1917) Clifford Tyrrell came from Bungay and was married with three children. On 28th of January 1917, at the age of 33, he died of war wounds.
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Pte. Walter Dyble 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.25th Jan 1916) Walter Dyble died of wounds after a training exercise which involved the firing of a Hales No. 3 grenade that prematurely exploded.
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Sgt. Alfred Horace "Dick" Mobbs MM. 9th Battalion Norfolk Regiment Alfred Mobbs was born 8th July 1882 at East Walton, Norfolk. He was a farm labourer at the outbreak of the First World War and enlisted in the 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment in 1914 at Norwich.
After training, he went to France in August 1915. He took part in various actions until finally wounded at the Second Battle of Cambrai in October 1918. He was sent back to the UK, where he was hospitalised in Dundee Hospital on 20th of October remaining in the hospital until he was discharged on the 18th. November 1918. (Hospital entry ID number 16617).
The award of his Military Medal was published in The London Gazette of 17th of June 1919 issue 31405 page 24.
As far as I can tell at this stage he returned to his unit and served in the Army of Occupation until 1920.
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Pte. Alec James Matthews 9th Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment (d.4th February 1917) Researching my G/Grandmother's family history I have come across Alec Matthews, killed in France, who must in some way be related.
Further research being undertaken.
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Pte. George Lee A Coy. 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.21st Mar 1918) Only discovered George Lee even lived a few days ago let alone that he died in the Great War. George had an older sister Ethel a younger sister Alice who was my mum and a brother Arthur who was murdered by the Israelites in 1948 and another brother Walter.
All are dead now so cannot ask questions.
I just want to know how he died, in which battle and where he is now.
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L/Cpl. Elvin Spencer Bulley 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.17th September 1916)  Elvin Bulley, 9th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment who died on Sunday 17th of September 1916, age 32 years was the son of William and Rosanna Bulley of Swafield, North Walsham.
Elvin Bulley went to France in October 1915 and is first mentioned in Army records when he was admitted to the General Hospital at Etaples with influenza on 22nd of December 1915.
From the Battalion War Diaries we know that on 11th of September 1916 the 9th Norfolks moved to trenches south of Trones Wood at about 10pm. There they mainly slept in shell holes as there were no dugouts. On the 13th there was a good deal of shelling. On 15th September the battalion arrived in the trenches at 1am and took up the line on the Ginchy to Leuze Wood road from where an attack was launched at 7.20am. The Germans occupied the high ground just to the east of Ginchy and had constructed a formidable four-sided trench complex approximately 300 yards by 150 yards. The British called it The Quadrilateral. This was the Norfolk's objective, a position that other units had attempted to take in previous days; attempted and failed. Trenches immediately to the north were the Norfolk's objective.
In the light of dawn they moved forward to take up final positions for their attack. They were ready but the staff who had planned the attack were guilty of serious errors of judgement. The customary artillery barrage normally used to smash defences and prevent the advance of reinforcements, was zeroed on ground 500 yards beyond the Quadrilateral! The Norfolks were therefore expected to advance and engage the Quadrilateral's defences with only one tank to support their valiant efforts.
Some historians believe that yet another human error would play a hand in the battle. One tank assigned to support the attack was believed to have inflicted heavy casualties with its machine guns on the Norfolks as it started to move forward before zero hour! If this "friendly fire" incident did take place it is perhaps strange that no reference is made to it in the War Diary written at the time.
At 0620 hours the British artillery barrage began and the ground on either side and beyond the Quadrilateral (where there were no Germans) erupted in smoke, flames and violently disturbed earth. Hardly a shell fell on the Quadrilateral from which there was devastating machine gun fire against the advancing Norfolks. They had to contend with uncut wire as well so, after moving only a short distance, were pinned down in no-man's land trying to find shelter in the numerous shell holes.
By 0900 hours it was evident that the attack had failed. The tank that had been involved returned to the British positions leaving the infantry with no covering fire. Tragically, later in the day, those Norfolks still alive, lying out in no-man's land, were subjected to British artillery fire.
As darkness fell the Quadrilateral remained intact and the 9th Battalion had paid a heavy price for their gallant efforts with 17 officers and 431 other ranks becoming casualties.
Elvin Bulley was one of them and is buried at the nearby Guillemont Road Cemetery (Somme).
The Norfolk News on the 14th of October 1916 reported,
News has reached Acle of the death of Elvin Bulley of the Norfolks who was killed in action during last week. The deceased was a resident in Acle for nine or ten years and was a moulder at Messrs Smithdale and Sons, Acle. He was quite a favourite among the young fellows. He was captain of the Acle football team for several years and also a member of the Queen's Head Bowling Club. Soon after the war broke out he enlisted with several others of the parish. His brother was fighting beside him in the same trench and was wounded a few hours earlier.
He was awarded the 1915 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal.
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Pte. Ernest John Leman 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.15th September 1916) Ernest Leman was born 6th April 1888 in Kelling. He enlisted in Norwich, Norfolk. He went missing in action on 15th of September 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial and also on the War Memorial in Salthouse, Norfolk alongside his brother Frank Sydney Leman of the Essex Regiment also killed in action just a few kilometres away on the 23rd of March 1918.
Their younger brother Newton Leman survived the war, injured from shrapnel and suffering from shell shock he lived his life farming the land around Salthouse, Norfolk.
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Pte. Percy Reginald Everitt 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.12th Oct 1915) Percy Everitt was engaged to my Nana, Louise Procter, when he went to war. I believe they were 2nd cousins.
He was wounded in the battle at Loos on 10th of October 1915 and died 2 days later on 12th October.
He was 24 at the time and Nana was 22.
When she died I found the engagement ring he gave her and a bookmark with a poem on it from Nana which read:
"How little we thought when we said goodbye
We parted for ever, and you were to die;
Oh the grief that we feel words cannot tell
We could not be with you to say farewell.
Louise Accrington."
It was 8 years before she married my Papa and they were very happy but she took a long while to get over Percy's death.
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Pte. Horace William Massingham 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.26th Sep 1915) Horace Massingham served with the 9th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment.
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Pte Robert Futter 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.15th Sep 1916) Robert Futter, a carpenter from Martham, near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, Robert volunteered on 7th of September 1914 aged 19.
He was listed as missing in action, presumed killed during the battle of Guillemont on 15th of September 1916.
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Pte. Archibald Arthur Talman 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.29th Sep 1918) Archibald Talman would have been my great uncle. He was killed in action on the 29th of September 1918. His body was never found and his name on on the memorial wall in Vis en Artois, France
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Pte. Archibald Arthur Talman 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.29th Sep 1918) Archibald Talman would have been my great uncle, he was killed in action on the 29th of September 1918. His body was never found and his name is on the memorial wall at Vis en Artois in France.
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Pte. Frederick Butt 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.23rd Oct 1918) Frederick Butt served with the 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment. He was the son of Fred and Elizabeth Butt (nee Catling) of Rose Cottage in Delph Street, Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire. He is remembered on the Vis en Artois Memorial.
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Pte. Walter John Cole 9th Btn. Norfolk Battalion (d.31st Dec 1915) Walter Cole was the son of William Cole bn 1851 Castle Camp, Cambs and Anna Maria Morse, Acle Norfolk. His father was a plate-layer for the railway. Researching those who fell during World War 1 for my local village and any information would be gratefully received.
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Pte. John Henry Lewis Thaxter 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.20th Nov 1917) My great-grandfather, Lewis Thaxter, was married to Flo Field and had a son, Charlie who was just 5 when his father was killed in the Battle of Cambrai. We have visited his grave in Villers Plouich. He was just 28 years old.
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Pte. Albert Henry Field 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.27th May 1918) My great uncle Albert Field was born in October 1886 in Gresham, Norfolk, his father, James, was 27 and his mother, Sarah, was 30. He had three brothers and three sisters. He died on 27th of May 1918 at the age of 31, and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Belgium.
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2Lt. Lawrence Mark Garbutt 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.10th Aug 1918)  Lawrence Mark enlisted on 10th of December 1915, in Army Reserve. His physical description was given as fresh complexion, brown hair, brown eyes, height 5ft 6½ins, girth when expanded 37 inches with a 3 inch range of expansion, with no distinctive marks. His religion was Church of England.
He was mobilized on 17th of April 1916. He was with 24th Division on 30 August 1915 and 6th Division 11 October 1915 and tested on 17th April 1916, where he was sent to 7 (FT) Artillery Training School as a Driver on 19th April 1916.
On 7th September 1917 he was transferred to No.12 Cadet Battalion, Newmarket for training as an Officer. He was discharged to Commission on 17th December 1917 as 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Battalion) Essex Regiment. On 12 February 1918 Lawrence was passed as fit for his transfer to the Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch).
Whilst attached to the 9th Norfolk Regiment he went to the Western Front with 71st Brigade. He was gassed and had just returned to his unit when he was wounded in action on 18th July 1918. History tells us that the British Command decided that as they had taken so many hits that day the order was given to withdraw and to leave all the dead and dying lying on the battlefield. The ANZACS were sent to move into position and Lawrence was picked up and taken to the 3rd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He had been hit in the lower right lumbar and kidney region. Lawrence died there three days later, cause of death "of wounds received in action".
Lawrence Mark was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is buried in Esquelbecq Cemetery in France. The newspaper report of Lawrence Mark's death states that he was 28 years of age, his death certificate and report from the Ministry of Defence confirms that he was wounded on 31st July 1918 and died on 10th August 1918. This is also reinforced by the War Diaries for the 9th Norfolk Regiment held at the National Archives, Kew, London.
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Pte. Herbert Winfield Day 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.16th July 1918) Herbert Day served with the 9th Norfolk Regiment.
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Pte. Alfred Merton 9th Btn. Norfolk Regiment (d.15th September 1916) My mother named me after her dad, Alfred Merton. I did not know a lot about him 'till my mother died, in sorting her things I found out where he was killed. I went to the Somme to see were he was killed. I'm proud to say I walked his finale walk. He was killed on 15th of September 1916 in the Battle of the Somme.
I went to the area about four more times to visit all the battlefields my grandfather fought in. He was born, like his mother and grandmother, in a workhouse in Rockland All Saints, Norfolk so he did not have a easy life.
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