Sjt
Bertie Greenfield

Informations sur naissance

Date de naissance:
26/07/1895
Lieu de naissance:
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni

Informations générales

Profession:
Acrobat de Music Hall

Informations service militaire

Pays:
Angleterre, Royaume-Uni
Force armée:
British Expeditionary Force
Rang:
Serjeant
Numéro de service:
16534
Unités:
 —  Dorsetshire Regiment, 5th Bn.  (Dernière unité connue)

Informations sur décès

Date de décès:
04/10/1917
Lieu de décès:
Poelcapelle, Belgique
Cause du décès:
Killed in action (K.I.A.)
Âge:
22

Mémorial

Tyne Cot Memorial
Panneau: 92

Distinctions et médailles 2

British War Medal
Médaille — 15/07/1920
Victory Medal
Médaille — 15/07/1920

Points d'intérêt 2

#1 Lieu de naissance
#2 Lieu du décès (approximatif)

Mon histoire

Serjeant Bertie Greenfield served in the Dorsetshire Regiment 5th Battalion. This Battalion was part of the 34th Brigade of the 11th Division of the British Expeditionary Force. Before he was conscripted, Bertie was a stage performer in a tumbling act, with the Joe Boganny Troupe.
On Thursday 4 October 1917, the 11th Division participated in the Battle of Broodseinde. The attack was planned at 6 a.m. and was carried out by the 9th Lancashire Fusiliers and the 11th Manchesters, with the 5th in support. The Battalion reached their position, east of the Steenbeek and northwest and southeast of Maison Bulgare, at 8 a.m. Thirty minutes before the attack, the Germans started to put down a light barrage, but most of the shells fell in rear of the positions of the 11th Division.
The first goal of the attack of that day was to reach the Red Dotted Line, which ran from northwest to southeast, a little distance east of Poelcappelle. This objective was reached without heavy casualties. The 5th Battalion was ordered to deal with German counter-attacks, but only moved forward when the second objective, the Red Line, which included Meunier Farm and Beek Houses, was reached. The 5th was brought up to support the attack with the 6th Borderers, due to a German counter-attack at 1 p.m. By the time the 5th reached the Red Dotted Line, at 3 p.m., they were ordered to return, due to an uncertain situation on the left. A successful German attack would force the men in a salient too pronounced to be defensible.
Hereby, the 5th had to return to their original positions, which resulted in an increase of casualties. Through the night of October 4th/5th, things were quite lively, with some counter-attacks, with guns, snipers and bombs. The attack was described as most successful, with a significant role attributed to good weather.
Serjeant Bertie Greenfield is mentioned as one of the 11 men, of which 1 officer and ten other ranks, who were killed during the attack of October 4th, which was part of the Battle of Broodseinde. He was killed in action, possibly just south of Poelcappelle. The remains of Serjeant Bertie Greenfield were never recovered or never identified. He is remembered at the Tyne Cot Memorial.

Fichiers 1

Sources 6

"History of the Dorsetshire Regiment, 1914-1919", Atkinson C. T., Naval and Military Press, 2002, Vol. 3, pg. 70-71.
Sources utilisées
"The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995, pg. 101.
Sources utilisées
Ancestry
http://home.ancestry.co.uk/
Autre référence
CWGC
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/840668/greenfield,-bertie/
Sources utilisées
The Long, Long Trail
http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/
Sources utilisées
War Diary Dorsetshire Regiment 5th Bn.
http://www.nmarchive.com/
Autre référence