My great uncle Jack Walker served with the Royal Fusiliers in WW1.
He survived the Somme only to be wounded later in 1917.
From the battalion diary
Location: Billets in St Pierre a Gouy
26/07/1916
Dull and close. Battalion carried out musketty, physical training and bayonet fighting.
Royal Fusiliers at bayonet training.
Continuing the day to day activities of 12th Battalion , Royal Fusiliers, 102 years ago as the Battle of the Somme dragged on. Extract from Battalion Diary.
Today they made a lengthy train journey from the Meteren area south towards Amiens and then marched 14 miles at night to new billets. This was not good news. They were heading towards The Somme.
Battalion Diary entry for July 24, 1916.
“Damp and cloudy, slight rain. Battalion entrained at Bailleul at 1.30pm and detrained at Longueau near Amiens at 10pm. At 10.30pm the Battalion moved off to billets at St Pierre a Gouy, a distance of approximately 14 miles which was accomplished with only 2 men falling out – a very satisfactory result taking into consideration that the men had no practice in route marching having been in trenches so many months”
I’ve just returned from a trip to Belgium and France where I recorded material for BBC Radio 4.
While there I retraced the steps of my great Uncle Jack Walker who served with the 12th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He survived the horrors of the Somme only to be severely wounded later.
This is from the battalion diary 102 years ago to this very day. They were based at this stage of the war in Meteren, France.
Captured in bloody fighting from the Germans in 1914 and held by the British for most of the war, Meteren wasn’t in the front line of the Battle of the Somme but shelling was a daily hazard.
JULY 23, 1916.
Location: Billets near Meteren.
“A very fine day. No 1 company held sports and no 2 and no 4 companies held a concert , both were great successes.
2nd Lt Wattenbach returned from 2nd Army Technical school.
The following is an extract from the 5th Army Corps memo Q591 dated 23/7/1916 to the 67th IB (Infantry Brigade)
“Reference raid carried out by the 12th Royal Fusiliers. The Army commander considers that the operations carried out by the 12th Royal Fusiliers reflects much credit on all concerned and were well planned and carried out. The Divisional Commander has great pleasure in forwarding the above remarks of the Army Commander and heartily endorses the same. The fact that no identifications could be obtained in no way detracts from his keen appreciation of the good work so ably carried out by all ranks.
The Brigade Commanding Officer also added his congratulations to those of the Divisional Commander.
The minor operation was carried out under the supervision of the second in command Major AB Dick Cleland. It was entirely owing to the carefully thought out plan arranged and made by him that the success was due.
Jack Walker. 12th Royal Fusiliers.
Ramblings of a Walker 