Geboortejaar: 1897

Geboorteplaats: Hebburn, Durham, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Beroep: Scholier

Land: Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Strijdmacht: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Private

Service nummer: 28017

Dienstneming plaats: Hebburn, Durham, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Eenheden:  —  King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1/4th Bn.  (Laatst gekende eenheid)

Datum van overlijden: 20/09/1917

Plaats van overlijden: Somme Farm, België

Doodsoorzaak: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Leeftijd: 20

British War Medal Medaille — 17/08/1920

Victory Medal Medaille — 17/08/1920

Private Hugh Doyle served in the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 1/4th Battalion, part of the 164th Brigade, of the 55th (West Lancashire) Division. The Battalion participated in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge (20-25 September 1917), a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres.

On the 20th of September 1917 the 55th Division was to attack to the southeast of Sint-Juliaan. During the previous night the men of the 1/4th Royal Lancaster Regiment had taken up positions in isolated shell holes West of the line Somme-Hindu Cottages. At zero hour, 5.40 a.m. the first wave, consisting of “B” and “D” Companies advanced behind a creeping barrage towards the German positions at Schuler Galeries and Aisne. Both Companies quickly encountered stiff resistance, especially from the German strongpoints at Schuler Galleries, Aisne Farm, Loos and Gallipoli. Nevertheless the men reached their objective, capturing the stronghold at Aisne. While consolidating their position the men came under sniper fire from Schuler Galleries and from isolated German positions in their back, which hadn’t been mopped up.

After a slight pause in the barrage “A” and “C” Companies continued the advance. Both Companies immediately suffered heavy casualties, due to enfilade fire from German machine-guns on both flanks. Especially the machine-gun fire on the left coming from Schuler Galleries was persistent. As a result of the relentless machine-gun fire the 1/4th King’s Own (Royal Lancs) got intermixed with the 1/4th Loyal North Lancs, who were to continue the attack. A few hundred yards east from Aisne and Loos the advance gradually slowed down. Any attempt to capture the second objective proved neigh to impossible, due to the many German concrete positions, which kept on showering the battlefield with machine-gunfire.

Eventually the intermingled Battalions had to consolidate a line, roughly running from Schuler Farm through Loos towards Gallipoli. The men held this line throughout the day despite heavy German shelling. The battered Royal Lancaster Regiment 1/4th Battalion would remain in the frontlines till they were relieved in the early morning of the 24th of September 1917.

Private Hugh Doyle was killed in action on the 20th of September 1917. The 20-year old possibly fell in the early stages of the attack, as he was initially buried near Somme Farm. His remains were reinterred in Tyne Cot Cemetery after the war.

164 Infantry Brigade: 4 Battalion King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/2922/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Verdere verwijzing

McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 84-85. Gebruikte bronnen

Shannon K., The Lion and the Rose. The 4th Battalion The King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment 1914-1919, (Stroud, Fonthill, 2015), pg. 159-171. Gebruikte bronnen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462606

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=e5eb9681-d703-448f-a8b4-ef20eed0bf73

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/2389911