Pte
Launcelot Leslie Forman
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1895 |
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Place of birth: Boston, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Railway Clerk |
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: 201816 |
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Enlistment place: Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Black Watch (Royal Highlanders), 4/5th Bn. (Angus and Dundee) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 27/09/1917 |
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Place of death: Tower Hamlets, Geluveld, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 22 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 95 A |
Distinctions and medals 1
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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
Lancelot Leslie Forman was the eldest son of George and Clara Forman. He was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, UK around 1895. He worked as a railway clerk. Lancelot enlisted in the British Army and joined the C Coy of the 4/5th Battalion Black Watch (118th Brigade, 39th Division).
Lancelot went missing on 27 September 1917, after the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 118th Brigade attacked the southern part of Tower Hamlets Ridge on 26 September. The 4/5th Battalion Black Watch assembled along the Basseville Beek between the present Herenthagestraat and Passendaleveldstraat. There were six casualties during the march towards the assembly point. At 5.50am (zero hour), the 118th Brigade attacked from their starting positions on the edge of Stout Wood towards Joist Trench. The very muddy and wet ground meant that the line formed was very irregular and the different companies soon got mixed up. The first attacking troops managed to reach their objective. However, German bombing and machine-gun fire caused them to be forced out of their positions again. They did manage to consolidate the line, which was intended as a support line. During a second attack on Joist Redoubt, a German position near the junction of Passendaleveldstraat and Waterstraat-Oude Zonnebekestraat, the battalion was again forced out of their positions by German shells and machine-gun fire after reaching their objective. The newly consolidated support line, however, was maintained. The company furthest to the right during the attack came under rifle and machine gun fire. They lost no fewer than three officers, six sergeants and 72 other ranks. Part of that company managed to reach their objective but did not return. The company got stuck halfway between the starting point of the attack and their targets. They formed a defensive flank.
German troops shelled the entire attack area from 5.50am on 26 September until about the same time the next day. On 27 September, German troops bombed near battalion headquarters. They made 3 attempts to launch a counter avalanche, but these were suppressed by Allied artillery fire. The battalion was finally relieved in the evening of 27 September. Where and how Lancelot fell is unclear. He is reported missing and presumed dead on 27 September. He is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial (stone 95 panel A).
Lancelot went missing on 27 September 1917, after the Battle of Polygon Wood, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 118th Brigade attacked the southern part of Tower Hamlets Ridge on 26 September. The 4/5th Battalion Black Watch assembled along the Basseville Beek between the present Herenthagestraat and Passendaleveldstraat. There were six casualties during the march towards the assembly point. At 5.50am (zero hour), the 118th Brigade attacked from their starting positions on the edge of Stout Wood towards Joist Trench. The very muddy and wet ground meant that the line formed was very irregular and the different companies soon got mixed up. The first attacking troops managed to reach their objective. However, German bombing and machine-gun fire caused them to be forced out of their positions again. They did manage to consolidate the line, which was intended as a support line. During a second attack on Joist Redoubt, a German position near the junction of Passendaleveldstraat and Waterstraat-Oude Zonnebekestraat, the battalion was again forced out of their positions by German shells and machine-gun fire after reaching their objective. The newly consolidated support line, however, was maintained. The company furthest to the right during the attack came under rifle and machine gun fire. They lost no fewer than three officers, six sergeants and 72 other ranks. Part of that company managed to reach their objective but did not return. The company got stuck halfway between the starting point of the attack and their targets. They formed a defensive flank.
German troops shelled the entire attack area from 5.50am on 26 September until about the same time the next day. On 27 September, German troops bombed near battalion headquarters. They made 3 attempts to launch a counter avalanche, but these were suppressed by Allied artillery fire. The battalion was finally relieved in the evening of 27 September. Where and how Lancelot fell is unclear. He is reported missing and presumed dead on 27 September. He is commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial (stone 95 panel A).
Sources 6
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4/5 Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2591/3). http://nationalarchives.gov.uk Sources used |
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British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 372). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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British Army World War I Service Medal and Awards Rolls, 1914-1920 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WBO 329). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911 (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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Soldiers Effects Records (National Army Museum, Chelsea (NAM) 1901-60; NAM Accesion Number: 1991-02-333). https://www.nam.ac.uk/ 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/1632210 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=354d29d1-eb4f-4fa9-b76b-c4e505c95b92 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2509869 |