War Diaries Talk

O/C endangerment

  • Stork by Stork

    In the diary I'm tagging --- 47 Infantry Brigade, 6 Battalion Royal Irish Regiment (30 Nov 1915 - 27 Feb 1918) --- on 9/9/16 the O/C, Lt Col F E P Curzon, died during an unsuccessful attack on the enemy's trenches. Why is a Lt Col taking an active part in an attack? I've always been under the impression that commanders hang back in their HQ and send their underlings to do the dangerous work. There was no mention of the enemy shelling the back lines where the O/C may have been supervising the attack. It seems to have been a straightforward assault across No Man's Land, attempting to get into enemy trenches, but the enemy was too strong and forced the British back, with many casualties.

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    I believe some of the Staff Officers in HQ did not go over the top. The Lt. Col's in charge of Battalions did attack with their men. In 1 diary I tagged, The Lt. Col. was killed, his 2nd in Command was also killed, the Adjutant was also killed, when the 2nd in Command was replaced the man replacing him was also killed.

    PS. I am presently doing the diary for the 9th Irish Fusiliers in 108th Infantry Brigade, for March 1917 but the CO, Lt.Col. S. J Somerville will be killed in action leading the Battalion in the later attack on 16 August. He was an Inniskilling and had commanded the 9th Irish Fusiliers from March 1917.

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    The popular view of "lions led by donkeys" where all the officers above the rank of Captain were in the rear in safety is just a myth. Battalion commanders most certainly did go over the top with their men.

    Great comedy though it undoubtedly is, Blackadder Goes Forth has a lot to answer for in perpetuating the myth!

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    There is a website that lists all the infantry battalions' Commanding Officers for WW1. This page from that site http://www.ww1infantrycos.co.uk/british regiments.html lists all the regiments. Click on any of them and you'll see all the battalions from that regiment and their COs throughout the war, as well as when each CO served and why he was replaced. You'll see that many were killed in action or wounded.

    This page is also a great reference if you can't make out the signature of an O.C. at the end of a month!
    .

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    I have used this link before, it is a good reference point when tagging the diaries. Its amazing how many good links there are relating to WW1.

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  • Stork by Stork

    Thanks, cyngast, that website is very handy.

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I've discovered that the website I posted above is not 100-percent accurate. The information posted for the 12th Royal Irish Rifles has Lt. Col. Goodwin leaving for a temporary absence on 17 February 1918 and succeeded by a Lt. Col. McCallum, but according to the 12th RIR diary Lt. Col. Goodwin went to hospital on 10 March 1918 and was succeeded, at least immediately by a/Major A. H. Hall, who had been the unit's adjutant. Still, I think it is a good site to use as a guide, but not an absolute resource.

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