Pte
George Frederick Shaw
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1874 |
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Place of birth: Eccles, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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: 51268 |
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Enlistment place: Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Manchester Regiment, 16th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Sanctuary Wood, Zillebeke, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 43 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 55E |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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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
Private George Frederick Shaw of the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment was killed in action on the first day of the battle of Passchendaele, also knwon as the Battle of Pilckem Ridge. The 30th Division was in the line in Sanctuary Wood. The 30th would advance in the center with the 8th Division on its left and the 24th Division on its right. The 25th and 18th Divisions were in support, respectively on the left and the right. The 30th Division would advance with three Brigades. The 90th, with the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment, the 21st Brigade and the 89th Brigade. The 90th and 21st Brigades formed the first line. With the 90th on the left and the 21st on the right, the 89th would be in support. The 16th and 18th Manchester Battalions would lead the attack for the 90th Brigade. The 16th was on the left and the 18th on the right of the Brigade’s front. The 17th Manchesters would pass through the 16th, once they had consolidated their first objective. The first objective of the 16th was the line between Clapham Junction and a position just North of Surbiton Villas.
The 16th were in the assembly trenches in Sanctuary Wood. A company would be the first wave, B the second wave and D and C companies the third wave. The British first Line in Sanctuary Wood was only 40 to 50 yards away from the German, Jackdaw trench. At zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the men of the 90th Brigade moved forward, behind a very heavy and thick artillery barrage. The German artillery remained silent. No counter barrage was opened. The first dozen casualties of the 16th Manchesters were killed or wounded by their own artillery, because they advanced too quickly behind the barrage. The German Trenches at Jackdaw Support were quickly overrun. The 16th had to push further forward to their objective between the Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction. However, there was great confusion amongst the ranks and few had any idea of direction. A company succeeded in taking their objective, the Jackdaw Support Trench, within 25 minutes, without much opposition. A number of men of B company winded up at the stable ruins of Stirling Castle, the objective of the 18th Manchester Battalion. C company arrived at Clapham Junction and took about forty German prisoners together with a serious amount of machineguns and trench mortars.
The battle became increasingly chaotic. About 90 minutes after the attack men of eight different Battalions were all crossing the road near Clapham Junction. Many casualties occurred when the men crossed the road due to machine gun fire coming from the higher ground near Glencorse Wood. After crossing the Ypres-Menin Road the 16th Battalion cleared the area of Surbiton Villas and mopped up any remaining Germans in the German lines together with the 18th. The 17th Manchesters joined this attack and tried to leapfrog over the 16th. However, it proved impossible to gain any progress towards the second objective at Glencorse Wood because of heavy machinegun fire. Unable to move forward the Manchesters dug in, in front of the German positions known as Jargon Trench which was protected by the perimeter of Glencorse Wood.
At 5.00 a.m. the German artillery started shelling the whole area of Sanctuary Wood, making communication with the Brigade headquarters impossible. German aircraft were firing at artillery positions and also targeted concentrations of British in the field. While persistent German machinegun and sniper fire were causing trouble and casualties.
By mid-day it started pouring rain and the shellholes had begun to fill with mud and rainwater. Any progress now became impossible due to the sticky Flemish mud. The downpour lasted for nearly a week and made it very difficult to move troops, tanks and heavy artillery to their designated positions. The deep pools which were formed in the shellholes and battered trenches became a serious threat to those badly wounded. Many of them who couldn’t move to a higher and dryer position fell victim to the mud and water.
The 16th, 17th and 18th Battalions were relieved on the morning of the 1st of August after 36 hours in the field. The 16th Manchester had 260 casualties. One of them was Private George Frederick Shaw. After the attack he was presumed missing. Later he was declared killed in action. We believe Private George Frederick Shaw was killed in the attack between the 16th positions in Sanctuary Wood and the Battalions objective, the line between Clapham Junction and Surbiton Villas.
The 16th were in the assembly trenches in Sanctuary Wood. A company would be the first wave, B the second wave and D and C companies the third wave. The British first Line in Sanctuary Wood was only 40 to 50 yards away from the German, Jackdaw trench. At zero hour, 3.50 a.m. the men of the 90th Brigade moved forward, behind a very heavy and thick artillery barrage. The German artillery remained silent. No counter barrage was opened. The first dozen casualties of the 16th Manchesters were killed or wounded by their own artillery, because they advanced too quickly behind the barrage. The German Trenches at Jackdaw Support were quickly overrun. The 16th had to push further forward to their objective between the Surbiton Villas and Clapham Junction. However, there was great confusion amongst the ranks and few had any idea of direction. A company succeeded in taking their objective, the Jackdaw Support Trench, within 25 minutes, without much opposition. A number of men of B company winded up at the stable ruins of Stirling Castle, the objective of the 18th Manchester Battalion. C company arrived at Clapham Junction and took about forty German prisoners together with a serious amount of machineguns and trench mortars.
The battle became increasingly chaotic. About 90 minutes after the attack men of eight different Battalions were all crossing the road near Clapham Junction. Many casualties occurred when the men crossed the road due to machine gun fire coming from the higher ground near Glencorse Wood. After crossing the Ypres-Menin Road the 16th Battalion cleared the area of Surbiton Villas and mopped up any remaining Germans in the German lines together with the 18th. The 17th Manchesters joined this attack and tried to leapfrog over the 16th. However, it proved impossible to gain any progress towards the second objective at Glencorse Wood because of heavy machinegun fire. Unable to move forward the Manchesters dug in, in front of the German positions known as Jargon Trench which was protected by the perimeter of Glencorse Wood.
At 5.00 a.m. the German artillery started shelling the whole area of Sanctuary Wood, making communication with the Brigade headquarters impossible. German aircraft were firing at artillery positions and also targeted concentrations of British in the field. While persistent German machinegun and sniper fire were causing trouble and casualties.
By mid-day it started pouring rain and the shellholes had begun to fill with mud and rainwater. Any progress now became impossible due to the sticky Flemish mud. The downpour lasted for nearly a week and made it very difficult to move troops, tanks and heavy artillery to their designated positions. The deep pools which were formed in the shellholes and battered trenches became a serious threat to those badly wounded. Many of them who couldn’t move to a higher and dryer position fell victim to the mud and water.
The 16th, 17th and 18th Battalions were relieved on the morning of the 1st of August after 36 hours in the field. The 16th Manchester had 260 casualties. One of them was Private George Frederick Shaw. After the attack he was presumed missing. Later he was declared killed in action. We believe Private George Frederick Shaw was killed in the attack between the 16th positions in Sanctuary Wood and the Battalions objective, the line between Clapham Junction and Surbiton Villas.
Sources 4
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16 Battalion Manchester Regiment (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2339/1). https://nationalarchives.gov.uk Further reference |
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Elstob W, Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth Battalions: The Manchester Regiment A Record 1914-1918 (Manchester, Sherratt & Hughes, 1922) pg. 40-42. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995) pg. 22-23. Sources used |
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Stedman M., Manchester Pals 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd + 23rd Battalions of the Manchester Regiment: A History of the two Manchester Brigades (London, Leo Cooper, 1994) pg. 172-176. 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/916408 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=ac259dff-1ef6-41fb-86af-343cd3149d41 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/3985351 |