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12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps
12th (Service) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps was raised at Winchester on the 21st of September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and joined 60th Brigade, 20th (Light) Division. After training close to home they moved to moved to Bisley, then to Blackdown in November 1914 then February 1915 to billets in Hindhead. They moved to Larkhill on the 10th of April 1915 for final training. They proceeded to France on the 22nd of July 1915, landing at Boulogne and the division concentrating in the Saint-Omer area. They moved to the Fleurbaix area for trench familiarisation. In 1916 they were in action at the The Battle of Mount Sorrel, in which the Division, along with the Canadians, recaptured the heights. They were in action on the Somme in The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, The Battle of Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy. In 1917 they were in action during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The Battle of Langemarck, The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, The Battle of Polygon Wood and The Cambrai Operations. In 1918 they fought in The Battle of St Quentin, The actions at the Somme crossings and The Battle of Rosieres engaging in heavy fighting in each battle, on the 20th of April they were withdrawn to the area south west of Amiensand received many new drafts of men during the summer. They returned to action at The Battle of the Selle and fought in The Battle of Valenciennes, The Battle of the Sambr and the passage of the Grand Honelle. At the Armitice the Division was in the area between Bavay and Maubeuge and later that month the units moved to the Toutencourt-Marieux area. Demobilistion of the Division began in January 1919 and was complete by the end of May.
14th Aug 1916 Reliefs 
27th Aug 1916 Reliefs
29th Aug 1916 Recce
30th Aug 1916 SOS
14th Feb 1917 Prisoner
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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| Want to know more about 12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps? There are:5235 items tagged 12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps 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 with12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. - Allsop Arthur E.. Rfln. (d.15th Jun 1917)
- Ash William. Pte. (d.12th Jun 1916)
- Broughton Thomas Robert. Pte. (d.5th Aug 1916)
- Brown Arthur Benjamin. Rfmn.
- Brown Arthur Benjamin. Rfmn.
- Chandler Charles Henry. L/Sgt. (d.2nd Jun 1916)
- Chandler Percy Reginald. Rflm. (d.20th Mar 1916)
- Cotton Walter. Pte. (d.27th Oct 1918)
- Cox John Benjamin. Rflmn. (d.12th Sep 1915)
- Cranidge John Johnson. Rflmn. (d.29th March 1918)
- Elliott Thomas. Pte. (d.19th September 1916)
- Foster Arthur.
- Fromant Charles Henry. Pte.
- Fromant Charles Henry. Pte.
- Gledhill Herbert. Pte.
- Green Charles Robert. Rfmn.
- Hall Edwin. Pte
- Hall Edwin. Pte
- Hawkesworth Ernest Alfred. Cpl. (d.16th August 1917)
- Hey Joe. Pte. (d.16th Aug 1917)
- Hunt Robert. Pte. (d.20th Nov 1917)
- Lamb Joseph. Cpl.
- Leek David. Rfn. (d.22nd Sep 1917)
- Millest Edward William John. Rflmn. (d.2nd April 1918)
- Phenix Albert Price. Pte. (d.15th Dec 1916)
- Powell Percy. Pte. (d.16th Aug 1917)
- Richards John Alfred. Pte (d.18th August 1916)
- Rose Samuel. Rflmn. (d.18th Sep 1916)
- Shufflebotham Charles. Rflmn (d.2nd December 1917)
- Smith Edwin Charles. Pte
- Smitheringale Joseph Henry. Rflmn. (d.26th November 1918 )
- Sydee Alfred Henry. Rfn. (d.23rd Sept 1918)
- Thomas Henry George. Rfn. (d.14th Dec 1917)
- Titmas Bertie Edmund. L/Cpl. (d.16th Aug 1917)
- Woodhouse John. Rflmn. (d.4th Oct 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 12th Battalion, Kings Royal Rifle Corps from other sources.
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Pte. Robert Hunt 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.20th Nov 1917) Robert Hunt had been abandoned by his father and had no home when he was arrested at the age of 17 for stealing a bicycle and sent to borstal for three years. Released in July 1917, he joined the KRRC and finally made contact with his two sisters whom he had not seen for four years. He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of Cambrai 20th of Noevember 1917. 2Lt Pearson, his platoon commander, wrote to one of his sisters that Robert 'had proved himself a good soldier, always cheerful and willing'.
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L/Sgt. Charles Henry Chandler 12th Btn Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.2nd Jun 1916) Charles Chandler served with 12th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
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Pte. Charles Henry Fromant 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps Charles Fromant joined the Cambridgeshire Regiment in 1916. He was sent to France as a draft in Sept 1916 but diverted from the first Cambs to 12th Kings Royal Rifle Company
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Pte. Albert Price Phenix 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.15th Dec 1916) Albert Phenix was my 2nd Great uncle. I'm finding out small bits of information slowly, but know he is buried at Guards Cemetery at Lesboeufs in France.
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Rflmn. John Benjamin Cox 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.12th Sep 1915) Jack Cox enlisted under age at Kingston Upon Thames Town Hall. He was aged 17 when killed.
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Pte. Charles Henry Fromant 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps My grandfather, Charles Fromant, was sent out with a draft for the 1/1st Cambridgeshires. The draft was diverted to the 12th KRRC.
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Pte. Thomas Elliott 12th Btn. King's Royal Rifle Corps. (d.19th September 1916)  Hartley Wespall Military Funeral, 30th September 1916
On Saturday afternoon the mortal remains of Pte. Thomas Elliott, King's Royal Rifle, were laid to rest in the churchyard of his native village with military honours. He had been on active service for the past 11 months and was severely wounded in the head on the 5th inst.; after preliminary attention at the Base Hospital he was removed to the Duchess of Connaught's Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Taplow. Subsequent reports gave ground for hope of recovery, but he gradually grew worse, and passed away on the 19th inst. Owing to indisposition the Rector of Hartley was unable to conduct the service, and this duty was kindly carried out by the Rev. J. B. Barker, Rector of Sherfield. There was a large concourse of people, practically the whole parish, where the deceased was very well known and popular, showing their sympathy by attending the sad ceremony.
The deceased, previous to joining the Army, had been an enthusiastic member of the Hartley Boy Scouts and enlisted in the Army although under age. This token of bravery, which has culminated in giving his life for his country's cause, has brought forth expressions of admiration on all sides. The body, borne by soldiers, ten of whom attended, enered the church whilst the organist (Mr. R. N. Ruddle) played the air O rest in the Lord. The hymn On the resurrection morning was sung during the service, and the Nunc Dimittis was chanted as they left for the grave, which is situated under the shadow of the church where the deceased had been accustomed to attend. At the conclusion of the service the Last Post was played by two buglers, and was very impressive.
The mourners included Messrs. Ernest, Charles and John Elliott, Mrs. C. Elliott, senr., Mr. and Mrs. Wingrove, Mrs. Cummins; Misses Edith, Ethel and Agnes Elliott, and there were also present Mr. and Mrs. Durnford, Miss Durnford, Mrs. J. B. Barker and many others. There were numerous wreaths of especial beauty from Joe, Charlie and John; Mrs. Wingrove and Charlie; Edie; Mrs. Cummins; Ethel, Agnes and Mother; Mrs. Sewry; Ed. and Willie Coring; Mr., Mrs. and Miss Vass; from the staff at hospital; Dick Cummins; Misses F. A. and E. Lawrence; Mrs. Armsworth; Mrs. Leadbetter; Mr. and Mrs. Hoare; Mrs, Willis and Mrs. F. Hoare; Mrs. Hall: Miss Barter; Mr. and Mrs. L. Smith; Mrs. Lomer; Mr. and Mrs. Durnford; his loving friend Flo; Mr. and Mrs Mulford and children.
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Rflmn. Joseph Henry Smitheringale 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.26th November 1918 ) Joseph Henry Smitheringale was my Grand Uncle, my Grandfather having married his sister, Alice Leah Esther Smitheringale. My Grandfather was William Elliott who came from Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Unfortunately, I do not know anything about Joseph except that he died on November 26th 1918, aged 29. He was not killed in action but died of influenza. I do not know where he is buried but he is remembered on the Nottingham Road War Memorial, Eastwood.
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Cpl. Joseph Lamb 22nd Btn. B Coy. 8Plt. Manchester Regiment Joseph Lamb was a stoker at Stuart St power station immediately prior to WW1 though he had previously worked in a cotton mill.
On the 1st of September 1914 he attested with the 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps as a private No 531, but this was short lived as he was discharged 1 month later under Kings Regulation 392, 111 (unlikely to become an efficient soldier).
Evidently, not put off by this hitch, he then joined the 22nd Manchester Regiment, "B" Company, VII Platoon as a Private on the th of January 1915. His initial training took place at Stretford Rd Barracks, Hulme, Manchester. During this period the 22nd Manchester's had no billets, uniforms or weaponry and in fact returned home at the end of each day's training. The Battalion then moved to Morecambe followed by Grantham and then Larkhill Camp, Salisbury Plain.
They were then sent to France via Folkestone to Boulogne. Due to appalling weather they were billeted overnight until the sea calmed down though the sailing could not be described as calm. The battn then continued advanced training before tasting their first "active service" in trenches facing Thiepval (at that point a heavily defended German stronghold) under the watchful eye of the 1st Bttn Hampshire Regt.
The 22nds remained in France and were billeted at Fricourt the night before the opening of The Battle of the Somme. On the opening of the battle they held trenches midway between Fricourt and Mametz and went over the top in an attempt to capture/liberate the German held village of Mametz. The objective was achieved and proved to be one of the few successes of the day which saw 60,000 allied casualties.
The 22nds lost officers killed May, Bland, Mellor, Gomersall, Peak, Brunt, Swan, Nansen, Price and Gill. Officers Wounded:
Lloyd, Worthington Prince, Cotton, Wood, >Workhouse and Riley wounded. 120 other ranks were killed and 241 others were wounded or missing.
In late September Joseph Lamb was listed as wounded on The Times daily casualty lists though I can find no detail of the nature of the wound. They remained in the Somme region and took part in the Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917. This battle proved to be another fiasco largely due to the failure of British tanks to reach, let alone disrupt the enemy front line. My other grandfather was captured during this battle.
The Battalion moved to Belgium in September 1917 to take part in the 3rd battle of Ypres (Paschaendale). On the 2nd of October 1917 Joe Lamb was in dugouts in a railway embankment west of Zillebeke Lake. On the night of the 3rd the Battlion marched up to Polygon Wood in preparation for the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge. The Manchester's attacked Broodseinde Ridge early on the 4th and he was hit by a shell and lay injured in a shell hole. A German soldier was in the same shell hole and managed to dress Joe's badly wounded leg. Upon the arrival of other British troops Joe Lamb managed to talk them out of shooting the German soldier who was subsequently taken as a POW.
Joe Lamb was evacuated to Britain and spent some time at Colchester Military Hospital though by this time he had lost a leg 2 inches above the knee. He received further treatment at the 2nd Western Military Hospital on Whitworth St, Manchester. It was here on 1st of July 1918 that his artificial leg was "successfully fitted".
He later returned to work for the Electricity Dept as a storeman. He was never a well man after the war and died aged 47 in 1943. His brother in law (another Manchester Pal) died in the same hospital on the same day with neither widow (sisters) realising the other was there.
During his recuperation Joe took offence to a grocery boy's taunts aimed at the injured soldiers. When the boy entered the hospital Joe, regardless of his missing leg stole and hid the boys delivery bike. Try explaining that to your boss!
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Arthur Foster 12th Btn. att RE 131st Tunneling Coy. Kings Royal Rifles In Arthur Foster's military pension record copy there is a letter from the County Police Office, Rawtenstall stating that he was serving with the King's Royal Rifle Regt, attached to the Royal Engineer's 131st Tunneling Co in France with the REF. His service number is recorded as 8951. He had previously been discharged from the East Lancs Regt (Serv No 12352).
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Pte. Herbert Gledhill 12th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Private Herbert Gledhill served with the 2/5th and 12th Battalions King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry.
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Rfmn. Charles Robert "Charlie" Green 12th(Service) Division King's Royal Rifle Corps Charles Robert Green (Born 17.3.1885) enlisted in HM Army on 10th September 1914. He served in the 12th Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifles and went to France on 23rd July 1915 having sung a solo at the service at Winchester Cathedral before the troop departed for France.
He was wounded at Fleurbaix on 15th November 1915 but because he could not be removed from the battlefield for several days he got gangrene in his leg and his right leg was amputated on November 28th 1915 at Boulogne. He was in King George V Hospital for rehabilitation and had a tin-leg fitted at Roehampton Hospital. He was discharged the Army on 28th June 1916 (As recorded in the Family Bible by his wife Alice Sarah Green)
He subsequently worked on the railways and died on 24th December 1957
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Rfmn. Arthur Benjamin Brown 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps Arthur Brown enlisted on the 3rd of September 1914 went to France on the 23rd of July 1915. He was wounded in the head and was discharged on the 7th of October 1916 and died in 1931 at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham.
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Pte. Walter Cotton 12th Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.27th Oct 1918) Walter Cotton was born in Staffordshire but lived in Bolton, Lancashire. His brother Charles was killed in the Battle of Messines in 1917 and he attended his grave.
Walter's battalion was attached to the 60th Brigade in 20th (Light) Division. He was taken prisoner (as yet the whereabouts are unknown to us) and died as a PoW in Germany. He is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery.
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Rfmn. Arthur Benjamin Brown 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps Arthur Benjamin Brown was born 1888 in Cinderford, Gloucestershire and moved to Brum and married on 29 11 1908 at St Andrew, Small Heat. He had his first child that made it to old age in 1913. He enlisted on the 3rd of September 1914 went to France on 23rd July 1915. He was discharged on the 7th of October 1916 due to wounds to his head.
I am told he had a steel plate inserted into his scull. He was awarded a small pension to keep his wife and two children going. He had a party trick of stabbing his steel plate with a pen knife to scare the local kids.
He died in 1935 aged 47
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Rflmn. John Woodhouse 12th Btn. King's Royal Rifle Corps (d.4th Oct 1917) John Woodhouse served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps 12th Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 4th October 1917 and is buried in the H.A.C. Cemetery, Ecoust-St-Mein, France. He was the husband of Amy Woodhouse, of 30, Wellington St., Winson Green, Birmingham.
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Rfln. Arthur E. Allsop 12th Btn. King's Royal Rifle Corps (d.15th Jun 1917) Arthur Allsop served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps 12th Battalion. He was executed for desertion on 15th June 1917 aged 21 and is buried in Favreuil British Cemetery, Favreuil, France.
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Rfn. Henry George "Harry" Thomas 12th Btn. Kings Royal Rifle Corps (d.14th Dec 1917) Henry George Thomas was my great great uncle. He was born in Windsor in 1885. He married in 1911 and the following year he emigrated to Australia for a new life with his wife and her cousin William Powell and his wife. All four returned to the UK in July 1916 and Henry joined the 12th Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps as a rifleman. He sadly lost his life on the 14th December 1917 aged 31 and is buried at the Etaples Military Cemetery.
He left behind his widow Edith Louise and his 4 year old son George.
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Pte. Thomas Robert Broughton 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps (d.5th Aug 1916) I found out my great great grandfather was Thomas Robert Broughton who served in WW1 as a rifleman for the King's Royal Rifle Corps. He was shot and died in France/Flanders. He was married to Agnes May Wootton and they had two daughters. After he died Agnes remarried. I would love a photo of him I've been searching for 6 months with no luck. I march every year on Anzac Day here in Australia. Next year it will be the first time I march for Thomas as I didn't know about him before.
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L/Cpl. Bertie Edmund Titmas 12th Btn. King's Royal Rifle Corps (d.16th Aug 1917) Bertie Titmas was my Mother's Father born c.1881. He was killed in action in possibly at the Battle of Langemarck, Third battle of Ypres 16-18 August 1917. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Tyne-Cot Memorial
He was born in Stepney, Middlesex and enlisted at Ratcliffe. He was married to Charlotte nee Bonner, and had at least 6 children.
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