Pte
William Emanuel
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 09/08/1896 |
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Place of birth: Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 218 Cwm Road, Pentre Estyll, Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom |
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: 16723 |
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Enlistment place: Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Devonshire Regiment, 8th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Molenaarelsthoek, Zonnebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 21 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 38 |
Points of interest 4
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Last known residence | ||
| #3 | Enlistment place | ||
| #4 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
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.
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.
Sources 4
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20 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/1654/5). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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8 Battalion Devonshire Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/1655/2). 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.ancestry.com/ Sources used |
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Chris McCarthy, Passchendaele: The Day-By-Day Account (Londen: Arms & Armour, 2018), 108-111. 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/1631248 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=7b21d8e5-1ca0-48cb-947f-48ad47ca599b |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5270294 |