ARC TBC............Private William HARPER. DCM

Archived and completed military topics.

Moderators: admin, Northern Lass, apowell

ARC TBC............Private William HARPER. DCM

Postby peterd » Wed Nov 02, 2011 7:28 pm

checking this guy out for a mate as it is his grandad what can we find out about him especially his WW1 career

These notes were with the DCM


No. 19/685 Private William HARPER.

During the operations against BECOUS PLATE WEST of VIEUK BERQUIN on July 19th, 1918 Private HARPER was in charge of a Lewis Gun Section which was held up by flanking fire from a German Machine gun in the corn.
He halted his section and borrowed a rifle and bayonet and with a volunteer Pte COWLING. stalked the enemy gun through the corn and shot two of the enemy; the third was killed by Pte COWLING. Pte HARPER then rushed forward and discounted the gun. They then rejoined the section which by this time was out of touch with the flank patrols. While moving up his section to regain communication it was again subjected to heavy machine gun fire at about thirty yards range. Pte HARPER halted his section in a ditch and using similar tactics again stalked the enemy post with Pte COWLING. He shot two of the enemy, one being an officer, and Pte COWLING shot the other. He was unable to dismount the gun owing to the heavy fire from another machine gun of the enemy. The great courage and resource and marked initiative displayed by this soldier undoutedly saved his comrades from severe casualties and greatly facilitated the advance. Later Pte HARPER found a wounded comrade lying in a shell hole and tried to carry him with assistance of Pte COWLING- but owing to the serious nature of the wound the man could not be moved without a stretcher. Pte HARPER then went back and found a stretcher and bearers and guided them to the spot and the wounded man was carried in.

Recommended for D. C. M. 26-7-1918

Awarded D. C. M. Divl. R. 0. 8-8-1918






another note included with medal


Map Sheet 27 S.E.

WL/219

To O.C.

18th D.L.I.

On the 12th inst. Pte HARPER. W. 19/685 reported to me near X 27 b. My Battalion were then going into action.
From that time up till the morning of the 18th this man has done excellent work


W. Lewthwaite,
MAJOR,
O.C. A. Coy,
33rd Batt. M. G.
18/4/18.
Last edited by peterd on Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A person should have an opinion on everything, It becomes tact whether you reveal that opinion or not.

http://www.deneview.co.uk/
peterd
 
Posts: 15566
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:33 am
Location: co durham

Re: Private William HARPER. DCM

Postby peterd » Wed Nov 02, 2011 10:15 pm

18th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry was raised in Durham on 10 September 1914 as a "Pals" battalion.
The first casualty of enemy action on British soil during the Great War was Private Theophilus Jones aged 29 who was killed on the 16th December 1914 at Heugh Battery, Hartlepool when a German naval taskforce bombarded the town, he was one of six men of the battlion to die in the bombardment, with a further eleven being wounded.

In May 1915 the 18th DLI was attached to 93rd Brigade, 31st Division and set sail for Egypt in December 1915 to defend the Suez Canal. The division was transferred to France in March 1916 for teh preparation for the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.

The 31st Division took over the front line opposite the village of Serre, the northern most point of the Somme line. On the morning of the 1st of July, D Company of the 18th DLI were in the first wave of the attack and were situated to the southern edge of the village of Serre, with the 15th and 16th West Yorks, they suffered heavy losses but a few men of D Company managed to reach their objective, Pennant Copse. The other companies of 18th DLI were in the second wave with the 18th West Yorks but made now headway and were held in reserve.

The 18th DLI would later see action in the Battles of the Ancre, Scarpe, Bapaume, Arras, Estaires, Hazebrouck, Flanders and Ypres.


http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/g ... inf-gw.php
A person should have an opinion on everything, It becomes tact whether you reveal that opinion or not.

http://www.deneview.co.uk/
peterd
 
Posts: 15566
Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:33 am
Location: co durham

Re: Private William HARPER. DCM

Postby Northern Lass » Fri Aug 23, 2013 10:55 am

Do you need more info on this?
flagging to archive
User avatar
Northern Lass
 
Posts: 45846
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:12 am


Return to Archived Topics

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests