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- 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers



   24th (2nd Sportsman's) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was raised at the Hotel Cecil in the Strand, London, on the 25th of September 1914 by E.Cunliffe-Owen. In June 1915 they joined 99th Brigade, 33rd Division at Clipstone camp near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire in July 1915. In August they moved to Salisbury Plain for final training and firing practice. In November they received orderes to prepare to proceed to France and the Divisional Artillery and Train were replaced by the units raised for the 54th (East Anglian) Division. By the 21st of November the 33rd Division had concentrated near Morbecque. On the 25th of November 1915 The Battalion transferred to 2nd Division as part of an exchange to strengthen the inexperienced 33rd Division. They took part in the Winter Operations 1914-15 and in 1915 saw action at The Battle of Festubert and The Battle of Loos. In 1916 they fought in the Battles of the Somme and the Operations on the Ancre. In 1917 they were in action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, the Battles of Arras and The Battle of Cambrai. In 1918 they fought on the Somme, in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and The Battle of the Selle. 2nd Division was selected to advance into Germany and formed part of the Occupation Force after the Armistice.

15th Nov 1915 On the Move

16th Nov 1915 On the Move

17th Nov 1915 In Camp

18th Nov 1915 On the Move

19th Nov 1915 On the Move

20th Nov 1915 Visits

20th Nov 1915 Recce

24th Nov 1915 Conference

25th Nov 1915 Reorganisation

26th Nov 1915 Instruction  location map

27th Nov 1915 Visits

28th Nov 1915 Instruction  location map

29th Nov 1915 Instruction

30th Nov 1915 Instruction  location map

25th Mar 1916 Hard Life in the Trenches

30th Mar 1916 Heavy Thaw

12th Nov 1916 Preparations

13th Nov 1916 Preparations

13th Nov 1916 Attack Made

15th Nov 1916 Withdrawal

3rd Mar 1917 Reliefs

24th Apr 1917 Reliefs

21st of May 1917 Quiet Night  location map

25th Jun 1917 Sports

4th Jan 1918 In Reserve

5th Jan 1918 In Reserve

6th Jan 1918 In Reserve

7th Jan 1918 Training

9th Jan 1918 Snow

10th Jan 1918 Snow

11th Jan 1918 Poor Weather

12th Jan 1918 Training

13th Jan 1918 Snow and Frost

14th Jan 1918 Training

15th Jan 1918 Training

16th Jan 1918 Bad Weather

17th Jan 1918 Poor Weather

19th Jan 1918 Orders

20th Jan 1918 Orders

21st Jan 1918 Heavy Rain

22nd Jan 1918 Reliefs Complete

24th Jan 1918 In the Line

25th Jan 1918 Artillery Active  location map

26th Jan 1918 Orders  location map

27th Jan 1918 Fog

28th Jan 1918 Artillery Active  location map

29th Jan 1918 Artillery Active

30th Jan 1918 Artillery Active

31st Jan 1918 Thick Mist

1st Feb 1918 Trenches Improved

2nd Feb 1918 Trenches Improved

3rd Feb 1918 Orders

4th Feb 1918 Shelling

5th Feb 1918 Warmer

6th Feb 1918 Orders

7th Feb 1918 Fraternisation

8th Feb 1918 Quiet

9th Feb 1918 Reorganisation

10th Feb 1918 Shelling

11th Feb 1918 Quiet

12th Feb 1918 Quiet

13th Feb 1918 Some Shelling

14th Feb 1918 Patrols  location map

15th Feb 1918 Artillery Active

16th Feb 1918 Artillery Active

17th Feb 1918 Enemy Aircraft  location map

18th Feb 1918 Misty  location map

19th Feb 1918 Quiet  location map

20th Feb 1918 Gas Shells  location map

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation  location map

22nd Feb 1918 Patrols

23rd Feb 1918 Shelling  location map

24th Feb 1918 Shelling  location map

25th Feb 1918 Shelling  location map

26th Feb 1918 Artillery Active  location map

27th Feb 1918 Artillery Active

28th Feb 1918 Shelling  location map

1st Mar 1918 Raids  location map

2nd Mar 1918 Snow

3rd Mar 1918 Patrols  location map

4th Mar 1918 Quiet  location map

5th Mar 1918 Patrols  location map

6th Mar 1918 Gas  location map

7th Mar 1918 Enemy Active  location map

8th Mar 1918 Enemy Active  location map

9th Mar 1918 Mist

10th Mar 1918 Enemy Active

11th Mar 1918 Gas

12th Mar 1918 Gas

13th Mar 1918 Raids

14th Mar 1918 Artillery Active

15th Mar 1918 Intense Fire

16th Mar 1918 Trench Raid  location map

17th Mar 1918 Patrols  location map

18th Mar 1918 Raids  location map

19th Mar 1918 Patrols

20th Mar 1918 Reliefs

21st Mar 1918 Arrangements  location map

21st Mar 1918 In Action  location map

22nd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal  location map

22nd Mar 1918 Messages

23rd Mar 1918 Messages  location map

23rd Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal  location map

24th Mar 1918 Messages  location map

24th Mar 1918 In Defence  location map

25th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal  location map

26th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal  location map

27th Mar 1918 In Defence  location map

27th Mar 1918 Moves  location map

31st Mar 1918 Shelling

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers?


There are:5342 items tagged 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Adams Henry. Pte. (d.9th September 1918)
  • Chapman Cornelius. Sgt. (d.18th February 1919)
  • Clare Alfred Frederick. L/Cpl. (d.14th April 1917)
  • Clements Charles Reuben. Pte.
  • Cockett Charles. Pte.
  • Cole William James. Pte.
  • Collins Arthur Thomas. Pte. (d.17th April 1917)
  • Dey Frederick William. Pte. (d.8th March 1916)
  • Dowsett Henry Selwood. Fus.
  • Firstbrook MM. Ernest Albert. Pte. (d.13 Nov 1916)
  • Hatfield George Hague. L/Cpl. (d.30th July 1916)
  • Heppell Frederick William. Pte.
  • Hindom Sidney George. Cpl.
  • Hindom Sydney George. Cpl.
  • Holmes Peter.
  • Jackson Ernest. Pte. (d.7th Nov 1918)
  • McGuiness MM. Joseph. A/L/Cpl.
  • Southgate Sidney. Pte. (d.4th Sep 1917)
  • Wright James. Pte.

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 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers from other sources.


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   Peter Holmes 24th (Sportsmans) Btn. Royal Fusiliers

Peter Holmes was married to Florence (nee Armstrong). At the time of his enlistment in Liverpool (January 1915) he was 36 years old. Height: 5'8", weight: 12st 2lbs, good physical condition, except for defective teeth. The 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers spent the next 11 months training in Nottingham and then on Salisbury Plain, before moving to France in November of 1915 as part of the 99th Brigade, 33rd Division. The spring of 1916 saw Peter involved on localised operations. When the Battle of the Somme opened Peter and his Battalion were enjoying a period of rest and re-fit. However, this didn't prevent Peter from being injured in action and having to leave the line to recover.

Peter subsequently returned to the regiment and took part in the Battle of Ancre, only to be wounded on the first day. This necessitated him leaving from the line for a month, before re-joining his Regiment in the area of Festubert, where he was under constant threat from artillery and sniper fire. In 1918 he joined the Labour Corps serving in an Area Employment Company. He was appointed Acting Sgt 7th of March 1919 and returned to England to be demobilised on the 12th May 1919, with no disability.

Peter died in the 1945 in Chester Royal Infirmary, Chester. He was my 1st Cousin 2 x removed.

Andy Holmes






  Pte. James Wright 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers

James Wright during WW2

James Wright served with 24th Royal Fusiliers in the Great War. He also served with the 1st, 2nd and 12th Royal Fusiliers. He also served with the Canadian Army during WW2.







  Sgt. Cornelius Chapman 24th Btn., A Coy. 1 Plt. Royal Fusiliers (d.18th February 1919)

Cornelius Chapman is my grandfather who is at rest in Cologne Cemetery. He suffered a gunshot wound in August 1918 and came back to England to recover but then succumbed to pneumonia after returning to the front and died in February 1919 possibly following flu?

He had two children Walter (Sonny) and Constance who he never met. Other than my sister and myself and our family I know of no other living relatives but would welcome any information

Christine Green






  Pte. Charles Reuben Clements 24th (Sportsmans) Btn. Royal Fusiliers

My maternal grandfather Charles Clements, of London, enlisted in the 24th (2nd Sportsman's) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers on 4th of June 1915, and was given the regimental number 3526. It is evident from Army Form 172B, a copy of which I have in my possession, that he lied about his age when he signed up, claiming to be 22, when he was only 18 or 19. Also, that he was 5'6" tall, and weighed 130lbs (9st4lbs). He went on to serve on the Western Front for three years, fighting in the Battles of the Somme, the Ancre, Arras and Cambrai, among others, before being seriously wounded by shrapnel in the left arm (elbow) and leg (thigh, knee and ankle) on 12th of September 1918, and repatriated to the U.K. on 15th September, spending the remaining two months of the war in hospital. Judging from the regimental war records in The Royal Fusiliers in the Great War by H.C. O'Neill, it is most likely that he incurred his injuries during the 2nd Division's attack on Moeuvres, on the Siegfried Line, which was part of the larger Hundred Days Offensive that finally won the war. After the war, he returned to his job as a gentleman's outfitter in London, and died there in 1958.

Robert Jones






  Pte. Arthur Thomas Collins 24th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (d.17th April 1917)

Arthur Collins served with 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers.

Pete Collins






  L/Cpl. Alfred Frederick Clare 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers (d.14th April 1917)

Alfred Clare son of Alfred Howard & Ann Clare, 9 Foster Hill Road, Bedford. Born, lived and enlisted in Bedford. Initially served with the Royal Fusiliers then rejoined 24th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He was killed in action on 14th of April 1917, age 28 years Pas de Calais and is buried in Bois-Carre British Cemetery, Pas de Calais. He was a member of the Methodist church and was remembered on the War Memorial inside St. Pauls Methodist church, Bedford (the church has now been demolished) A pupil of Bedford Modern School 1896-1905, commemorated on the School War Memorial, which was unveiled in 1923 and in the Roll of Honour, published in The Eagle, December 1923. Information courtesy of www.roll-of-honour.com

Caroline Hunt






  Pte. Charles Cockett 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers

Charles Cockett served with the 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers.

Elwin






  Pte. Frederick William Heppell 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers

Frederick William Heppell enlisted on 27th January 1915. He went to France on 15th November 1915, and was discharged wounded on 7th August 1916.

Nick Reeve






  Pte. Frederick William Dey 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers (d.8th March 1916)

Frederick William Dey was born in Exmouth. He enlisted at Paignton, Devon. Frederick was killed in action and is buried in Bully-Grenay Communal Cemetery, French Extension, France.

Nick Reeve






  L/Cpl. George Hague Hatfield 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers (d.30th July 1916)

George Hatfield served in the 24th Btn Royal Fusiliers. He died of wounds on 30th July 1916 and is buried in Abbeville Cemetery, France.







  Cpl. Sydney George Hindom 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Btn. Royal Fusiliers

Sydney Hindom was the south coast high diving champion and gave lots of exhibition dives at fetes etc. In those days it was called fancy diving.

He joined up late in life and was wounded and captured at Guillemont on 1st August 1916. He was imprisoned at Hamelberg and was repatriated in June 1918.

He married in 1920 and had one son and two daughters and one stepdaughter. He died in 1939 as a result of his war wound.

Alan Jackson






  Cpl. Sidney George Hindom 24th Btn Royal Fusiliers

Sidney Hindom was taken prisoner after being wounded at Gullemont in July or August 1915. He was imprisoned at Hamelburg and repatriated to Holland 13th June 1918. A keen diver, he became the south coast diving champion regularly diving from the top of Thatcher rock off Torquay. He never fully recovered from his wound and he died in Exeter hospital in 1939.

Alan Jackson






  Pte. William James Cole 24th (2nd Sportsmans) Btn Royal Fusiliers

William Cole was in the 2nd Sportsmans Battalion and was discharged after being wounded.

Cole






  Pte. Ernest Jackson 24th Btn. Royal Fusiliers (d.7th Nov 1918)

Ernest Jackson was executed for desertion 07/11/1918 age 32 and buried in Romeries Communal Cemetery Extension, Romeries, France. He was one of the last two British soldiers to be executed.

S Flynn






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