Tuesday 20 October 2015

19th OCTOBER 1914 – ON THIS DAY IN RWF HISTORY


Start of 1st Battle of Ypres, Belgium, 1914

The 1st Battle of Ypres has been said to have begun when 7th Division (with 1 RWF) met the Germans near Gheluvelt on 19 October. It resulted in the establishment of the Ypres Salient which the British would hold until the final advance of 1918. This battle lasted until 22 November. The 7th Division was reduced to a weak brigade and four battalions, including 1 RWF, had been merged into one.


Saturday 10 October 2015

All that was left of them

A photo of the original members of 4 RWF. All that was left of "them"', 4th Battalion of the Royal Welch Fusiliers, c.1918

Thursday 8 October 2015

PTE ALBERT HILL VC

PTE ALBERT HILL VC 

In August 1914 Albert Hill joined the 10th Battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers, as a private. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions at Delville Wood, part of the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His citation read:
For most conspicuous bravery. On 20 July 1916, during the Somme Offensive, when 15280 Private Hill's battalion had been deployed under heavy fire, for an attack on the enemy in Delville Wood, France, the order to charge was given and he dashed forward. He met two of the enemy and bayoneted them both. Later, he was sent by his platoon sergeant, Hugh Green, to contact the enemy, and found himself cut off, being surrounded by over twenty Germans. He threw two hand grenades, killing and wounding about eighteen and scattering the remainder. He then joined a sergeant of his company and helped him to fight the way back to the lines. When he got back, hearing that his Company Officer, Captain Scales, and a scout were lying out wounded, he went out and assisted to bring in the mortally wounded Officer, two other men bringing in the scout. Finally, he himself captured two of the enemy and brought them in as prisoners. His conduct throughout was magnificent.[1]
He was also a holder of the French Croix de Guerre, the Russian Cross of St. George, and three campaign medals.