Pte
John Williams
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1888 |
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Place of birth: Tredegar, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Coal miner |
Army information
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Country: Wales, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 20950 |
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Units: — South Wales Borderers, 11th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Chien Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 29 |
Cemetery
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Sanctuary Wood Cemetery Plot: II Row: L Grave: 10 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 1
| #1 | Place of birth |
My story
Private John Williams served with the 11th Battalion South Wales Borderers in the 115th Brigade of the 38th (Welsh) Division. On the 31st of July the 38th (Welsh) Division participated in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the first phase of the Third Battle of Ypres.
On the 30th of July 1917 the 11th Battalion marched from Dublin Camp to the assembly point where they arrived the following day at 2.30 a.m. The companies assembled near Hulls Farm where it awaited the commence of the attack. At Zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the leading companies of the 11th advanced. They crossed the Ypres canal around 5.30 a.m. The Battalion encountered no great opposition. The 11th Battalion was able to keep up with the scheduled time table capturing several German prisoners. At 8.30 a.m. the attacking troops approached the green line. But while the Battalions were approaching their objective, German resistance increased. The attacking parties suffered severe casualties due to machine-gun- and rifle fire from concrete positions in front of them. Most houses and farms along the top of the ridge after the Steenbeek had been converted into concrete machine-gun posts and as the troops could not keep up with the barrage they were enfiladed by German machine-gun fire. This checked the attack of the 11th Battalion South Wales Borderers. Only the flanks were able to push on. The houses eventually fell and the troops crossed the Steenbeek.
In the meantime the Germans retreated from the Steenbeek area and the Welsh established three bridgeheads across the Steenbeek at Au Bon Gite. Several platoons and one company consolidate these positions, although they were fired upon from Langemark. Just after the 11th Battalion reached their positions a German aeroplane flew over from the direction of Langemark dropping bombs and firing with machine guns on the men.
At 3 p.m. Germans were seen marching through Langemark. Where the assembled in the hope to regain their lost positions. An SOS signal was sent up, but no answer came from the allied artillery. Therefore the Battalion had to try and stop the German attack with Lewis gun fire. To no avail. The German attack gained momentum and the left flank of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had to give up ground. They withdrew behind the Steenbeek leaving the left flank of the 11th Battalion exposed. On the left the Germans regained some concrete buildings. German machine-gunners took up position in the blockhouses and started enfilading the flank of the 11th South Wales Borderers. The heavy German machine-gun fire made the position of the 11th on the eastern bank of the Steenbeek untenable. A further German attempt to secure a bridgehead on the western bank failed. Another attempt at 8.30 p.m. was quickly answered by allied artillery support. Artillery fire on both sides was heavy throughout the night.
Private John Williams was killed in action on the 31st of July 1917. He was probably killed in the late afternoon or in the evening, as he was initially buried near Chien Farm on the west bank of the Steenbeek stream. Private John Williams was killed alongside three comrades. The quantity of machine-gun ammunition found with the bodies would indicate that they were a machine-gun team. The men possibly fell, due to shellfire, while they were holding the west bank. It’s highly likely their position at Chien Farm took a direct hit, as the remains of the four men were so intermingled and broken apart. The four men were exhumed after the war and interred in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery. Where they still rest together.
On the 30th of July 1917 the 11th Battalion marched from Dublin Camp to the assembly point where they arrived the following day at 2.30 a.m. The companies assembled near Hulls Farm where it awaited the commence of the attack. At Zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the leading companies of the 11th advanced. They crossed the Ypres canal around 5.30 a.m. The Battalion encountered no great opposition. The 11th Battalion was able to keep up with the scheduled time table capturing several German prisoners. At 8.30 a.m. the attacking troops approached the green line. But while the Battalions were approaching their objective, German resistance increased. The attacking parties suffered severe casualties due to machine-gun- and rifle fire from concrete positions in front of them. Most houses and farms along the top of the ridge after the Steenbeek had been converted into concrete machine-gun posts and as the troops could not keep up with the barrage they were enfiladed by German machine-gun fire. This checked the attack of the 11th Battalion South Wales Borderers. Only the flanks were able to push on. The houses eventually fell and the troops crossed the Steenbeek.
In the meantime the Germans retreated from the Steenbeek area and the Welsh established three bridgeheads across the Steenbeek at Au Bon Gite. Several platoons and one company consolidate these positions, although they were fired upon from Langemark. Just after the 11th Battalion reached their positions a German aeroplane flew over from the direction of Langemark dropping bombs and firing with machine guns on the men.
At 3 p.m. Germans were seen marching through Langemark. Where the assembled in the hope to regain their lost positions. An SOS signal was sent up, but no answer came from the allied artillery. Therefore the Battalion had to try and stop the German attack with Lewis gun fire. To no avail. The German attack gained momentum and the left flank of the 14th Royal Welsh Fusiliers had to give up ground. They withdrew behind the Steenbeek leaving the left flank of the 11th Battalion exposed. On the left the Germans regained some concrete buildings. German machine-gunners took up position in the blockhouses and started enfilading the flank of the 11th South Wales Borderers. The heavy German machine-gun fire made the position of the 11th on the eastern bank of the Steenbeek untenable. A further German attempt to secure a bridgehead on the western bank failed. Another attempt at 8.30 p.m. was quickly answered by allied artillery support. Artillery fire on both sides was heavy throughout the night.
Private John Williams was killed in action on the 31st of July 1917. He was probably killed in the late afternoon or in the evening, as he was initially buried near Chien Farm on the west bank of the Steenbeek stream. Private John Williams was killed alongside three comrades. The quantity of machine-gun ammunition found with the bodies would indicate that they were a machine-gun team. The men possibly fell, due to shellfire, while they were holding the west bank. It’s highly likely their position at Chien Farm took a direct hit, as the remains of the four men were so intermingled and broken apart. The four men were exhumed after the war and interred in Sanctuary Wood Cemetery. Where they still rest together.
Sources 2
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11 Battalion South Wales Borderers , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2562/2). Further reference |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 28-29. 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/478118 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=736637a1-e629-409f-affb-a1faff352045 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/4774608 |