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15th (2nd Brmingham) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
15th (2nd Birmingham Pals) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was raised in Birmingham in September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and a local committee. After training they joined 95th Brigade, 32nd Division on the 26 June 1915. They proceeded to France, landing at Boulogne on the 21st of November 1915. On the 28 December 1915 they transferred to 14th Brigade, 5th Division, one of many units were exchanged to stiffen the inexperienced 32nd Division with regular army troops. On the 14th of January 1916 they transferred to 13th Brigade still with 5th Division
In March 1916 5th Division took over a section of front line between St Laurent Blangy and the southern edge of Vimy Ridge, near Arras. They moved south in July to reinforce The Somme and were in action at, High Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy. In October they moved to Festubertand remained there until March 1917 when they moved in preparation for the Battles of Arras. On 7 September 1917 the 5th Division moved out of the line for a period of rest before, being sent to Flanders where they were in action during the Third Battle of Ypres. 5th Division was sent to Italy and took up positions in the line along the River Piave in late January 1918. They were recalled to France to assist with the German Advance in late March 1918 and were in action during the Battles of the Lys. On the 14th of August 1918 the 5th Division was withdrawn for two weeks rest. They then moved to The Somme where they were more or less in continuous action over the old battlegrounds until October and saw action in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and the Final Advance in Picardy. On the 6th of October 1918 the 2nd Birmingham Pals were disbanded with troops transferring to the 1st and 3rd Birmingham Pals Battalions.
17th April 1915 5th Division Attack 
20th Nov 1915 On the Move
21st Nov 1915 On the Move
22nd Nov 1915 On the Move
23rd Nov 1915 On the March
3rd of December 1915 Observation Difficult
20th of December 1915 Deserter Taken
28th of December 1915 Retaliatory Firing
1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling
2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits
10th of January 1916 Battalion Relief
13th of January 1916 5th Division in Reserve
29th of January 1916
4th of February 1916
10th of February 1916 MG Coys Join
3rd of March 1916 Relief
4th of March 1916 Snow All Day
7th of March 1916 Torpedoes Fired
9th March 1916 Reliefs
10th of March 1916 Unit Positions
14th of March 1916 MG Coy Arrive
27th Mar 1916 Reliefs
13th of April 1916 Brigade Relief
21st April 1916 Reliefs
17th May 1916 Relieved 1st Cheshires in "J2" subsector N.E. Arras.
20th May 1916 Stearinerie in St. Nicolas where our cooks, pioneers, diggers etc are sheltered was shelled in the morning.
21st May 1916 German Artillery active about 0800 hours.
29th May 1916 Reliefs
4th of June 1916 Germans Raid Trenches
6th June 1916 Account of the hostile demonstration on the night of the 4/5th June
8th June 1916
12th June 1916 Reliefs
2nd of July 1916 New Orders
20th of July 1916 Positions of Units
23rd of July 1916 Longueval Attack Report
24th of July 1916 Reliefs
25th of July 1916 Enemy Advances
27th July 1916 At 0650 hours a Company reported they could_hardly muster a platoon owing to most of the Company being buried by the heavy shelling.
31st of July 1916 KOSBs Hold Line
31st July 1916 Owing to the very heavy poisoned gas-shell 2245 hours barrage in Valley North of Montauban the whole Battalion had to put on gas helmets.
1st of August 1916 Dispositions after Relief
5th of August 1916 Divisional Dispositions
27th of August 1916 Divisional Dispositions
30th of August 1916 Enemy Artillery Active
31st of August 1916 Warning Order Issued
1st of September 1916 Enemy SOS
4th of September 1916 Units Mixed Up
19th of September 1916 In the Front Line
21st of September 1916 Situation Normal
23rd of September 1916 Reliefs
25th of September 1916 Instructions for Tanks
30th of September 1916 Dispositions
13th of October 1916 Reliefs
31st of October 1916 Distribution
30th of November 1916 Enemy Baling Out
2nd of December 1916 Raiding Party Fails
4th of December 1916 German Trenches Damaged
6th of December 1916 Working Parties Dispersed
10th of December 1916 Working Parties Dispersed
14th of December 1916 A Combined Shoot
20th of December 1916 German TMs Active
21st of December 1916 Ferme Cour d'Avoue Shelled
22nd of December 1916 Quiet Day
24th of December 1916 Germans Very Active
29th of December 1916 Artillery Quieter
5th of January 1917 Aeroplanes Active
6th of January 1917 German Guns Quiet
9th of January 1917 Spotted Dog Shelled
13th of January 1917 Retaliation "Feeble"
17th of January 1917 Guns Active
20th of January 1917 Active Artillery
21st of January 1917 Our TMs Active
26th of January 1917 TMs Busy
30th of January 1917 Hostile TMs Busy
1st of February 1917 Balloon Spotted
3rd of February 1917 Artillery Active
6th of February 1917 Fairly Quiet
7th of February 1917 Feeble Retaliation
9th of February 1917 Little TM Retaliation
12th of February 1917 Artillery Quiet
15th of February 1917 Enemy TMs Fall Short
17th of February 1917 TMs Quiet
19th of February 1917 Our Guns Active
21st of February 1917 Our Guns Active
28th of February 1917 Artillery Quiet
1st of March 1917 POWs Taken
4th of March 1917 Damage Caused by Heavies
6th of March 1917 Brigades Attached
8th of March 1917 Divisional Relief
9th of March 1917 TMs Very Active
11th of March 1917 Auchy Heavily Shelled
14th of March 1917 Pekin Trench Hit
15th of March 1917 Brigade Relief
20th of March 1917 Composite Division Formed
24th of March 1917 Pioneers On the Move
27th of March 1917 In Corps Reserve
2nd of April 1917 Positions
8th of April 1917 HQ Moves
11th of April 1917 Dispositions
12th of April 1917 Orders and Reliefs
13th of April 1917 A Push Forward
14th of April 1917 Orders to Move
18th of April 1917 Divisional Front Readjusted
20th Apr 1917 Reliefs
22nd of April 1917 Warning Order Received
22nd April 1917 oved up at 1730 hours to relieve 15th Royal Warwick Regt.
22nd April 1917 Operational Order by Lt. Colonel J.W.V. Carroll C.M.G. Commanding 1st Norfolk Regt.
24th of April 1917 35 Minute Bombardment
25th of April 1917 Canadians Take Over Front
28th of April 1917 Rest and Training
4th May 1917 Battalion moved off at 0900 hours and proceeded to old German Front Line in Rocklincourt.
5th of May 1917 Wood Shelled
6th of May 1917 Enemy Guns Active
8th of May 1917 Orders to Attack
8th May 1917 Operation 8th/9th May 1917.
9th of May 1917 No Further Advance
9th May 1917 Directly after midnight 8th/9th we moved in to position.
10th of May 1917 Enemy Concentration Reported
11th of May 1917 Enemy Guns Active
12th of May 1917 Bailleul Shelled
13th of May 1917 Front Line Shelled
15th of May 1917 Very Quiet Day
17th of May 1917 A Surprise Attack
20th of May 1917 Guns Active
21st of May 1917 Quiet Night
22nd of May 1917 Quiet Day
23rd of May 1917 Enemy Withdrawal?
24th of May 1917 Relief Completed
26th of May 1917 Quiet Day
31st May 1917 Work and Training
2nd of June 1917
9th of June 1917 A Relief
10th of June 1917 Minor Op Planned
14th of June 1917 Relief
15th of June 1917 Relief Completed
16th June 1917 Quiet Night
16th June 1917 Relieved 15th Royal Warwicks in Brigade Support, in Oppy Wood sector.
17th of June 1917 Quiet Day
18th of June 1917 Aircraft Active
19th of June 1917 Quiet Day
20th June 1917 Relieved on the night of the 20th/21st by 15th Warwicks.
21st of June 1917 Brigade Relief Completed
26th of June 1917 Quiet Day
27th of June 1917 Successful Raid
28th of June 1917 Successful Operation
1st of July 1917 Front Line Adjusted
5th of July 1917 Our Trenches Damaged
6th of July 1917 A Brigade Relief
9th Jul 1917 Reliefs
10th of July 1917 A Raid Ordered
12th of July 1917 Back Areas Shelled
16th of July 1917 A Successful Raid
17th of July 1917 Quiet Time
18th of July 1917 Direct Hits Made
19th of July 1917 Situation Quiet
21st of July 1917 Back Areas Shelled
23rd of July 1917 Minenwerfer Active
26th of July 1917 Very Quiet
27th of July 1917 Gas Attack
29th of July 1917 Brigade Relief
1st of August 1917 MG Activity
3rd of August 1917 Snipers Active
4th of August 1917 Hostile Shelling
7th of August 1917 A German Raid
10th of August 1917 Mostly Quiet
13th of August 1917 Two Minute Barrage
16th of August 1917 MGs Active
19th of August 1917 Gas Drums Plan
22nd of August 1917 Railway Shelled
25th of August 1917 TMs Hit Oppy Wood
27th of August 1917 Quiet Time
31st August 1917 Quiet Time
3rd of September 1917 Quiet
5th of September 1917 Brigades on the March
6th of September 1917 Gas Shelling
7th of September 1917 Training
9th of October 1917 Hostile Guns Active
10th of September 1917 Division to Move
11th of September 1917 Artillery Marches
25th of September 1917 Entraining Continues
3rd of October 1917 More Heavy Shelling
4th of October 1917 Attack Launched
5th of October 1917 Quieter Night
10th of October 1917 "Intense Barrage" Endured
11th of October 1917 Snipers Active
14th of October 1917 Training
17th of October 1917 Training
18th of October 1917 Training
21st of October 1917 Offensive to be Resumed
22nd of October 1917 On the Move
23rd of October 1917 More Moves
24th of October 1917 Enemy Retaliates
26th of October 1917 Intermittent Shelling
27th of October 1917 Quiet Time
28th of October 1917 Enemy Guns "Above Normal"
4th of November 1917 Heavy shelling
6th of November 1917 Attack Launched
8th of November 1917 Fairly Quiet
11th of November 1917 Quiet Time
14th of November 1917 95th Brigade Entrain
18th of November 1917 121st Battery Moves
19th of November 1917 Pioneers Move
25th of November 1917 Pioneers Return
26th of November 1917 HQ Closes and Re-opens
27th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy
28th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy
9th of April 1918 Orders
10th of April 1918 Relief Postponed
12th of April 1918 Attack Ordered
13th of April 1918 Enemy Attacks
15th of April 1918 Another Enemy Attack
16th of April 1918 Situation Quiet
18th of April 1918 Artillery Active
19th of April 1918 A Raiding Party
22nd of April 1918 A Gas Attack
23rd of April 1918 Constant Shelling
25th of April 1918 Division Attacks
28th of April 1918 Artillery Quieter
30th of April 1918 Artillery Very Active
3rd of May 1918 Enemy Artillery Active
4th of May 1918 Situation Quiet
10th of May 1918 Gas Shells Used
15th of May 1918 Our Heavies Busy
17th of May 1918 Active Artillery
22nd of May 1918 Enemy Active
23rd of May 1918 Quiet Night
30th of May 1918 A Relief
4th June 1918 Observation Balloon and Aeroplane Downed
5th of June 1918 Brigade Relief
13th of June 1918 Brigade Relief Completed
15th of June 1918 Operation Proposed
20th of June 1918 Situation Unchanged
22nd of June 1918 Slight Activity
25th of June 1918 WO95/1510/4
28th of June 1918 Successful Attack
29th of June 1918 Enemy Guns Active
1st of July 1918 Situation Unchanged
7th of July 1918 Gas Shelling
12th of July 1918 Back Areas Bombed
18th of July 1918 Our Guns Active
24th of July 1918 Relief Completed
28th of July 1918 Quiet
31st of July 1918 Relief Completed
9th of August 1918 Training
10th of August 1918 Training
13th of August 1918 Entraining Commenced
15th of August 1918 Training
21st of August 1918 Division Advances
23rd of August 1918 Division Attacks
24th of August 1918 5th Division Co-operates
25th of August 1918 Brigades Move
26th of August 1918 Enemy Retreats
27th of August 1918 Quiet
28th of August 1918 Situation Unchanged
29th of August 1918 Enemy Evacuate Town
30th of August 1918 Advance Continues
31st of August 1918 Counter-Attack
1st of September 1918 Attack Sucessful
2nd of September 1918 Strongly Defended
3rd of September 1918 Enemy Withdraws
4th of September 1918 Divisional Relief
5th of September 1918 Rest and Training
17th of September 1918 Back Areas Bombed
18th of September 1918 Attack Commences
19th of September 1918 Enemy Guns Quiet
20th of September 1918 Quiet Time
22nd of September 1918 Field Guns Active
30th of September 1918 Divisional Relief
1st of October 1918 Division Relieved
8th of October 1918 New Area
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 15th (2nd Brmingham) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment? There are:5500 items tagged 15th (2nd Brmingham) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire 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 with15th (2nd Brmingham) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the Great War 1914-1918. - Allso Percival Allen. L/Cpl. (d.27th July 1916)
- Burton Charles Silvester. Pte. (d.23rd Mar 1918)
- Butcher Harold. Pte. (d.4th June 1917)
- Davey Adolphus. Pte.
- Ghent John Edgar. Pte. (d.28th June 1918)
- Green Albert Edward. Pte (d.3rd September 1916)
- Leake Albert Ernest. Pte. (d.26th July 1916)
- Maskrey Albert Vincent. Pte. (d.24th Sep 1916)
- Moore Richard Louis Bertram. Pte.
- Nelson George Harry. Pte.
- Salt Alfred. Pte. (d.3rd Sep 1916)
- Smith Garnet. Pte. (d.3rd Sep 1916)
- Statham James. Pte. (d.26th Jun 1918)
- Statham James. Pte. (d.28th June 1918)
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 15th (2nd Brmingham) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment from other sources.
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Pte. James Statham 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.28th June 1918) James Statham was born in 1878 and served with 15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He went missing in action on the 28th of June 1918 and is commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing in Ploegsteert Belgium.
I understand he may have been part of the 7th Royal Warwickshire Regiment prior to this and also serving in Italy.
Looking for more details.
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Pte. Harold Butcher 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.4th June 1917) Harold Butcher was my paternal great-grandfather. He was a 27 year old husband and father when he died fighting in France with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 15th Battalion, in WWI. I believe he was from Trowbridge, in County Wiltshire.
Harold died 4th of June 1917 and is buried at the Etaples Military Cemetery in France. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Butcher of Trowbridge, Wilts, husband of Daisy A. Butcher of Nolan's Cottage, Yatesbury, Calne, Wilts.
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Pte. Richard Louis Bertram "Riccardo" Moore 15th (2nd Birmingham) Battalion, B Company, 6 Platoon. Royal Warwickshire Regiment My grandfather, Richard Moore, was the Birmingham Regimental poet, Ricardo, who wrote The Warblings of a Windy Warrior.
As my siblings and I never met him, the information I have about him is somewhat vague.
I do know that he was born in 1894 in Stourbridge and attended King Edwards School and also Stourbridge Grammar School. After leaving school, he was an articled architect for 4 years, during which time he also joined the Special Reserves of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. I understand that he was originally intended to join the Royal Navy but due to a snake bite he missed the deadline. My grandfather was a keen swimmer and played water polo for Stourbridge and was due to go and live with relatives in Australia when he had his front teeth knocked out in a polo match, as a result of which he had to give up his army reserve commitment in 1913.
He re-joined the Royal Warwickshires in August 1914 and it is my understanding that after surveying and mapping a mined area in Arras that was under fire, he was recommended for a commission and on 24th of January 1917 was gazetted as a Lieutenant to the Somerset Light Infantry. I believe that during WW1 he was wounded 3 times and gassed 3 times and was invalided home in 1918 but was later recalled to serve in Murmansk and Archangei as draft conducting officer and then onto India and the Malay States.
Whilst on indefinite sick leave because of his head wounds, he returned to Stourbridge and between 1920 and 1922 worked as a district reporter for the County Express in order to supplement his leave pay. My grandfather then returned to France with the architectural department of the Imperial War Graves Commission. In 1928 he was granted life retired pay and again returned to Stourbridge where he set up in practice as an architect and surveyor, whilst continuing to do freelance work for local newspapers, writing news articles and short stories about local places and things.
In 1938, I understand that my grandfather relinquished his commission to join the Territorial Army with the 8th Army Field Workshop as a corporal and once again returned to France with his unit in the 50th Division, when again he was wounded in the head and evacuated from Dieppe just before Dunkirk and after recovering was discharged to serve in R.A.F factories as an armourer examiner-mechanic.
Apart from being a soldier, architect and journalist, my grandfather was a linguist and he also continued to write many stories and books, some of which were serialised in Canada
My grandfather died in February 1971, with his requiem taking place at the Catholic Church in Stourbridge and was buried at Norton Road Cemetery in Stourbridge.
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Pte. John Edgar Ghent 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.28th June 1918) John Ghent was buried with colleagues but never found. He is remembered on the Ploegsteert Memorial in Belgium.
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Pte. Garnet Smith 15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.3rd Sep 1916) My Great uncle Garnet Smith was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, in 1885. His profession was a dentist. His parents were John Henry Smith & Martha Smith of Victoria Villa, Olton Boulevard, Olton, Warwickshire. He was killed in action at Guillemont, France on 3rd of September 1916. I recall the postcard saying it was about 3pm?
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Pte. Adolphus Davey 15th (2nd Birmingham) Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment Adolphus Davey served with the 2nd Birmingham Pals.
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Pte. Alfred Salt 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.3rd Sep 1916) Sadly for Alfred Salt, he has no known grave and is therefore commemorated on the Thiepval memorial. I have recently received information regarding my great uncles who served in the first world war. I also have many photographs that my cousin has found with soldiers, but unfortunately I have no names on the photos. I will get them scanned and upload them onto this site, which may help me but also they may help other families who recognise anyone they know.
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Pte. George Harry Nelson 16th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment George Nelson served with the 16th, 15th & 1st Battalions, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
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L/Cpl. Percival Allen Allso 16th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.27th July 1916) Percy Allso served with the 16th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
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Pte. James Statham 15th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.26th Jun 1918) James Statham served with the 15th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment during WW1 and was killed in action on the 28th June 1918, aged 40. He is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing in Belgium . He was born in 1878 in Fazeley, near Tamworth, Staffordshire.
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Pte. Charles Silvester Burton 10th Btn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.23rd Mar 1918) We know from a letter written by a comrade shortly afterwards (now sadly lost) that Charles Burton was machine gunned as a patrol moved around during the German Spring Offensive of 1918. He was aged 36. He has no known grave. He was born in Minworth, Warkwickshire around 1882. We have no pictures of him and think that any that may have existed may have been destroyed by his wife Selina (my Great Grandmother) after his death. His War Medal may also have been pawned at some point. It is possible he was a carpenter, but we cannot confirm that yet. I would be interested to know if you have any photos of the 10th RWR from around that time. We are still trying to find out more about him.
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Pte. Albert Vincent Maskrey 15th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment (d.24th Sep 1916) In Memory of A V Maskrey, Private, 1450, 15th Bn., Royal Warwickshire Regiment who died on 24 September 1916
(Served as Jones). Remembered with Honour
Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension.
Albert Maskrey was my Gt Grand dad. He was 22 yrs old when he died. My Nan was only 2 yrs when he died so never really knew him. She was always told he pulled the pin out of a hand grenade and it blew up straight away. He didn't pass then, he died whilst being treated. I wish I could find out more about him, and find out if he lived a day? hours? a week? It would be nice to know.
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