Pte
Percy Noel Radcliffe
Informatie over geboorte
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Geboortedatum: 01/08/1885 |
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Geboorteplaats: Wellington, Wellington, Nieuw-Zeeland |
Algemene Informatie
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Beroep: Landbouwer |
Informatie legerdienst
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Land: Nieuw-Zeeland |
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Strijdmacht: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rang: Private |
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Service nummer: 34143 |
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Dienstneming datum: 19/09/1916 |
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Dienstneming plaats: Wellington, Wellington, Nieuw-Zeeland |
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Eenheden: — Canterbury Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Laatst gekende eenheid) |
Informatie over overlijden
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Datum van overlijden: 12/10/1917 |
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Plaats van overlijden: Bellevue, België |
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Doodsoorzaak: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Leeftijd: 32 |
Gedenkplaats
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Tyne Cot Memorial Paneel: 2 |
Onderscheidingen en medailles 2
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British War Medal Medaille |
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Victory Medal Medaille |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Geboorteplaats | ||
| #2 | Dienstneming plaats |
Mijn verhaal
Percy Noel Radcliffe was born in August 1885. The farmer from Matata, Bay of Plenty served in the 12th Company, of the 2nd Battalion Canterbury Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Brigade, of the New Zealand Division. He was killed in action on 12 October 1917, during the First Battle of Passchendaele. According to documents made up after his death he was buried at the Bellevue Spur.
The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Infantry advanced together with the 2nd Otago Battalion. The Companies dug in near Korek and Boethoek on the Gravenstafel Spur.
In the report of the General Officer commanding the 2nd Brigade on the operations, it is stated that a patrol sent out by the 2nd Otago Battalion on the night of 10 and 11 October had discovered that the belt of barbed wire on the Bellevue spur was impassable. The artillery liaison officer was requested to get heavy artillery deal with these obstacles. After a long period of time the heavy artillery opened fire on the Bellevue Spur, but the damage they did was negligible.
These masses of uncut wire held up the advance on 12 October 1917. By 6 a.m. it was clear that the 2nd Otago could not get on. The artillery barrage had gone without properly cutting the wire and without taking out the German pillboxes and blockhouses. There was now nothing to hinder the activities of the German machine-gunners. The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, attached to the 2nd Otago Battalion, were called up from reserve. They tried to work round the flanks of the pillboxes at Bellevue, on the Gravenstafel-Mosselmarkt road. Party after party made the attempt from either flank to get as close as possible to the pill-boxes, but none succeeded in reaching them.
Eventually the Commanding Officers of all four battalions realized and agreed that is was impossible to advance until the wire had been cut and the pillboxes destroyed and further attacks were called off. The History of the Canterbury Regiment mentions that there can be no praise too high for these troops, who, with the example of failure after failure before them, undauntedly threw themselves against the impenetrable wire, raked by the heaviest machine-gun fire.
The attack on 12 October 1917 on the Bellevue spur, was an utter disaster. In four hours time the New Zealanders suffered 2.700 casualties, including 846 dead. 12 October is forever remembered as the most tragic day in New Zealand history. Percy Noel Radcliffe, aged 32, was killed in the attack on Bellevue. Percy has no known grave is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Infantry advanced together with the 2nd Otago Battalion. The Companies dug in near Korek and Boethoek on the Gravenstafel Spur.
In the report of the General Officer commanding the 2nd Brigade on the operations, it is stated that a patrol sent out by the 2nd Otago Battalion on the night of 10 and 11 October had discovered that the belt of barbed wire on the Bellevue spur was impassable. The artillery liaison officer was requested to get heavy artillery deal with these obstacles. After a long period of time the heavy artillery opened fire on the Bellevue Spur, but the damage they did was negligible.
These masses of uncut wire held up the advance on 12 October 1917. By 6 a.m. it was clear that the 2nd Otago could not get on. The artillery barrage had gone without properly cutting the wire and without taking out the German pillboxes and blockhouses. There was now nothing to hinder the activities of the German machine-gunners. The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, attached to the 2nd Otago Battalion, were called up from reserve. They tried to work round the flanks of the pillboxes at Bellevue, on the Gravenstafel-Mosselmarkt road. Party after party made the attempt from either flank to get as close as possible to the pill-boxes, but none succeeded in reaching them.
Eventually the Commanding Officers of all four battalions realized and agreed that is was impossible to advance until the wire had been cut and the pillboxes destroyed and further attacks were called off. The History of the Canterbury Regiment mentions that there can be no praise too high for these troops, who, with the example of failure after failure before them, undauntedly threw themselves against the impenetrable wire, raked by the heaviest machine-gun fire.
The attack on 12 October 1917 on the Bellevue spur, was an utter disaster. In four hours time the New Zealanders suffered 2.700 casualties, including 846 dead. 12 October is forever remembered as the most tragic day in New Zealand history. Percy Noel Radcliffe, aged 32, was killed in the attack on Bellevue. Percy has no known grave is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Bronnen 7
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Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C12729?n=Percy%20Noel%20Radcliffe&w=World%20War%20I%2C%201914-1918&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Gebruikte bronnen |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/848101/radcliffe,-percy-noel/ Gebruikte bronnen |
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Ferguson, D., "The History of the Canterbury Regiment N.Z.E.F. 1914-1919", Melbourne en Londen, Withcombe and Tombs Limited, 1921, 194-201. Gebruikte bronnen |
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Heritage image http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll Gebruikte bronnen |
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Long Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/?domain=www.1914-1918.net Gebruikte bronnen |
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McCarthy, C., "Passchendaele The Day-by-Day Accounts", Londen, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, pg 130-132. Gebruikte bronnen |
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Military Personnel File http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=20803771 Gebruikte bronnen |