{"id":882,"date":"2018-04-26T00:03:21","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T23:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.faulder.org.uk\/genealogy\/?p=882"},"modified":"2024-06-13T11:57:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T10:57:35","slug":"on-this-day-100-years-ago-harold-faulder-killed-in-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faulder.org.uk\/genealogy\/?p=882","title":{"rendered":"On this Day 100 years ago: Harold Faulder; Killed in Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

On this day 100 years ago (26th April 1918) my Grandfather, Harold Faulder, climbed out of a trench near Ypres leading his company across no man’s land towards the German lines. He did not return and his body was never recovered.<\/p>\n

A previous post<\/a> had detailed his career. Today I am looking at what we know about the night of 25th\/26th April and the early morning of 26th April 1918. <\/p>\n

\"T\/Capt<\/a>

Harold Faulder, T\/Capt, 3rd Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (attached to 1\/4th Y&L in late April 1918)<\/p><\/div>\n

Since I wrote the previous post, I have found a letter sent to my Grandmother after my Grandfather\u2019s death by Captain Leslie William Johnson M.C.. I already had a letter to my Grandmother from Lt-Col Sidney Clifford Brierly DSO (who it is believed was with the 1\/4th KOYLI – which together with 1\/4th and 1\/5th York and Lancaster Regiment formed the 148th Brigade). Together with the battalion and brigade war diaries, we can piece together a bit more detail about what happened that morning 100 years ago – and make marginal corrections to my earlier post.<\/p>\n

The Place<\/h2>\n

We tend to think of the Western Front as being some distance away. In fact it is quite close and a relatively small area.<\/p>\n

\"Relationship<\/a>

Relationship of Flanders to the UK<\/p><\/div>\n

The Flanders part of the Western Front is about the same size as East Kent and is approximately represented by the eastern half of the outline in the map above – which also indicates the area covered by the next map.<\/p>\n

\"Relationship<\/a>

Relationship of Ypres to the Channel Coast<\/p><\/div>\n

Ypres (official spelling Ieper) was seen as strategic because if the Germans (attacking East to West) could over-run Ypres they could rapidly capture the Channel Ports. Even in the First World War it was appreciated that Dunkirk was important for both supplying and evacuating British Troops. In addition Hazebrouck (in French Flanders) was (and is) a major railway junction.<\/p>\n

\"Poperinge<\/a>

Poperinge – Ypres – Wijtschate Area<\/p><\/div>\n

The 1\/4th battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (1\/4th Y&L) had been in camp at Brandhoek (between Poperinge and Vlamertinge) on 21st April where they had been inspected by M Clemenceau, Prime Minister of France. Harold Faulder joined the battalion the following day as part of a draft of six officers to replace losses in the previous weeks.<\/p>\n

The map above shows the relationship of Poperinge and Ypres and running south of Ypres, the Messines Ridge (official spelling Mesen) – the scene of fierce fighting particularly in 1917.<\/p>\n

The War Diary of the 148th Brigade records:<\/p>\n

\n

2pm 25th April Brigade moved by route march to the vicinity of OUDERDOM and assembled in trenches. … The Brigade were to be prepared either to strengthen the line or to take part in counter attack.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Vierstraat<\/a>

Vierstraat & North Western Neighbourhood<\/p><\/div>\n

Ouderdom is the settlement in the North West corner of the map above (at the junction of Ouderdomsweg and Vlamertingseweg) – 5 to 7 km from the settlement of Vierstraat (and about half-way between Brandhoek and Vierstraat).<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The battlefield West of Vierstraat<\/p><\/div>\n

The actual battleground was to the West of the settlement of Vierstraat on the right hand side of the Vierstraat (road) as you approached up the rise towards Kriekstraat just short of Vierstraat.<\/p>\n

Locally the Germans were attacking in a West North Westerly direction (roughly parallel to the Vierstraat). They had advanced from capturing the Messines Ridge and it would seem that the the bulk of the enemy was close to the Vierstraat – La Polka road (the yellow road “Kemmelseweg” \/ “Kemmelstraat” on the above map).<\/p>\n

A map in the War Diary for the 148th Brigade shows the positions taken up by the battalions that formed the brigade on the night of 25th April 1918.<\/p>\n

\"Extract<\/a>

Extract from Map in 148th Brigade War Diary – 25th April 1918 WO 95\/2804 The National Archives, London, \u00a9 Crown Copyright (Licence 9155)<\/p><\/div>\n

The reserve trench (occupied by the 1\/4th KOYLI – King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry – green tint above) seems to run along the present day Molenstraat. The 1\/4th and 1\/5th Y&L (red and blue tints above) are alongside each other in a front-line trench (referred to as “The Blue Line”) a little more than half way between Molenstraat and Kriekstraat. The two roads are about 450m apart, so the front line trench was no more than 300 metres from Kriekstraat (British contemporary name “Cheapside”).<\/p>\n

The 1\/4th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment War Diary records:<\/p>\n

\n

12:30am 26th April
Orders received for Bdg to move forward and take over a portion of the FRONT LINE (CHEEPSIDE LINE) between left flank of 9th KOYLI (64th I.B.) about N15 b9.9 and the HALLE BASS – VIERSTRAAT Rd. The Battn took over the “BLUE LINE” from the VIERSTRAAT Rd N10 b4.7 to N10 a9.1. HQ was established in a dugout at N10 a9.9.
5th Y&L Rgmt were on our right and XXII Corps Mounted Troops on our left. The move was completed about 3.30am.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n