This photograph appeared in the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday May 4 1918 along with the caption: Rifleman Arthur Palmer, of Guist, killed in action recently.
Rifleman PALMER, ARTHUR HAROLD
Service Number:………………. S/8740
Died:………………………….. 30/11/1917
Aged:…………………………. 21
Unit:……………………………11th Bn.Rifle Brigade
Buried:……………………….. Gouzeaucourt New British Cemetery
Grave: …………………………Sp.Mem. VIII.G.15, Buried near this spot.
Son of Mrs. Annie Palmer, of 7, Common Lane, Guist, Norfolk.
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/248612/palmer,-arthur...
Soldiers died in the Great War records that Private S/8740 Arthur Harold Palmer was Killed in Action on the 3rd December 1917 whilst serving with the 11th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consorts Own). He was born and resident Guist. He enlisted in Norwich.
The Medal Index Card for Private S/8749 Arthur H Palmer, Rifle Brigade is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/15/96963
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4...
This shows he first entered a Theatre of War, (France), on the 1st September 1915.
He qualified for the 1915 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.
His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Other Ranks Army Service Records were stored.
There is a Soldiers Will held for Arthur Harold on the Probate Department GOV.UK site.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/
(However his date of death is shown as the 3rd December 1917 which ties in with SDGW but not CWGC).
No match on Picture Norfolk, the County Image Archive.
Baptism
I couldn’t find a baptism for Arthur Harold, but in the records for St Andrew, Guist there is an Arthur Howard, (possibly a transcription error?), who was born 28th November 1896, which took place on the 7th February 1901. Parents were Herbert, a Carpenter, and Hannah, (Annie?).
1901 Census of England and Wales
On the 1901 census there is a 4 year old Arthur Harold, born Guist, who was recorded at Sennowe Road, Guist. (The next dwelling listed is Hall Farm). This is the household of his parents, Herbert, (aged 42 and a House Painter from Whissonett, Norfolk) and Hannah, (aged 42 and from Stanfield, Norfolk). As well as Arthur, their other children are:-
Edgar Victor……………aged 12……..Born Bushy \ Bixley(?), Norfolk
Mable Gertrude………...aged 10……..Born Bushy \ Bixley(?), Norfolk
William John…………...aged 8………Born Bushy \ Bixley(?), Norfolk
Bernice(?) Maud………..aged 6………Born Bushy \ Bixley(?), Norfolk
1911 Census of England and Wales
By the time of the 1911 census there is a 52 year old widow “Annie” Palmer, born Stanfield, Norfolk, who was recorded as a the head of the household at a dwelling at The Common, Guist. The census taker has crossed through where she had put in that she was married for 24 years and had had 5 children, of which 4 were then still alive.
Living with her are her sons, Edgar, (aged 22 and born Brisley, Norfolk) and Harold, (aged 14 and born Guist). Both work as Domestic Gardeners.
Military Career…………………….
The admission and discharge book for 39 Casualty Clearing Station records that a Rifleman 8740 H. Palmer, 11th Rifle Brigade, arrived from the 53rd Field Ambulance on the 23rd January 1917. He was admitted, as were a number of other entries on the page with “Sus. Dysentery”. At that point he was 20 years old and he had seen 2 years’ service, of which 16 months were in the field. He was transferred out on the 27th January 1917 aboard No.3 Ambulance Train.
The admission and discharge book for No.8 General Hospital records that Rifleman 8740 H. Palmer, 11th Rifle Brigade was admitted on approximately the 15th March 1917 - he was discharged to duty on the 24th after 9 days in Isolation for Rose Measles. Aged 20, he had been with the army 26 months, of which 18 were in the field
On the day
As part of the commemoration of the outbreak of the Great War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have added a number of original documents to their website. One of these on their webpage for Arthur is a Concentration Report. These reports normally detail the exhumation and removal to the current resting spot. Originally a number of graves were recovered from map reference R.31.c.7.6 – including an Unknown Royal Field Artillery man “buried near this spot”. This was subsequently identified as Arthur although no reason is given why – the exhumation report says no effects were found with – in fact it’s not at all clear if they found anything more than the marker.
The report is dated 22.8.19 and the bodies were reburied in Gouzeaucourt New British Cemtery. The map reference shown for the new location is Sheet 57c Q.36.C.6.2 on the Concentration Report and Sheet 57c W.6.a.4.4 on the Grave Registration Report.
GOUZEAUCOURT NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
Location Information
Gouzeaucourt is a large village 15 kilometres south west of Cambrai and 15 kilometres north-east of Peronne.
History Information
Gouzeaucourt village was captured by the 8th Division on the night of 12-13 April 1917. It was lost on 30 November 1917 in the German counterattack at the end of the Battle of Cambrai, and recaptured the same day by the 1st Irish Guards. It was lost again on 22 March 1918, attacked by the 38th (Welsh) Division on the following 18 September, and finally retaken by the 21st Division on 8 October. The cemetery was begun in November 1917, taken over by the Germans in 1918, and used again by Commonwealth forces in September and October 1918, but the original burials (now in Plot III) are only 55 in number. It was enlarged after the Armistice when graves were brough in from other cemeteries and from the battlefield of Cambrai. The cemetery now contains 1,295 burials and commmemorations of the First World War. 381 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 34 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial records the name of a soldier buried in Gouzeaucourt Communal Cemetery in May 1917 whose grave was destroyed by shell fire.
www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2000086/gouzeaucour...
In the same brigade were the 10th and 11th Battalions of the Kings Royal Rifle Corps.
The sad anti-climax came on 30th November, when the Germans attacked the haunches of the salient. On the southern flank they broke through the two divisions on the right of the 20th (Light) Division, and attacked the 10th and 11th (KRRC) Battalions in their rear and flanks. The Riflemen fought well, but the battalions in the front line were in a hopeless position. The few survivors concentrated first on the Brigade Headquarters and then on the reserve battalion, where they held out until 2nd December. In this action the enemy used machine-gun fire from low-flying aeroplanes with considerable success.
www.krrcassociation.com/history/wf1917.htm
The 20th (Light) Division were still holding almost all of the road between Masnières and Bonavis when the Germans launched their attack. They were in a difficult position not having been able to advance during the British offensive as far as the St Quentin Canal. From their current trenches they couldn't see the canal crossings but were in turn overlooked by the Germans sitting on the high ground above Crèvecoeur.
The 10th Kings Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) on the right and near Lateau Wood had a horrific morning. Storm Troopers covered by the mist swarmed in and around them from all directions constantly taking the route of least resistance. Just twenty men from the Battalion survived the day. The story repeated itself with the 11th KRRC to the left and the 10th Rifle Brigade who were behind them.
The Division was forced back leaving the way open for the Germans to enter les Rues Vertes behind the 29th Division who were on the northern side of the canal and now alone.
www.webmatters.net/france/ww1_cambrai_btl_12.htm
At 7.50 a.m., November 30th, an S.O.S. signal message was received that the 12th Division, on the right, was being attacked.
At 8.15 a.m. an order from the 60th Brigade H.Q. was received to 'stand-to' ready to move and, at 8.50 a.m., a further order for the Battalion to move its 'battle-positions' on the Brown Line, i.e., in and beyond the Hindenburg Support Line.
As the Companies moved forward to take up their positions it was evident that the German attack had extended to the 20th Division front and that the enemy had broken through our front line system. A number of stragglers from the forward battalions of the 59th and 61st Brigades and artillerymen were streaming back. The most pressing problems confronting Colonel Cotton appeared to be to endeavour to save the field guns, north-east of La Vacquerie, and to take up a defensive position in (t)ouch with the 12th Division and the 61st Brigade.
It was, however, evident that if the Battalion took up a position in front of the guns it would be in a sharp salient and holding a line too long for the number(e)d available. A line of defence was therefore established on either side of the La Vacquerie - Masinieres road north-east of the former place and between the Hindenburg Line and the Hindenburg Support Line. One platoon of "C" Company, under 2nd Lieutenant J. Crawford, advanced and drove the enemy from the wireless station - some five hundred yards in front of the left of the Battalion line - enabling Lieut.-Colonel Burne, R.A., to destroy some secret papers and to dismantle the wireless apparatus.
This platoon, assisted by some forty artillerymen armed with rifles, then took up a line near the wireless station and with its right on the La Vacquerie - Masinieres road commanding the guns of the 92nd F.A. Brigade temporarily abandoned on the east of the road. Half of "B"Company was sent up to re-inforce the platoon and, advancing with it, temporarily re-took the guns, thus enabling the artillerymen to remove twelve breech-blocks. (For his gallantry on this occasion, 2nd Lieutenant Crawford was awarded the D.S.O.)
Heavy shelling and an attempted encircling movement of the enemy by the right flank compelled withdrawal eventually to the main defensive line. During the morning the enemy delivered four attacks on this line, south-east of the La Vacquerie valley, all of which were repulsed, although both flanks were in the air.
In the afternoon the situation was a little qui(e)ter and touch was obtained with the 12th Division on the right. Rumours of the fall of La Vacquerie reached the Battalion, but no confirmation followed. About 6 p.m. Lieut.-Colonel Priaulx arrived, accompanied by Lieut.-Colonel A.C. Sheepshanks, the former taking command of the 59th Brigade troops in the line.
Throughout the day the guns of the 91st F.A. Brigade, practically in the front line, were served with great gallantry; during the night they were withdrawn.
About 2.00 a.m. on December 1st, Captain Pegler with the remains of the 10th Rifle Brigade arrived, and, at 8.00 a.m., was posted astride the La Vacquerie - Masnieres road just behind the front line.
At about this hour two attacks on the right centre ("A" Company - Captain R.C. Davidson) were repulsed; during the afternoon a company of the 2/6th Sherwood Foresters, 6th Division, came up in support and was put in touch with the 7th K.O.Y.L.I. on the left.
On the 2nd December the line was heavily shelled in the morning with enfilade fire from the right, "A" and "C" Companies bearing the brunt. Soon after 2.30 p.m. the enemy made a determined attack on the right under cover of heavy enfilade machine gun and obtained a footing in "A" Company's front. Twice the trench was almost cleared, but eventually the supply of bombs ran out and the enemy reached the La Vacquerie - Masnieres road. Two companies of the 11th D.L.I. were sent up to re-inforce "A" Company and a line was established almost at right angles with the former line facing south-east.
During the night of 2/3rd the Battalion was relieved by the 2/7th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 61st Division, and moved back to dug-outs in the original support trench accompanied by Captain Pegler and his little party of the 10th Rifle Brigade. In addition to this party the 11th Rifle Brigade had had attached to it during the fighting: two sections R.E. under 2nd Lieutenant Hill; twenty-five O.R's 10th K.R.R.C., under 2nd Lieutenant Wade; thirty-one O.R.'s of11th K.R.R.C. under 2nd Lieutenant Hopkins; two companies 11th D.L.I.; one company 2/6th Sherwood Foresters; and a few details of the 13th Division.
About 8.30 a.m. on the third the S.O.S. came through and both battalions 'stood-to', the 11th Rifle Brigade manning the old British front line. Throughout the day the enemy shelled the position heavily with H.E. and gas, whilst no authentic news could be obtained as to what was happening in front.
At 6.30 p.m. both battalions were finally relieved and moved back, the 10th Rifle Brigade to its transport lines at Fins, the 11th Rifle Brigade to Sorel.
the final attack which took the village was commmanded (on the German side) by Oberstleutnant Reinicke of Fusilier Regiment 40. At his disposal were what was left of his own regiment after several days of fighting and 3rd Bn IR 110, both of 28th Infantry Division.
www.greatwarforum.org/topic/87082-cambrai-german-counter-...
(Amended for errors in the original transcription)
Arthur is remembered on the Guist War Memorial as Harold Palmer
Mildly photoshopped to minimise impact of damage present on the original image.
