The battalion was formed of four companies; "A", "B", "C" and "D". Two further companies, acting as reserve companies, were also formed becoming "E" and "F". "E" and "F" Companies later became the 32nd (Reserve) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (see below).
From its creation until October 1916, and again from September to November 1917, the battalion was part of the 32nd Division.[2] Between October 1916 and September 1917, and again from November 1917 to April 1918, the battalion was part of GHQ Railway Troops.[1] Between April and May 1918, the battalion was attached to the 1st Australian Division. Between May 1918 and their demobilisation after the war, the battalion was part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division.[3]
Formation
On 8 September 1914, a circular was sent around the railway company informing staff of the proposed formation of a Pals Battalion made from the men of the NER. By 11 September, Lord Kitchener gave the formal sanction of the formation of the 17th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.[4]
Recruitment for the battalion began on 14 September at the York Railway Institute. Next day recruitment began at the Newcastle Railway Institute. Recruitment continued, alternatively between York and Newcastle, and by 23 September the battalion was almost at full strength. The battalion was moved to King George Docks at Hull, which was jointly owned by the NER and the Hull & Barnsley Railway, beginning on 22 September and the entire battalion arriving by 1 October. At this time the battalion officers were accommodated aboard the SS Rievaulx Abbey, a ship of the NER's subsidiary the Hull & Netherlands Steamship Company.[5]
In November 1914, the battalion was posted to the East Yorkshire Coast near Easington and Kilnsea to undergo coastal defences. At this point the battalion was part of the 32nd Division.[2] At the beginning of 1915, the battalion saw a change of role from an infantry unit to a pioneer unit. The battalion returned from the East Yorkshire coast to Hull in February 1915 where they undertook training for service overseas.
On 20 June 1915, the battalion moved from Hull to Catterick where they joined the 96th Brigade of the 32nd Division. In the later stages of August 1915, the battalion moved to Salisbury Plain where training intensified. In November, the general manager of the NER, Sir Alexander Kaye Butterworth, traveled down to Salisbury to inspect the battalion before they left for service overseas. On 20 November 1915, the battalion, apart from the Transport and Machine Gun Sections, embarked from Southampton on SS Empress Queen.
Early Service on the Western Front
On arrival to France, the battalion moved to a rest camp at Le Havre. The troops were joined by the Transport and Machine Gun Sections on 24 November, and soon the battalion moved to the Somme Valley. In late November / early December, "D" Company was attached to the 51st Division in the area around Bouzincourt, with "A", "B" and "C" Companies being attached to the 18th Division near Freshencourt, this was so the battalion gained experience before moving to the trenches with the 32nd Division.[4]
The Battalion entered the Trenches on the Western Front on 2 December 1915, here they undertook works such as drainage, wiring and building dugouts. The first man of the battalion to be killed in action was Teddy Marsden of "D" Company who was killed by an enemy shell on 23 December. The 32nd Division took control of a stretch of the front line on 2 January 1916, relieving the 51st Division. During the first two months the battalion had been in France, six members had been killed and nine injured.[4]
St. George's Day was celebrated by the battalion, it being a tradition of the Northumberland Fusiliers. The battalion played football first, with "B" company being winners, "C" in second and "A" and "D" being equal third. The transport section undertook bareback mule wrestling, this competition being won by Private J. Mounsey. Another event was a barbed wire obstacle course where each company sent a group over the course provided only with material found in a trench.[1]
In April 1916, "A" Company broke a record for railway laying, whilst working in Vecquemont, on one day between 0700 and 2200 the company laid one mile and thirty yards long.
The Battle of the Somme and Railway Construction
The battalion was on the front line on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, their objectives, along with the rest of the 32nd Division, was to take Leipzig Redoubt and the town of Thiepval, the later of which was their main objective. The battalion was responsible for the digging of Sandra Sap as well as the digging of communication trenches. The battalion also helped wounded soldiers by transporting water to No Man's Land to members of the Highland Light Infantry. By nightfall, "D" Company was tasked with the burial of fallen soldiers.[1][4] On 16 July, the battalion was withdrawn from the frontline and moved to Loos. In the 16 days the battalion was fighting, 10 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were killed and 83 injured, with one officer reported missing and three wounded.
The battalion returned, after a period of rest near Loos, where they were designated as a Railway Pioneer unit, under the control of the director of railways, the battalion having left the 32nd Division. On 27 September, the battalion moved to the area around Acheux Wood. By November, the battalion had completed the Aveluy to Mouquet Farm line, a loop built on the Courcelles to Hebuterne line in addition to a siding at Mailly-Maillet for a rail gun. Most of this work was completed alongside the 277th Railway Company of the Royal Engineers.
1917
In the early stages of 1917, the battalion was involved in the construction of a Light Railway Workshop at Berguette, this was completed in March.
The battalion then marched toward the Belgian border to Poperinghe, where they began work on the Great Midland Railway, a standard gauge line between Poperinghe and the Yser Canal, with the ultimate destination being decided after the Ypres Sailent offensives of 1917. During this offensive, the battalion was placed with the 18th Corps Light Railway Advance. The battalion took part in the Third Battle of Ypres, where they undertook light railway construction following units over the front line. During the battle, the battalion lost seven men and sixty-two were wounded.
At the beginning of September 1917, the battalion returned to the 32nd Division as divisional pioneers, moving to the French / Belgium coast near Ghyvelde. However, in November they were placed under the command of the chief engineer of the 18th Corps to work on road construction between St. Julien and Poelkapelle.
At Christmas 1917, the battalion had a Christmas lunch which included meat pies, plum pudding and two pints of beer for each man. Also at this time, "A" Company beat a team from the Royal Flying Corps in a football match, winning 4–0. "B" Company also had a football match, this time against a local Kite Balloon section, also of the Royal Flying Corps.[1]
The German Spring Offensive
During the early stages of 1918, the German Army implemented the German Spring Offensive. Due to this, the battalion were ordered to demolish a bridge and dismantle railway lines in the area.
On 13 April, the battalion was ordered to return to their headquarters where they received orders to move to the 1st Australian Division as divisional pioneers.[4] On 31 May 1918, the battalion came under the control of the 52nd Division.[3] In July, after structural changes in the Army, "D" Company was disbanded with the men moving to the remaining three companies.
In August 1918, the division was found fighting on Vimy Ridge, with the battalion remaining in reserve, other than some night work. The Allied forces began to push into the German forces during the Battle of Amiens. In September, the battalion started work on three crossings of the now dry Canal du Nord. At the start of November 1918, the battalion was working in the areas around the River Scheldt and Jard Canal, for which the battalion constructed bridges.
After the Armistice
At 1100 on 11 November 1918, the armistice was signed between the Allies and Germany. At this point the division was moving along the road between Nimy and Jurbrise. After this point, the battalion began working on 'cleaning up' the area, filling in shell holes and repairing bridges.
On 26 November the battalion was assembled at Masnuy St. Jean where they undertook training to prepare men for being demobilised and returned to civilian life. Games, parades and an inter-company divisional football tournament took place in December.
A divisional parade took place on 18 January 1919, with a second ceremony was undertaken on 27 January where the battalion was issued with its King's Colours. As railwaymen were a high grade of tradesmen, the battalion demobilisation was fast compared to other units in the division. In June 1919, the battalion moved to Antwerp where they loaded onto barges bound for Boulogne, they then made their way to Newcastle.
Return to England
On their return to Newcastle, the battalion was received by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle and other civil dignitories, including members of the North Eastern Railway's board of directors. A few days later the battalion ceased to exist having been demobilsed fully at Ripon.
The battalion's Colours were given to Newcastle Cathedral, where the remain on show.
Over the course of the war, four officers and sixty-three NCOs were killed, with a further thirty-eight NCOs dying of wounds, four as the result of gas and three of sickness received on duty.
As part of the formation of the 17th Battalion, two reserve companies, "E" and "F", were also formed. These companies acted as a local reserve battalion, providing drafts of men to a number of different battalions as and when required, they were allocated to the 19th Reserve Brigade.
Formed in Ripon in November 1915, the battalion moved to Harrogate in December 1915, and in June 1916, they moved to Usworth near Washington.[6]
At the beginning of September 1916, reserve battalions across were moved to a newly formed organisation, the Training Reserve.[7] As part of this remodelling, the 32nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, became the 80th Training Reserve Battalion within the 19th Reserve Brigade.
Related Research Articles
The 10th (Irish) Division, was one of the first of Kitchener's New Army K1 Army Group divisions, authorized on 21 August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. It included battalions from the various provinces of Ireland. It was led by Irish General Bryan Mahon and fought at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine. It was the first of the Irish Divisions to take to the field and was the most travelled of the Irish formations. The division served as a formation of the United Kingdom's British Army during World War I.
The 11th (Northern) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, raised from men who had volunteered for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front. The division's insignia was an ankh or ankhus.
The 16th (Irish) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised for service during World War I. The division was a voluntary 'Service' formation of Lord Kitchener's New Armies, created in Ireland from the 'National Volunteers', initially in September 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. In December 1915, the division moved to France, joining the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), under the command of Irish Major General William Hickie, and spent the duration of the war in action on the Western Front. Following enormous losses at the Somme, Passchendaele and Ypres, the 16th (Irish) Division required a substantial refit in England between June and August 1918, which involved the introduction of many non-Irish battalions.
The 17th (Northern) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, a Kitchener's Army formation raised during the Great War.
The 34th Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, originally made up of infantry battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war.
The 31st Division was an infantry division of the British Army. It was raised in the Great War by volunteers from Kitchener's Army and formed in April 1915 as part of the K4 Army Group and taken over by the War Office on 10 August 1915. Comprising mainly infantry battalions from Yorkshire and Lancashire, the division was sent to Egypt in December 1915 before moving to France in March 1916 and spent the remainder of the First World War in action on the Western Front. The 31st Division was the quintessential New Army division, being made up entirely of Pals battalions.
The 21st Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I, raised in September 1914 by men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division moved to France in September 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. The divisional insignia was the "triple-seven".
The 32nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, made up of infantry 'Pals battalions' and artillery brigades raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war. It saw action at the Battle of the Somme, the Pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, the Defence of Nieuport, the German spring offensive, and the Allied Hundred Days Offensive beginning at the Battle of Amiens. After the Armistice it marched into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.
The Public Schools Battalions were a group of Pals battalions of the British Army during World War I. They were raised in 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army and were originally recruited exclusively from former public schoolboys. When the battalions were taken over by the British Army they became variously the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment and the 18th–21st (Service) Battalions of the Royal Fusiliers. However, Kitchener's Army was faced with a dire shortage of officers and so 'young gentlemen'— public schoolboys and university graduates, including many of those who had enlisted in the Public Schools Battalions — were encouraged to apply for commissions. The battalions' depleted ranks were made up with ordinary volunteers and although they retained the Public Schools titles, their exclusive nature was doomed. Two battalions remained to serve on the Western Front: the original battalion was all but destroyed on the first day of the Somme. After hard service both battalions were disbanded in February 1918 before the end of the war.
The 41st Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised during the First World War as part of Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division saw service on the Western Front and later on the Italian Front.
The Railway Operating Division (ROD) was a division of the Royal Engineers formed in 1915 to operate railways in the many theatres of the First World War. It was largely composed of railway employees and operated both standard gauge and narrow gauge railways.
The 23rd Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1914 in the Great War as part of Kitchener's Army. The division was sent to France in August 1915 under the command of Major-General Sir James Melville Babington C.B. C.M.G. During the war the division fought on the Western Front until October 1917 when it moved to the Italian Front. It remained in Italy and was disbanded by March 1919.
The Northumbrian Division was an infantry division of the British Army, formed in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force with units drawn from the north-east of England, notably Northumberland, Durham and the North and East Ridings of Yorkshire. The division was numbered as 50th (Northumbrian) Division in 1915 and served on the Western Front throughout the First World War. Due to losses suffered in the Ludendorf Offensive in March 1918 it had to be comprehensively reorganized. It was once again reformed in the Territorial Army as the Northumbrian Division in 1920.
The 37th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised during the First World War. The divisional symbol was a gold horseshoe, open end up.
The Northumberland Brigade was formed in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force of the British Army with four battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. The brigade was numbered as 149th (Northumberland) Brigade in 1915 and served with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division on the Western Front throughout World War I. Due to losses suffered in the Ludendorf Offensive in 1918, it had to be comprehensively reorganized. Reformed as the Northumberland Brigade post-war, it was broken up before the outbreak of World War II.
The 59th Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I. It was formed in late 1914/early 1915 as a 2nd Line Territorial Force formation raised as a duplicate of the 46th Division. After training in the United Kingdom and seeing service in the Easter Rising in April 1916, the division joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front in early 1917. It saw action at Ypres and Cambrai, and was almost destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive in March 1918. The reconstituted division took part in the final advances of the war.
The 197th Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the British Army that saw distinguished active service in both the First and Second world wars.
The 123rd Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during World War I. It was raised as part of the New Armies. After the original 123rd Bde was renumbered, a new brigade was formed and served with the 41st Division from 1916 to 1919 on the Western Front, in Italy, and with the British Army of Occupation in Germany.
Maurice Lorain Pears, CMG was a British Army officer who acted as the Commanding Officer of the 17th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, during the first half of World War I.
References
1 2 3 4 5 6 Shakespear, Lt-Col. A Record of the 17th and 32nd Battalions Northumberland Fusiliers 1914 - 1919 (N.E.R.) Pioneers. Uckfield: The Naval & Military Press Ltd. ISBN9781843426875.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
