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1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers
1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers were in Bordon serving with 3rd Brigade, 1st Division when war was declared in August 1914.
They proceeded to France, landing at Le Havre on the 13th of August 1914 and fought on the Western Front throughout the war, taking part in most of the major actions. In 1914 they were involved in The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the recapture Gheluvelt at the height of the crisis on 31st of October, alongside the 2nd Worcesters. They were in action at The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres and the Winter Operations of 1914-15. In 1915 they were in action during The Battle of Aubers and The Battle of Loos. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of the Somme. In 1917 they saw action in The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and the Third Battle of Ypres. In 1918 the Battles of the Lys, the Second Battles of Arras, the Battles of the Hindenburg Line, The Battle of the Selle and The Battle of the Sambre, in which the Division fought the Passage of the Sambre-Oise Canal. At the Armistice, 1st Division was selected to advance into Germany and formed part of the Occupation Force at Bonn.
13th Aug 1914 1st South Wales Borderers sail for France 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, departed from Bordon Camp and sailed to Le Harve with the BEF.
26th Aug 1914 On the March
29th Aug 1914 At Rest
30th Aug 1914 On the March
31st Aug 1914 On the March
1st Sep 1914 Outpost Duty
2nd Sep 1914 Rear Guard
3rd Sep 1914 Advance Guard
3rd Sep 1914 Retirement
4th Sep 1914 In Action
6th Sep 1914 In Reserve
19th Sep 1914 1st South Wales Borderers in the Line
19th Sep 1914 Reliefs Complete
24th Oct 1914 Withdrawl
30th Oct 1914 Shelling
31st Oct 1914 Germans attack Geluveld On the 31st October the Germans made an attack from the east along the Menin Road and captured the area around Geluveld Chateau. Just after mid day the Chateau was struck by a shell causing serious causalties. With the British line close to breaking the remaining 500 men of 2nd Worcesters in reserve at the Western edge of Polygon Wood, were ordered to counter attack. With one company guarding the Menin Road to the north of Geluveld village, against German advance towards Ypres, the remainder prepared to attack. At 1400 with bayonets foxed they filed to Black Watch Corner at the south west edge of Polygon Wood. They made a bayonet charge into the Chateau grounds to reinforce the remnants of the 1st South Wales Borderers had earlier recaptured the Chateau.
31st Oct 1914 Divisional HQ Hit
15th Nov 1914 Orders
4th Jan 1915 Reliefs 
25th Jan 1915 In Action
25th Jan 1915 Swift Reinforcements
24th Mar 1915 Trench Work
28th Mar 1915 Instruction
29th Mar 1915 Training
1st Apr 1915 Instruction
9th May 1915 The Battle of Aubers Ridge: The Souther pincer Richebourg L’Avoue. At 4.06am: sunrise and all very quiet on this front.
5.00am: British bombardment opens with field guns firing shrapnel at the German wire and howitzers firing High Explosive shells onto front line. German troops are seen peering above their parapet even while this shelling was going on.
5.30am: British bombardment intensifies, field guns switch to HE and also fire at breastworks. The lead battalions of the two assaulting Brigades of 1st Division go over the top to take up a position only 80 yards from German front. (2nd Brigade has 1/Northants and 2/Royal Sussex in front and 2/KRRC and 1/5th Royal Sussex in immediate support; 3rd Brigade has 2/Royal Munster Fusiliers and 2/Welsh in front, with 1/4th Royal Welsh Fusiliers in support). Heavy machine-gun fire cuts the attackers down even on their own ladders and parapet steps, but men continue to press forward as ordered.
In the area of the Indian Corps, the lead battalions of the Dehra Dun Brigade of the Meerut Division (2/2nd Ghurkas, 1/4th and 1st Seaforth Highlanders) were so badly hit by enemy fire that no men got beyond their own parapet and the front-line and communications trenches were soon filled with dead and wounded men.
5.40am: British bombardment lifts off front lines and advances 600 yards; infantry assault begins. Despite the early losses and enemy fire the three Brigades attempted to advance across No Man's Land. They were met by intense crossfire from the German machine-guns, which could not be seen in their ground-level and strongly protected emplacements. Whole lines of men were seen to be hit. Few lanes had been cut in the wire and even where men reached it they were forced to bunch, forming good targets for the enemy gunners. The leading battalions suffered very significant losses, particularly among officers and junior leaders. Around 100 men on the Northants and Munsters got into the German front, but all were killed or captured. The advance of the supporting battalions suffered similarly, and by 6.00am the advance had halted, with hundreds of men pinned down in No Man's Land, unable to advance or fall back.
6.15am: A repeat of the initial bombardment is ordered, with the added difficulty of uncertain locations of the most advanced troops.
7.20am: Major-General Haking (CO, 1st Division) reports failure and asks if he should bring in his last Brigade (1st (Guards)). He offered his opinion that it would not be successful.
7.45am: A further one hour bombardment starts, ordered by Lieut-General Anderson (CO, Meerut Division). Its only impact is to encourage German artillery to reply, bringing heavy shelling down onto British front and support trenches. German fire continued until about 10.30am.
8.00am: First reports reach Haig, but they underestimate losses and problems. Haig also hears of early French successes in Vimy attack; he resolves to renew the effort in the Southern attack, with noon being the new zero
hour. This was subsequently moved when it was learned from I Corps how long it would take to bring supporting units up to replace those that had suffered in the initial attacks. The new attack at 2.40pm would again be preceded by a 40 minute bombardment. The various movements of relief forces were achieved only with much confusion and further losses under renewed enemy shellfire. The time was again moved, to 4.00pm. In the meantime, the German infantry in the Bois de Biez area was reinforced.
3.20pm: Bombardment repeated and seen to be a little more successful, blowing gaps in the wire and in the enemy front-line.
3.45pm: Bareilly Brigade, moving up to relieve the Dehra Dun, loses more than 200 men due to enemy shelling.
3.57pm: The leading companies of the 1/Black Watch of 1st (Guards) Brigade, brought in to replace the shattered 2nd Brigade, went over the top despite the 1/Cameron Highlanders being late to arrive and moved at the double across No Man's Land. Some reached the German breastwork just as the bombardment lifted; most were however killed or captured in the German firing trench although a small party reached the second position. The two lead companies of the Camerons, coming up on the left of the Black Watch a few minutes later, suffered heavy machine-gun casualties in crossing between the front lines. At approximately the same time, the two fresh battalions of the 3rd Brigade, the 1/Gloucestershire and 1/South Wales Borderers began to advance but were cut down without reaching the enemy. Meerut Division orders Bareilly Brigade to advance, even though it is clear that conditions are unchanged: few men even reached a small ditch 20 yards in front of their own front line, and the Brigade suffered more than 1000 casualties within minutes.
4.35pm: 1st Division orders another 10 minutes shelling but it is seen to have no effect.
4.40pm: Large explosion at German ammunition dump in Herlies, hit by a long-range British heavy shell. Smoke clouds drifting towards British lines caused a gas alarm. Br-Gen. Southey (CO, Bareilly Brigade) reports that further attempts to advance would be useless.
5.00pm: General Haig, hearing of the continued failure of the Southern attack, orders 2nd Division to relieve 1st Division with a view to a bayonet attack at dusk, 8.00pm.
24th of May 1915 Zeppelin under observation
29th May 1915 Reliefs Complete
16th of November 1916
1st Jan 1917 Moves
9th Jan 1917 Working Parties
17th Jan 1917 Heavy Snow
22nd Jan 1917 Working Parties and Training
23rd Jan 1917 Moves
24th Jan 1917 Moves
31st Jan 1917 Very Cold Weather
6th Feb 1917 Reliefs
6th Feb 1917 Reliefs
7th Feb 1917 Reliefs
8th Feb 1917 Reliefs
9th Feb 1917 Reliefs Complete
10th Feb 1917 Hard Ground
11th Feb 1917 Quiet
12th Feb 1917 Quiet
The Allied forces including: The 1st South Wales Borderers & The Canadian 8th Army had established a defensive line on the ‘Goudberg Spur’. This spur was situated near ‘Goudberg Copse’ and was populated with small farm houses & buildings that were occupied by the German forces. A British attack was planned for the 10th November 1917. This was to be the last offensive of the Ypres/Passchendaele battles and the 1st Battalion of the South Wales Borderers where to play a pivotal role in the attack.
At 5.00am A company from the 1st South Wales Borderers would head north from Valour Farm after the British Rolling Barrage had pummelled the German positions. The trenches were partially flooded and surrounded by shell craters. The wooden duck boards, on which the soldiers walked, were submerged. The mud was like glue and should a man slip off the duck boards, while carrying his full pack which included 3 days rations, rifle & steel helmet, extra ammunition & 2 bombs per man he would almost certainly slide into one of the many deep shell holes with no chance of rescue or escape.
When the barrage started the terrain was so unrecognisable that it became difficult for the artillery to locate the German positions. To make matters worse, as A Company went over the top they ran into their own barrage causing several casualties and resulted in the battalion edging off to the right. The soldiers had trouble locating its objectives and gradually as German counter attacks became stronger the offensive stalled.
1st Apr 1918 Hostile Artillery
2nd Apr 1918 Trench Raids
3rd Apr 1918 Quiet
4th Apr 1918 Orders
5th Apr 1918 Moves
6th Apr 1918 Relief Complete
7th Apr 1918 Moves
8th Apr 1918 Moves
9th Apr 1918 Artillery Barrage
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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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 with1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers during the Great War 1914-1918. - Armitage Emanuel Anthony. Pte.
- Beckitt Harry. Pte (d.5th October 1918)
- Clifford William Thomas. L/Sgt. (d.18th Sep 1914)
- Davies John. Pte. (d.1st November 1918)
- Guthrie MM, MID. Terence. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1918)
- Hayes Horace Herbert. Lt.
- Howells John Oswald. Pte.
- Hughes Thomas John. Pte. (d.15th Sep 1918)
- Lewis Thomas William. Pte. (d.7th November 1918)
- Matthews Sidney Herbert. Pte. (d.9th May 1915)
- Morgan Sidney Charles. Pte. (d.31st Oct 1914)
- Owens John William. Pte. (d.10th Nov 1917)
- Parker Robert Thomas. Pte.
- Rumsey William. Pte. (d.8th Sep 1916)
- Tate Frederick. (d.11th Nov 1917)
- Taylor MC. Edward Roy. Capt. (d.23rd Oct 1918 )
- Virgin William Charles . Pte. (d.10th Jun 1915)
- Williams William John. Sgt.
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 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers from other sources.
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Lt. Horace Herbert Hayes 1st Battalian South Wales Borderers My grandfather, Horace Hayes, HHH, was listed as a Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, South Wales Borders in 1917. He survived the war, and died in 1957.
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Pte. Terence Guthrie MM, MID. 1st Btn. A Coy. South Wales Borderers (d.15th Sep 1918) Terence Guthrie joined up with the South Lancashire Regiment Service. He was seconded to the 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers. He was awarded the Military Medal for operations on 18th of April 1918.
He was killed in action on the 115th of September 1918, aged 19, at Maissemy, France, and is remembered at Vadencourt British Cemetery.
Proudly remembered by James McTigue (Nephew)
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Frederick Tate 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.11th Nov 1917) Fred Tate worked in the Co-operative boot store in Gainsborough town centre.
He was the only son of Mrs S Tate. He had two sisters and his father had died previously. He was 25 years old when he died, serving with the 1st South Wales Borderers.
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Pte. Emanuel Anthony Armitage 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers Emanuel Armitage received a silver war badge.
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L/Sgt. William Thomas "Jack" Clifford 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.18th Sep 1914) William Clifford was the husband of Daisy Olive, later Brooks who lived at 12 Hafod St., Hafod, Swansea.
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Pte. Sidney Herbert Matthews 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers (d.9th May 1915) Bert Matthews was my great grandfather. Although I never met him I feel I knew him very well. I have researched into my family tree and I have found plenty of information on him. He was born in Foxham Lock, Bremhill, Carne, Wiltshire in 3rd April 1885.
His father was Jacob Matthews and mother Elizabeth Thorne.
He married Jane St. Sinclair Anderson at the Tredegar Registrar Office on 27th October 1906. He was a coal miner at the time.
They had Elizabeth St. Clair, Ernest Cornelius, Kenneth Victor McDonald, Sidney Herbert Stanley, Wilhelmina J, and Barbara.
He first enlisted into the 3rd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment.
He is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery, France.
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Pte. Sidney Charles Morgan 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.31st Oct 1914) Sidney Charles Morgan was killed during the Battle of Gheluvelt, which began at 6.00am on 31st of October 1914. As planned, the Germans opened a ferocious bombardment with their artillery and followed it with a massed infantry advance. The British defenders, the 1st South Wales Borderers gritted their teeth and repulsed this initial assault, but the Germans regrouped and, under the cover of the heaviest barrage of the battle thus far, attacked once more. The sheer weight of the attack was too much for the thin British line. It first cracked and then crumbled as the Germans poured through. The fighting was close ranged and desperate; many British units fought to the last man.
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Pte. Thomas William Lewis 1/1st (Brecknockshire) Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.7th November 1918) Private Lewis was the son of Mr and Mrs William Lewis, of 44 High St., Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil.
He was 41 when he died and is buried in the Indore New Cemetery in India.
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Capt. Edward Roy Taylor MC. 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers (d.23rd Oct 1918 ) Captain Edward Taylor was killed in action in Sambre Canal, just north of Catillion.
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Pte. John William Owens 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.10th Nov 1917) John William Owens was the husband of Ellen Owens of 7 Greenbank Terrace, Denbigh.
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Pte. John Davies 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.1st November 1918) John was the son of David and Sarah (née Roberts) Davies, Carter's Well, Denbigh. He was born on 14th March 1899.
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Pte. John Oswald Howells 4th Battalion South Wales Borders My father Jack Howells died in 1953 when I was a baby and his records were destroyed in the Blitz, so my information is limited.
His likely date of enlistment was March 1917 and he joined the 4th Battalion South Wales Borders and served in Mesopotamia and Iraq. I don't know when he was discharged from the army. He contracted malaria whilst in the army, which was very common in Mesopotamia, and he suffered the after-effects for the rest of his life. It may well have contributed to his relatively early death aged 58.
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Pte. Robert Thomas Parker 1st Battalion South Wales Borderers Robert Parker born in 1892 was the son of Ambrose Parker and Mary Ann Leeworthy.
He joined the South Wales Borderers on the 8th September 1903 as 8222 Pte Robert Parker. He married Sarah Amy Esling on the 2nd of July 1912. He was recalled from the reserve 4th August 1914 at Bordon Hampshire and travelled to France. Arriving at Le Havre on the 13th August 1914 with the 1st SWB. He was wounded in the face and lower jaw on the 30th of September 1914, but we do not know where.
Robert served time in the Labour Corps with 552 Home Service Employment Corp. Regt No 266475 in July 1917 and also served with the 16th Btn. South Lancashire Regiment. Regt No 64665. in 1918. He was transferred to reserve on the 25th February 1919, listed as Medical Category B11
and holding a Qualification 3rd Class certificate.
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Pte. William Rumsey 1st Btn. South Wales Borderers (d.8th Sep 1916) Pte. William Rumsey served with the 1st Battalion, South Wales Borderers. He died on 8th September 1916
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