L/Cpl
James Halcrow
Informatie over geboorte
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Geboortedatum: 11/09/1886 |
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Geboorteplaats: Delting, Shetland, Schotland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
Algemene Informatie
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Beroep: Hoteldirecteur |
Informatie legerdienst
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Land: Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Strijdmacht: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rang: Lance Corporal |
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Service nummer: 86666 |
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Dienstneming datum: 17/12/1916 |
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Dienstneming plaats: Lerwick, Shetland, Schotland, Verenigd Koninkrijk |
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Eenheden: — Machine Gun Corps, 28th Coy. (Laatst gekende eenheid) |
Informatie over overlijden
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Datum van overlijden: 12/10/1917 |
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Plaats van overlijden: Berks House, Poelkapelle, België |
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Doodsoorzaak: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Leeftijd: 31 |
Onderscheidingen en medailles 2
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British War Medal Medaille |
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Victory Medal Medaille |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Geboorteplaats | ||
| #2 | Dienstneming plaats | ||
| #3 | Plaats van overlijden (bij benadering) |
Mijn verhaal
James Halcrow served in the 28th Machine Gun Company, part of the South African Brigade, of the 9th (Scottish) Division.
The 28th MG Company left France on the 10th of October 1917. They arrived in the village of Vlamertinghe, West of Ypres, at 3 p.m. on the 10th of October 1917. Two sections, half of the Company, No. 3 and 4, proceeded to the frontline, just South of the village of Poelkapelle, on the 11th of October. They were going into action the following day and were to take part in the First Battle of Passchendaele.
The 26th and 27th Infantry Brigades of the 9th (Scottish) Division were to carry out an attack on the 12th of October with the 18th Division on the left and the New Zealand Division on the right. Eight guns of the 28th MG Company were assigned to the 197th MG Company and were to cover the attack. They were employed for barrage purposes and were to take up positions in the rear of the 26th Brigade. The guns were to move forward behind the Infantry of the 26th Brigade. No. 3 section was on the left and No. 4 section would advance on the right. No. 3 section took up positions in the vicinity of Berks Houses (V.27.a.5.3.), while No. 4 established positions in the neighborhood of Inch Houses (D.3.a.8.9.).
The 9th Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. The 26th Brigade moved forward behind a creeping barrage, with the 28th MG Company in their wake. They were going up to their allotted positions near Berks- and Inch Houses, to cover the advance of the Infantry Brigade. However they had extreme difficulty in recognizing the terrain and had little information on the German positions, having only arrived in Flanders two days before. Consequently the Company’ s officers had only a few hours to conduct their reconnaissance and the men had trouble finding their positions in the desolate wasteland during the attack. When they lay in position, their field of fire was disturbed by the men of the 27th Infantry Brigade, which advanced behind the 26th Brigade.
When the men of the 27th Brigade had passed the two MG sections started laying down a protective barrage, showering the German positions with bullets. Nonetheless the sections had great difficulty in aiming their barrage. As stated they had trouble finding the German positions and the terrible condition of the terrain made it neigh impossible to fire a barrage from hastily prepared positions. On top of the boggy ground, littered with flooded shell holes, the men had almost no time to work out the required calculations.
The First Battle of Passchendaele had been a failure along the whole frontline. And the troops didn’t came near to the village of Passchendaele. Although the men of the 9th Division captured the first objective, the green line, they had to fall back to the green line when confronted with heavy German machine gun fire. The German pill-boxes, who came unscathed out of the artillery barrage, successfully fended of the attack. The terrain had a considerable part in checking the advance. The MG sections also struggled with the bog. Guns, tripods and belt boxes were easily lost or destroyed. They got caked with mud, and jammed, or sank away in the swampy ground. The terrain combined with the constant German shelling created extreme difficult conditions, in which the gunners did their uttermost best to cover the advancing parties.
Lance Corporal James Halcorn was killed in action during the First Battle of Passchendaele on the 12th of October 1917. It’s highly likely he was killed by German shell fire on the machine gun positions at Berks- or at Inch Houses. His remains were never recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The 28th MG Company left France on the 10th of October 1917. They arrived in the village of Vlamertinghe, West of Ypres, at 3 p.m. on the 10th of October 1917. Two sections, half of the Company, No. 3 and 4, proceeded to the frontline, just South of the village of Poelkapelle, on the 11th of October. They were going into action the following day and were to take part in the First Battle of Passchendaele.
The 26th and 27th Infantry Brigades of the 9th (Scottish) Division were to carry out an attack on the 12th of October with the 18th Division on the left and the New Zealand Division on the right. Eight guns of the 28th MG Company were assigned to the 197th MG Company and were to cover the attack. They were employed for barrage purposes and were to take up positions in the rear of the 26th Brigade. The guns were to move forward behind the Infantry of the 26th Brigade. No. 3 section was on the left and No. 4 section would advance on the right. No. 3 section took up positions in the vicinity of Berks Houses (V.27.a.5.3.), while No. 4 established positions in the neighborhood of Inch Houses (D.3.a.8.9.).
The 9th Division attacked at zero hour, 5.25 a.m. The 26th Brigade moved forward behind a creeping barrage, with the 28th MG Company in their wake. They were going up to their allotted positions near Berks- and Inch Houses, to cover the advance of the Infantry Brigade. However they had extreme difficulty in recognizing the terrain and had little information on the German positions, having only arrived in Flanders two days before. Consequently the Company’ s officers had only a few hours to conduct their reconnaissance and the men had trouble finding their positions in the desolate wasteland during the attack. When they lay in position, their field of fire was disturbed by the men of the 27th Infantry Brigade, which advanced behind the 26th Brigade.
When the men of the 27th Brigade had passed the two MG sections started laying down a protective barrage, showering the German positions with bullets. Nonetheless the sections had great difficulty in aiming their barrage. As stated they had trouble finding the German positions and the terrible condition of the terrain made it neigh impossible to fire a barrage from hastily prepared positions. On top of the boggy ground, littered with flooded shell holes, the men had almost no time to work out the required calculations.
The First Battle of Passchendaele had been a failure along the whole frontline. And the troops didn’t came near to the village of Passchendaele. Although the men of the 9th Division captured the first objective, the green line, they had to fall back to the green line when confronted with heavy German machine gun fire. The German pill-boxes, who came unscathed out of the artillery barrage, successfully fended of the attack. The terrain had a considerable part in checking the advance. The MG sections also struggled with the bog. Guns, tripods and belt boxes were easily lost or destroyed. They got caked with mud, and jammed, or sank away in the swampy ground. The terrain combined with the constant German shelling created extreme difficult conditions, in which the gunners did their uttermost best to cover the advancing parties.
Lance Corporal James Halcorn was killed in action during the First Battle of Passchendaele on the 12th of October 1917. It’s highly likely he was killed by German shell fire on the machine gun positions at Berks- or at Inch Houses. His remains were never recovered and he is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Bronnen 2
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228 Infantry Brigade: Brigade Machine Gun Company (1917 Sept - 1918 Sept), (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/4924 ). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Verdere verwijzing |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 116. Gebruikte bronnen |
Meer informatie 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/838005 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=85771036-04a1-4aa8-8887-7349ecc1083d |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1519388 |