Informationen zu Geburt

Geburtsdatum:
09/08/1896
Geburtsort:
Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, Vereinigtes Königreich

Allgemeine Informationen

Letzter bekannter Wohnsitz:
218 Cwm Road, Pentre Estyll, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, Vereinigtes Königreich

Informationen zum Armeedienst

Land:
Wales, Vereinigtes Königreich
Truppe:
British Expeditionary Force
Rang:
Private
Dienstnummer:
16723
Einberufung ort:
Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, Vereinigtes Königreich
Einheiten:
 —  Devonshire Regiment, 8th Bn.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Informationen zu Tod

Sterbedatum:
04/10/1917
Sterbeort:
Molenaarelsthoek, Zonnebeke, Belgien
Todesursache:
Im Kampf gefallen
Alter:
21

Gedenkstätte

Tyne Cot Memorial
Tafel: 38

Punkte von Interesse 4

#1 Geburtsort
#2 Letzter bekannter Wohnort
#3 Einberufung ort
#4 Ort des Todes (ungefähr)

Meine Geschichte

William Emanuel was born on 9 August 1896 in Swansea, Glamorgan. He was the son of Robert and Mary Emanuel. William enlisted at Swansea, Glamorgan. He served as a private in “D” Company, 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment, part of the 20th Brigade, of the 7th Division.

The 7th Division took part in the Battle of Broodseinde on 4 October 1917, attacking the high grounds near Molenaarelsthoek and Noordemdhoek. The 21st Division advanced on their left and the 1st Australian Division on their right. The division moved forward with the 91st Brigade on the divisional left and the 20th Brigade on the divisional right, leaving the 22nd Brigade in reserve. The 20th Brigade was tasked with the capture of the first objective to the 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment. This was a line running from a point northwest from Jay Cottage running along Jay Barn to Jolting Houses. The 2nd Bn. Border Regiment and 2nd Bn. Gordon Highlanders would assault the second objective, a line from Noordemdhoek to a point west of judge Cottage. The 9th Bn. Devonshire Regiment was placed in brigade reserve.

At 4:30 p.m. on 2nd October 1917 the 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment moved to the front line. This relief was completed at 00:30 a.m. the next day. At 3 a.m. on the 4th of October “A” and “C” Companies moved up to the jumping off tape running south from a point between Jabber House and the Plasstraat to a point east of the Butte and north of Jetty Wood. “B” and “D” Company, who had been holding the line, moved back, and formed up behind “A” and “C” Company. At 5:40 a.m. an enemy artillery barrage came down on the waiting troops, causing many casualties.

The attack commenced at 6 a.m. The attack was led by “A” and “C” Company, with “B” Company tasked with “mopping up” behind them and “D” Company in reserve. When “D” Company moved up, they encountered resistance from two German pillboxes that had not been cleared by the other companies. One pillbox was located along the Plasstraat, about 100 meters north of the Plasstraat-Spilstraat crossroad. The other stood about 150 meters south of Jubilee Croft. These obstacles caused casualties, but were flanked and defeated.

The attack was successful and final objective was reached at 8:10 a.m. The gained ground was consolidated. At first “D” Company placed half its force at the Plasstraat-Spilstraat crossroad and the other half at the trenchline northeast of the Butte. During the night between the 4th and 5th of October the whole company was withdrawn to this trenchline. The 20th Brigade took over the whole divisional front the next night. The 8th Bn. Devonshire Regiment was placed in brigade support. “D” company moved up from the reserve position to the battalion support at Jolting Trench, a trench running form Jay Barn a point about 300 meters east of Jolting houses. The 20th Brigade was relieved by the 22nd Brigade on the night between October 7th and 8th. This relief was complete at 00.30 a.m.

Although the battalion suffered casualties during the attack, most casualties fell due to shelling before and during consolidation after the attack. In total the battalion reported 14 officers and 258 other ranks as casualties. Of this total, 4 officers and 64 other ranks were killed in action or missing. Private Emanuel, aged 21, was killed in action on October 4th, 1917. He has no known grave and is remembered on panel 38 of the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Dateien 1

Quellen 4

20 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/1654/5).
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Verwendete Quellen
8 Battalion Devonshire Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/1655/2).
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Verwendete Quellen
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14).
https://www.ancestry.com/
Verwendete Quellen
Chris McCarthy, Passchendaele: The Day-By-Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour, 2018), 108-111.
Verwendete Quellen

Weitere Informationen 3