Pte
George Salmon
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 10/01/1879 |
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Place of birth: Stafford, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Butcher |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: PLY/2104(S) |
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Enlistment date: 08/05/1917 |
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Enlistment place: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Marines, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Banff House, Poelcapelle, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 38 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 1 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private George Salmon served in the 2nd Battalion Royal Marine Light Infantry, 63rd Royal Naval Division. The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, officially took place from the 31st of July till the 10th of November 1917.
George Salmon had been a Butcher by profession, living in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and enlisted on 8th May 1917, aged 38 after his employer lost his case at Stratford War Tribunal. Mr Salmon's employer had claimed that George's work was essential to the war effort and so should be considered a reserved occupation. Private Salmon embarked with the Royal Marine Brigade on 13th July 1917, was drafted to the BEF on 25th September 1917 and joined 2nd Battalion Royal Marine L.I. on 4th October 1917.
The 63rd R.N. Division participated in The Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917), a phase of the Third Battles of Ypres. By 2 a.m. October 26th all battalions were in position. The rain had begun at midnight and continued steadily. The 63rd division attacked with one brigade (188th) at 5:45 a.m. alongside the Anson Battalion and 1st Royal Marines, with 2nd Royal Marines in support and Howe battalion in reserve. The 3rd Canadian division attacked at the same time to their right. The advance took place over a sea of deep mud, the Allied bombardment on enemy positions over last 48 hours had turned the terrain into a mass of shell holes, flooded with several feet of water/mud. The advance took was carried out with a wide front, with 1st Marines over 900 yards and Anson Battalion over 600 yards. The Battalions formed into two thin front skirmish lines followed by columns of sections or platoons depending on objective. Two platoons from each battalion were required for duty as stretcher bearers.
At 7:20 Varlet Farm was incorrectly reported as being captured by the Anson (they in fact occupied a group of ruins 200 yards to the east) and by 8 a.m. Banff House had also fallen and the battalion was able to consolidate its gains. In the centre of the line the attack was held up on the road between Bray Farm and Wallemolen. At Midday Anson Battalion was reported as consolidating around Source Trench. 1st and 2nd Marines had gained their objective on the left but were still held up just east of the road in the centre with platoons becoming isolated in their positions across the line, unable to communicate with each other.
During the second stage of the attack, under particularly severe enemy machine gun fire 'A' company of 2nd Royal Marines, under Captain Ligertwood, crossed the Paddebeek which has been described as one of the 'finest exploits' of the second stage of the battle. By this time almost all company commanders of attacking battalions had become casualties and at 5 p.m. a strong enemy counter-attack caused the battalion to retreat back behind the Paddebeek. By nightfall the troops in Banff house were forced to withdraw to Berks Houses and the line turned back westward towards the Shaft. Practically the whole of the first objective had been gained except Source Trench and Banff House with the four assaulting battalions suffering disastrous losses of Officers and men. In describing the offensive Sir Hubert Gough stated "No troops could have faced worse conditions".
Private Salmon was Killed in Action on 26th October 1917. He is commemorated by the CWGC on Panel 1 of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. This means that George's remains were either never discovered or could not be positively identified following the end of the war. It is possible that he fell under the heavy machine gun fire faced as 2nd R.M. advanced across the Paddebeek. Given the subsequent battalion retreat it may not have been possible to retrieve his body.
On 16th November 1917 the Stratford Herald published this dedication: "In loved and honoured memory of my dear husband, George Salmon, who fell in action October 26th, 1917 aged 39 years. Sadly missed by his sorrowing wife and children."
George Salmon had been a Butcher by profession, living in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire and enlisted on 8th May 1917, aged 38 after his employer lost his case at Stratford War Tribunal. Mr Salmon's employer had claimed that George's work was essential to the war effort and so should be considered a reserved occupation. Private Salmon embarked with the Royal Marine Brigade on 13th July 1917, was drafted to the BEF on 25th September 1917 and joined 2nd Battalion Royal Marine L.I. on 4th October 1917.
The 63rd R.N. Division participated in The Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917), a phase of the Third Battles of Ypres. By 2 a.m. October 26th all battalions were in position. The rain had begun at midnight and continued steadily. The 63rd division attacked with one brigade (188th) at 5:45 a.m. alongside the Anson Battalion and 1st Royal Marines, with 2nd Royal Marines in support and Howe battalion in reserve. The 3rd Canadian division attacked at the same time to their right. The advance took place over a sea of deep mud, the Allied bombardment on enemy positions over last 48 hours had turned the terrain into a mass of shell holes, flooded with several feet of water/mud. The advance took was carried out with a wide front, with 1st Marines over 900 yards and Anson Battalion over 600 yards. The Battalions formed into two thin front skirmish lines followed by columns of sections or platoons depending on objective. Two platoons from each battalion were required for duty as stretcher bearers.
At 7:20 Varlet Farm was incorrectly reported as being captured by the Anson (they in fact occupied a group of ruins 200 yards to the east) and by 8 a.m. Banff House had also fallen and the battalion was able to consolidate its gains. In the centre of the line the attack was held up on the road between Bray Farm and Wallemolen. At Midday Anson Battalion was reported as consolidating around Source Trench. 1st and 2nd Marines had gained their objective on the left but were still held up just east of the road in the centre with platoons becoming isolated in their positions across the line, unable to communicate with each other.
During the second stage of the attack, under particularly severe enemy machine gun fire 'A' company of 2nd Royal Marines, under Captain Ligertwood, crossed the Paddebeek which has been described as one of the 'finest exploits' of the second stage of the battle. By this time almost all company commanders of attacking battalions had become casualties and at 5 p.m. a strong enemy counter-attack caused the battalion to retreat back behind the Paddebeek. By nightfall the troops in Banff house were forced to withdraw to Berks Houses and the line turned back westward towards the Shaft. Practically the whole of the first objective had been gained except Source Trench and Banff House with the four assaulting battalions suffering disastrous losses of Officers and men. In describing the offensive Sir Hubert Gough stated "No troops could have faced worse conditions".
Private Salmon was Killed in Action on 26th October 1917. He is commemorated by the CWGC on Panel 1 of the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. This means that George's remains were either never discovered or could not be positively identified following the end of the war. It is possible that he fell under the heavy machine gun fire faced as 2nd R.M. advanced across the Paddebeek. Given the subsequent battalion retreat it may not have been possible to retrieve his body.
On 16th November 1917 the Stratford Herald published this dedication: "In loved and honoured memory of my dear husband, George Salmon, who fell in action October 26th, 1917 aged 39 years. Sadly missed by his sorrowing wife and children."
Sources 3
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2 Royal Marine Battalion, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/3110/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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Jerrold D., The Royal Naval Division, (London, Hutchinson & Co., 1923), pg. 252-257. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 146-147. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/828564 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=c27ea544-7b20-43ab-8c29-52d09c66968b |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6930661 |