Pte
Harry Cummins
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 10/10/1893 |
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Place of birth: Heywood, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Cotton Mill Worker |
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: 203209 |
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Enlistment place: Bury, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Lancashire Fusiliers, 2/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Spree Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 23 |
Cemetery
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Potijze Chateau Lawn Cemetery Plot: / Row: A Grave: 28 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal — 23/01/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 23/01/1920 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Private Harry Cummins served in the Lancashire Fusiliers 2nd/5th Battalion, part of the 164th (North Lancashire) Brigade, of the 55th Division. The Division participated in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge (31st of July – 2nd of August), the opening stage of the Third Battle of Ypres.
On the 31st of July 1917, the first day of the offensive, the 51st Division attacked at 3.50 a.m. It advanced with the 166th and 165th Brigade from the hamlet of Wieltje towards the hamlet of Fortuin. The 164th followed the advance in second line and had to support the attack where necessary. Once the 165th and 166th Brigades had captured their objectives, the 164th would move through and had to capture the two final objective.
Between 8 and 10 a.m. the Lancashire Fusiliers 2nd/5th Battalion moved towards the final objective. They were on the left of the Divisional front facing the hamlet of Fortuin. When they crossed the Hanebeek the men came under scattered rifle and machinegun fire. However as soon as the Battalion reached a point 200 or 300 yards short of their first objective the Battalion was enfiladed by rifle and machinegun fire coming from Wine House, Spree Farm, parts of Capricorn support and Capricorn Keep, Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage. The heavy small fire shattered the advance of the Battalion and caused severe casualties.
Wine House, Spree Farm and Capricorn Support were eventually captured at considerable loss by the 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. When the Battalion finally reached their objective, it did so at great cost. Roughly a quarter to half of all the men in the 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers had become casualties. Nevertheless the weakened Battalion pushed through towards the final objective, capturing Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage with help from the 1st/8th Liverpool Regiment, which was in support. When the battered units finally reached the final objective line, they were quickly pushed back by German counterattacks. These counterattacks along vast parts of the front were well organized and threatened to cut off the 164th Brigade. At the end of the day all units were back at a line, near Wine House and Spree Farm.
Private Harry Cummins was killed in action on the 31st of July 1917. He was possibly mortally wounded while attacking the German strongpoints near Wine House and Spree Farm. It’s highly possible he was evacuated to the rear and succumbed on his way to or at a dressing station, as he was directly buried in Potijze Chateau Lawn Cemetery. A cemetery, near the starting positions of the Battalion.
On the 31st of July 1917, the first day of the offensive, the 51st Division attacked at 3.50 a.m. It advanced with the 166th and 165th Brigade from the hamlet of Wieltje towards the hamlet of Fortuin. The 164th followed the advance in second line and had to support the attack where necessary. Once the 165th and 166th Brigades had captured their objectives, the 164th would move through and had to capture the two final objective.
Between 8 and 10 a.m. the Lancashire Fusiliers 2nd/5th Battalion moved towards the final objective. They were on the left of the Divisional front facing the hamlet of Fortuin. When they crossed the Hanebeek the men came under scattered rifle and machinegun fire. However as soon as the Battalion reached a point 200 or 300 yards short of their first objective the Battalion was enfiladed by rifle and machinegun fire coming from Wine House, Spree Farm, parts of Capricorn support and Capricorn Keep, Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage. The heavy small fire shattered the advance of the Battalion and caused severe casualties.
Wine House, Spree Farm and Capricorn Support were eventually captured at considerable loss by the 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. When the Battalion finally reached their objective, it did so at great cost. Roughly a quarter to half of all the men in the 2nd/5th Lancashire Fusiliers had become casualties. Nevertheless the weakened Battalion pushed through towards the final objective, capturing Pond Farm and Hindu Cottage with help from the 1st/8th Liverpool Regiment, which was in support. When the battered units finally reached the final objective line, they were quickly pushed back by German counterattacks. These counterattacks along vast parts of the front were well organized and threatened to cut off the 164th Brigade. At the end of the day all units were back at a line, near Wine House and Spree Farm.
Private Harry Cummins was killed in action on the 31st of July 1917. He was possibly mortally wounded while attacking the German strongpoints near Wine House and Spree Farm. It’s highly possible he was evacuated to the rear and succumbed on his way to or at a dressing station, as he was directly buried in Potijze Chateau Lawn Cemetery. A cemetery, near the starting positions of the Battalion.
Sources 2
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2/5 Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers , (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2923/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 24-29. 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/158689 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=5a510fe6-f161-45a9-ab37-6152d208a1bc |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1052822 |