RE Help on Benjamin Wm Heath WW2

[linell]

Benjamin William Heath

Military cemetry newar NW in Amien

Could someone see if they can find anything on Benjamin please. The request is for a colleauge of my husband. So I don't know anymore but could ask for more details.

Presume Benjamin died in WW2. So would have been born about 1920 Staffordshire I presume?

Many thanks from Linell.

[peterd]

Amiens was a first world war battle could he of died ww1 ?


link

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =12854978&

[MarkCDodd]

He actually died in WW1

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=74479

[MarkCDodd]

His War record did not survive and his is not on De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour so if you wish to find out more about his war record you will have to reply on Battaltion Diaries etc.

CWGC mention his wife so you should have no trouble tracing him back from there.

He was awarded the 14/15 Star so that means he signed up fairly early.

[peterd]

HEATH, BENJAMIN WILLIAM
Initials: B W
Age: 25
Date of Death: 17/09/1916
Husband of Evelyn Heath, of 62, Normacot Rd., Longton, Staffs.


so born about 1890/91

should be on the 1891,1901, 1911 census

[peterd]

poss marriage

Marriages Mar 1913
Heath William King Stoke T. 6b 388
King Evelyn Heath Stoke T 6b 388

[mallosa]

Poss
1891: 124 High Street, Stoke On Trent, Staffs
Louisa Heath 66 Head Widow Living on her own means Normacot, Longton
Thomas Heath 26 Son M Potters Turner Longton
Sarah Ann Heath 25 Sons wife Potters Wheel Turner Dresden
Benjamin Wm Heath 1 Grd Son Longton
Louisa Heath 3 mths Grd Dau Longton

1901: 13 Prospect Place, Longton, Staffs
Thomas Heath 36 Head Potters Turner
Sarah Heath 35 Wife Potters Wheel/Turner
Benjamin Heath 11 Son
George Heath 5 Son
Charles Heath 2 Son
all born Longton, Staffs

[mallosa]

Poss Marriage 1889
HEATH Thomas CARNALL Sarah Ann Normacot, Holy Evangelist Stoke-On-Trent 23/2/059

[peterd]

1881 124 High St Stoke Upon Trent, Stafford

Louisa HEATH Head W 56 Longton, Stafford,
George HEATH 23 Longton, Stafford, Potter Earthenware Presser
Thomas HEATH 16 Longton, Stafford, Potter App China Turner

[peterd]

1871 124 high st

Louisa Heath 45. potter. Normacott Longton
John E Heath 22 potter guilder
George Heath 13
Thomas Heath 6
rest born longtron

[peterd]

poss 1851 high st

Benjamin Heath 29 potter, Fenthane, Staffordshire
Louisa Heath 25 potter, Fenthane, Staffordshire
James Heath 4 Fenthane, Staffordshire
John Heath 2 Fenthane, Staffordshire

[linell]

Thanks very much Pete, Mark and San, for all of that, my husband's friend will be over the moon, will send it on, excellent many many thanks from Lin.

[apowell]

Hi,

I'm wondering if we can move this to the military section just in case anyone can contribute further to help

Regards
Adrian

[grangers14]

Moving to Military Section.
Jo

[apowell]

Hi,

Well some really interesting information from the team and I can't add any further information on Benjamin but here's some further information (including MIC) on his Regiment and in particular the 8th Battalion:

MIC (Medal Index Card)
Name: Benjamin Heath
Regiment: West Riding Regiment
Regiment no: 15583
Rank: Private
Medals awarded:
15 Star: roll 0/2/3B page 219.
Victory medal: roll 0/2/101 B6 page 650 .
British medal: roll 0/2/101 B6 page 650 .
Theatre of war first served in: Balkans
Date of entry there in: 28/9/15
Remarks: Died of Wounds 17/9/16

Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
Battalions of the New Armies
8th (Service) Battalion
Formed at Halifax in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached to 34th Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division. Moved to Belton Park (Grantham).
18 January 1915: transferred to 32nd Brigade in same Division. Moved to Witley in April 1915.
Sailed from Liverpool in July 1915 for Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay 7 August 1915. Moved to France in July 1916.


32nd Brigade in 11th (Northern) Division (Benjamin's Regiment was part of this Division from January 1915)

1915
Embarkation took place at Liverpool from 30 June, with much of the Division sailing on the Aquitania and Empress of Britain. Mudros was reached by Divisional HQ and 32nd Brigade on 10 July. On 6-7 August 1915 the Division landed near Lala Baba at Suvla Bay. On 19/20 December 1915 the Division withdrew from Gallipoli and moved to Imbros.

1916
On 26 January the Division began to move to Egypt, landing at Alexandria on 2 February and concentrating at Sidi Bishr six days later. 19 February saw the Division take over a section of the Suez canal defences. The Division received orders on 17 June 1916 for a move to France. Embarkation at Alexandria was completed on 3rd July and by 7th of that month Divisional HQ had been set up at Flesselles. By 27 July, the Division had taken over part of the front in Third Army sector.

From Benjamin's medal card information we know the date when Benjamin first went overseas and that he saw action at Gallipoli in Turkey before moving to Egypt and France. We can concentrate on the 8th Battalions movements to pinpoint Benjamins because also from his MIC we know he didn't move Regiments so even without his service records we can obtain further information. Benjamin must have joined the Regiment in Gallipoli on the 28th September 1915 maybe part of reinforcements for the losses from the previous months actions.

Benjamin's Battalion after the horrors of Gallipoli would have taken part in the later stages of the Battle of the Somme at these engagements:

The capture of the Wundt-Werk (Wonder Work)
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette
The Battle of Thiepval

We know Benjamin died of wounds on the 17th September 1916 but no idea when he received the wounds but looking at the dates of these engagements I would say that Benjamin was wounded at either The capture of the Wundt-Werk (Wonder Work) or The Battle of Flers-Courcelette. The Battle of Thiepval wasn't fought until after Benjamin was dead. I'm very confident that it would have been the capture of the Wundt-Werk (Wonder Work) because of the information below taken from an eye witness account:

The capture of the Wundt-Werk (Wonder Work)

14th September 1916 : The 11th Division was detailed to carry out an attack on the enemy position, his trenches in Turk Street being the Primary and the objective to capture the strong point of Wundt-werk (Wonderwork) the assault was to be undertaken by the 8th Duke of Wellington's Regiment (Benjamins) and 9th West Yorkshire on the right and the left respectively, while on the left of the West Yorkshire Regiment, the 6th Yorkshire Regiment were to make a bombing attack, At 6.30pm a very heavy artillery barrage from every gun that could be brought to bear was opened upon Turk Street, and 3 minutes later the front attacking wave of “D” Company of the 6th Yorkshire Regiment left it's assembly trench and assailed the enemy Trenches 91-69. Theses had somehow remained untouched by our artillery and the attacking force was met by heavy rifle and grenade fire, but nevertheless some of them at least reached the objective and assisted by a platoon of the West Yorkshires which arrived as a reinforcement, Trenches 91-69 were gained by a bombing attack about Midnight; a bombing block was then established at about seventy yards from 91 post. The enemy counter attacked violently with bombs at least three times during the night, but on each occasion was successfully repulsed.

15 September 1916 : The whole of the Day & Night was spent in consolidating Princess Street and Trenches 91-69.

Mark made a very good suggestion about the Battalions war diaries that gives a day by day account written by officers of the Battalions movements and
involvements during the war. These are kept at the national archive and check the website for ways of obtaining them.

It would be great if Benjamin's relatives would be happy for you to post his details on our roll of honour section so that we can all pay our respects.

Hope this helps his relatives and all the best to them.

Regards
Adrian