Geboortejaar: 1896

Geboorteplaats: Coleford, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Laatst gekende woonplaats: Coleford, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Beroep: Student

Land: Wales, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Strijdmacht: British Expeditionary Force

Rang: Lance Corporal

Service nummer: 260289

Dienstneming plaats: Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Engeland, Verenigd Koninkrijk

Eenheden:  —  Gloucestershire Regiment, 12th Bn. (Bristol)  (Laatst gekende eenheid)

Datum van overlijden: 04/10/1917

Plaats van overlijden: Cameron House, België

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

Leeftijd: 21

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Lance Corporal Herbert (Bert) Gwilliam was the 2nd son of eight and was a good sportsman and student. His dream was to become a school teacher but first he enlisted the 12th Gloucestershire Regiment, part of the 95th Brigade which was part of the 5th British Division at that moment.
He was born and raised in Coleford, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in Wales.

During the Battle of Broodseinde, on the 4th October 1917, the 5th Division on the right of X Corps successfully occupied Cameron Covert at the head of the Reutelbeek re-entrant.
Broodseinde was also a severe test for 12th Gloucesters, in reserve to 1st East Surreys for the attack by 95th Brigade which began at 06.00 a.m.
Conditions were beastly, with heavy rain. The barrage was too far ahead of the advancing troops and the German machine guns were free to fire on the companies as they struggled forward.
The Brigade on the left had advanced eight hundred yards and captured a number of German pillboxes within the re-entrant.
At 06.40 a.m. the 12th Gloucestershire Regiment, less A Company, moved forward to occupy the line that had been held by the East Surreys, during which time they suffered heavily from German artillery. Later in the morning, C Company was sent to reinforce 1st Devons, and this led to more casualties.

It was during these events that Lance Corporal Herbert Gwilliam, aged 21, was killed in action.
His body is buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery, plot LXIII, row B, grave 3.

"A Gallant County, The regiments of Gloucestershire in the Great War", Grist R., Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK, 2018, page 210 - 211 Gebruikte bronnen

"Gallantry Awards to the Gloucestershire Regiment 1914 - 1918", Littlewood P.R., Spink, London, 2005, page 148 Gebruikte bronnen

"Passchendaele, The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., Unicorn Publishing Group, London, 2018, page 109 Gebruikte bronnen

"The Fifth Division in the Great War", Hussey A.H., Inman D.S., Nisbet & CO.Ltd, London,1921, page 178 - 179 Gebruikte bronnen

Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/39/?name=Herbert_Gwilliam&death=1917-10-4&count=50&keyword=260289&location=3257.3250&name_x=ps_s&priority=united-kingdom Verdere verwijzing

CGWC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?Surname=Gwilliam&Forename=Herbert&Initials=&ServiceNum=260289&Regiment=&WarSelect=1&CountryCommemoratedIn=null&Cemetery=&Unit=&Rank=&SecondaryRegiment=&AgeOfDeath=0&DateDeathFromDay=1&DateDeathFromMonth=January&DateDeathFromYear=&DateDeathToDay=1&DateDeathToMonth=January&DateDeathToYear=&DateOfDeath=&Honours=null&AdditionalInfo= Gebruikte bronnen

Map: "Passchendaele, The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., Unicorn Publishing Group, London, 2018, page 108 Gebruikte bronnen

National Archives https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352296 Verdere verwijzing

The Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/5th-division/ Gebruikte bronnen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/462999

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=id=23195617-daec-4621-8020-456a368f3fe4

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/1505349