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The 7th Batallion The London Regiment
The 7th Batallion The London Regiment was nicknamed the ‘Shiny Seventh’ was formed as part of the Territorial Force in April 1908, having previously been the 3rd City of London Rifle Volunteers. The Battalion landed in France in March 1915 as part of the 4th London Brigade, 2nd London Division.
They first saw action at Festubert in May 1915, and later took part in major battles at Loos in September 1915, Vimy in May 1916, High Wood in September 1916, Butte de Warlencourt in October 1916 moving to Belguim in 1917 and seeing action in teh battle of Passchendaele at Messines in June of that year before returning to France for the battles at and Cambrai in November 1917.
In 1918 the 1/7th amaganated with the 2/7th to become the 7th Battalion, seeing action at Villiers Bretonneux, Mallard Wood, Epehy, Courrieres, Maulde.
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Those known to have served with The 7th Batallion The London Regiment during The Great War
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
- Cpl. Henry Furner Allen 1st/7th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Pte. Cecil Wallace Ayling 7th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Pte. William Henry Ball (d.27th Aug 1918) Read his Story.
- Pte. Kenneth Cliffe 1/7th (City of London) Battalion (d.11th Jun 1917) Read his Story.
- Pte. George Albert Cole 17th Btn. Read his Story.
- Pte. William Joseph Connolly 1/7th Btn. (d.7th June 1917)
- Pte. William Joseph Connolly 1/7th Btn. A Coy. (d.7th Jun 1917) Read his Story.
- Rfm. H. W. Cornwell 1/17th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917) Read his Story.
- Henry John Daykin 1/7th Btn.
- Pte. William Leonard Dean 7th City of London Battalion Read his Story.
- Cpl. John Lutjen 2/7th Battalion (d.8th Sep 1918) Read his Story.
- L/Cpl. Arthur "Buzzer" Marriott 7th Btn. Read his Story.
- Cpl. Arthur "Buzzer" Marriott 1/7th Btn. Read his Story.
- James O'Brien DCM, Belgian MM. 1/7th Btn.
- Pte. Thomas William O'Brien 1/7th Btn. (d.7th Jun 1917)
- Rfm. Francis Henry Oliver 1/17th Btn. Read his Story.
- Lt. J. F. Preston 1/7th Btn.
- Rfm. G. H. W. Watts 1/17th Btn. (d.7th Jul 1917)
- Pte. James William Zimmer 1/7th Btn. Read his Story.
- Pte. James William Zimmer 7th Btn. Read his Story.
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Pte. William Henry Ball London Regt. Middlesex Regt. North Staffordshire (d.27th Aug 1918) Pte William Henry Ball from Rugely, enlisted with the North Staffordshire Regiment, he also served with the Middlesex Regiment and the 7th London egiment. He was killed in action on the 27th August 1918 |
Pte. William Leonard Dean 7th City of London Battalion London Regiment I am researching my fathers life. I have discovered that he joined the 7th (City of London) Batalion, The London Regiment at Kingston-On-Thames at the age of 18 years & 1 month during 1917. |
Pte. Kenneth Cliffe 1/7th (City of London) Battalion London Regiment (d.11th Jun 1917) Kenneth Cliffe of Sun Street, London, was an employee at The Accident Department in the Head Office of Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation Ltd when he enlisted as a private in the 7th (City of London) Battalion, of the London Regiment at Shepherds Bush. Kenneth was killed in action on the 11th June 1917 at the Battle of Messines and is remembered amongst the missing listed on the Menin Gate in Ypres. The company he worked for is now part of the Aviva group and Kenneth is listed on the company Roll of Honour. |
Rfm. H. W. Cornwell 1/17th Btn. London Regiment (d.7th Jun 1917) Rifleman Cornwell lost his life whilst attached to the Royal Irish Rifles at the Battle of Messines. He was 25 years old. |
Pte. James William Zimmer 1/7th Btn. London Regiment My great grandfather James William Zimmer was with the 7th London Regiment, he ended up in the Labour Corps in 1919, disabled with bronchitis which I have read can be brought on by mustard gas. He was also attached to the 4th battalion Essex Regiment. I am trying to find more information on him. |
Pte. George Albert Cole 17th Btn. London Regiment For many years I have been researching our family history. My Uncle George A. Cole and his wife Rosetta (Snell) lived with our large family for many years especially during the 2nd World War until Uncle died in 1964. During all this time Uncle George was not in good health, both physically and mentally and often mentioned that he was gassed during the First World War. Does anyone have any information on his war service?
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Pte. James William Zimmer 7th Btn. London Regiment I am trying to find more information on my great grand father, James William Zimmer. He was with the 7th London Regiment and I know he was attached to 4th Essex Battalion then transferred to the Labour Corps. In 1919 he was disabled with bronchitis which can be from mustard gas. I am trying to find out which unit he deployed with. Can anyone help? |
Cpl. John Lutjen 2/7th Battalion London Regiment (d.8th Sep 1918) John Lutjen was the son of a German father and English mother. He was born on 18th August 1893 and lived in Canning Town for all his life until he joined the 2/7th Battalion, The London Regiment sometime during the early part of 1916. His unit arrived in France on 27th January 1917 and he remained in theatre until his death on 8th September 1918 at Epehy.
John Lutjen fought at Bullecourt, St Julien during the Second Battle of Ypres, Malard Wood and finally Epehy. He survived being buried when a shell hit his trench at Bullecourt, weathered two gas attacks and a bout of Spanish flu, not to mention numerous bombardments and close quarter battles.
Because of a manuscript error following his death his correct name did not appear on any memorials neither was he correctly identified in the official records. This was brought to the attention of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 2009 and the record has since been put straight and his correct name restored to his gravestone in Epehy Farm Wood Cemetery.
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Rfm. Francis Henry Oliver 1/17th Btn. London Regiment Frank Oliver was my Grandfather, he was a lewis gunner with the 17th Londons during the Great War. When my Father was a small child he asked him how many Germans he shot, to which Frank replied "I don't know. I couldn't see any. They were too far away. We were just ordered to shoot".
My sister recalls he often complained of an aching leg due to a shrapnel wound. He would then tell her how he was wounded. He was in the trenches in France and said that his best friend saved his life. Apparently his friend was standing in front of him when a bomb fell. His friend took the full force of the bomb and was blown to pieces, while he was just left with shrapnel in his leg. |
L/Cpl. Arthur "Buzzer" Marriott 7th Btn. City of London Regt I eventually arrived back at my unit feeling more scared than ever and wondering if I would survive the war. When I arrived at base I was told my unit was in the Front Line not far from Amiens and I was to join them at night going with the mule train which took up our rations and brought back the dead for burial. We started off and passed by the heavy Howitzer guns which were firing and scaring the mules to death. After we had gone so far the Sergeant told us we must now go by communication trench up to our Front Line. We were walking through the winding trenches for what seemed ages, so that we arrived at about “stand to” at 6am, and we were detailed to take up positions on the firing step looking out for any possible German attack. After “stand down” I was back on my old job of inspecting our wire defences making a note of where we had to repair the gaps made by shell fire. To do this when Jerry was only a short distance away I had to use a box periscope, making a note of the gaps. I would have some breakfast and get in my little dug-out and go to sleep very often to be awakened by a “close one”. Up in the evening again things seemed to be rather quiet, not a very good sign and usually a portent of things to come later on. My gang was ready for going over with coils of barbed wire and stakes, when the Fighting Patrol Sergeant came and told me that they would be going out and not to mistake them for the enemy. He was a man with a charmed life. He held the Croix de Gare, Belgian Militaire, the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Military Medals (British). A quiet unassuming individual but very efficient. I assured him we would be on the look-out but at the same time not to cause a rumpus out there and get us all killed. “All right, don’t worry,” he replied. We had finished our job and were creeping in at a given time so that our men in the front trench would not start firing at us or lobbing hand grenades over to us, when suddenly someone grabbed my arm. It was the Patrol Sergeant and he whispered: “Come with me I want to show you something.” I followed him but knowing him I was really scared, “very lights” seemed to increase in number as we went into the unknown, but he was a man who seemed to give one confidence with his quiet manner. He started to go down what seemed like a sunken road and I followed. Suddenly I realised that we were in a tunnel, I could see little pin points of light scurrying about and he said: “Don’t be afraid of the rats.” Then, to my horror, he shone torchlight in front of him. I said: “Put that bloody light out.” But he calmly replied: “You’re all right, they can’t see us in here”. He shone the light all around this German dug-out in the middle of “no man’s land”. The dug-out was well fitted out with wire beds in rows and I nearly screamed when I saw every bed was occupied by a German but the stench told me that they were all dead and the rats kept running away from the bodies when we approached the beds. He took my arm and led me to the end cubicle occupied by the “Kammandant” who had with him female company, a French woman he had smuggled in for a night. The sergeant said that they had been there for months undisturbed only by death from poison gas. The bodies were so decomposed that they were frightful to look at and I was very glad to be out of there in the fresh night air. The sergeant showed me the way back to our front line. I was expecting him to come with me, but he said he had more work to do. I found out afterwards that he had been in the German front line and brought back a box of oranges and a German prisoner. His method was stealth. By sneaking in on the enemy he would stun him and carry him over his shoulder back to our lines for interrogation, very often the sergeant would be missing for several days and nights. |
Pte. William Joseph Connolly 1/7th Btn. A Coy. London Regiment (d.7th Jun 1917) William Connolly was employed as a van guard for a wine agent before enlisting into the 1st/7th (City of London) Battalion of the London Regiment. Two of his brothers also enlisted, John with the R.A.M.C,and James into the 2nd London Regiment (later discharged due to ill health). William's Company 'A' were given the task of taking what was known as the 'White Chateau' on the day of the 7th June, after the 19 mines were blown at Messines. Very few made their destination that day, and those that did were reduced in number by German snipers. Sadly, William fell that morning, although the battle itself was a success. The land won that day was retaken by the Germans some months later! |
Cpl. Arthur "Buzzer" Marriott 1/7th Btn. London Regiment Arthur Marriott was one of three Leicester pals who joined at same time,in March 1915. He was was attached to the Australian Diggers at Hill 60, then through Battle of Messines, being wounded in the knee & arm in 1917 near Croisilles. After the war he became an Engine driver on the railways.
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History of the Shiny Seventh C Digby Planck
Written in the 1920's and recently reprinted. This history tells the story from those early beginnings to the end of WWII including the period between wars when, in 1936, the the regiment's role changed from infantry to searchlight and the title to 32nd (7th City of London) AA Battalion, RE.,TA. Most of the book, some 200 pages, is concerned with the Great War and the record of the two active battalions, 1/7th and 2/7th. The narrative includes extracts from letters, diaries and articles written by officers and men, casualty details are given as they occur and gallantry awards and other incidents. The inter-war years and WWII are only briefly covered and the Roll of Honour for The Great War has one list, officers and men of both battalions, in alphabetical order but without identifying the battalion; Honours and Awards are shown under 1/7th and the combined 2/7th and 7th.More information on: History of the Shiny Seventh
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BENEATH HILL 60 tells the extraordinary true story of Oliver Woodward, the legendary Australian metal scientist. In 1916, Woodward faced the most difficult decision, ultimately having to separate from his new young love for the deadly carnage of the Western Front. On treacherous territory, behind the German enemy lines, Woodward and his secret platoon of Australian tunnelers face a suicidal battle to defend a leaking, tunnel system. A tunnel packed with enough high explosives to change the course of the War.More information on: Beneath Hill 60 [DVD]
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Hill 60: Ypres (Battleground Europe) Nigel Cave
The shell-ravaged landscape of Hill 60, some three miles south east of Ypres, conceals a labyrinth of tu nnels and underground workings. This book offers a guide to the memorials, cemeteries and museums at the site 'More information on: Hill 60: Ypres (Battleground Europe)
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Beneath Hill 60 [Paperback] Will Davies
'Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one - fire! Down goes the firing switch. At first, nothing. Then from deep down there comes a low rumble, and it as if the world is spliting apart...' On 7th June 1917, nineteen massive mines exploded beneath Messines Ridge near Ypres. The largest man-made explosion in history up until that point shattered the landscape and smashed open the German lines. Ten thousand German soldiers died. Two of the mines - at Hill 60 and the Caterpillar - were fired by men of the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company, comprising miners and engineers rather than parade-ground soldiers. Drawing on the diaries of one of the key combatants, "Benealth Hill 60" tells the little-known, devastatingly brutal true story of this subterranean war waged beneath the Western Front - a stygian battle-ground where men drowned in viscous chalk, suffocated in the blue gray clay, choked on poisonous air or died in the darkness, caught up up in vicious hand-to-hanMore information on: Beneath Hill 60 [Paperback]
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