Vause George William 1897

George William Vause

 

1897-1971

Father Nm: Charles Thomas Vause 1871–1952
BIRTH 25 MAY 1871 • Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
DEATH JAN 1952 • Sheffield,

Mother Nm: Elizabeth Sandford 1874–1952
BIRTH 2 AUG 1874 • Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
DEATH JAN 1952 • Sheffield

Marriage Dt: Jul 1922 • Sheffield, Yorkshire West Riding,

K comments: Son Donald served with the RAF in WW2
Spouse comments: Florence Blinco [4613]1899–
BIRTH 1 MAY 1899 • Whitehaven, Cumberland,

Children. Donald 1924 , Jean Mary 1933.

Born 1897

20 JUL 1897 Sheffield

1911 CENSUS

Eccleshall
Charles Thomas Vause 40
Elizabeth Vause 36
Ernest Vause 14
Emily Vause 13
Charles Vause 11
William Vause 9
Wellie Vause 6
Dorothy Vause 1

WW1

Kings Own West Yorkshire Regiment

Vause William G, 1897, Sheffield, Private, 10946, 11th Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment.

Synopsis

George was early into the war and was likely with the 11th Bn Wesy Yorkshires throught a torrid time on the western front. The battalion lost 488 men during the war or over half a battalion and of course many more men wounded sick from the conditions. However, George apparently was not wounded in this period and served until honourably discharge in late 1919. This fact along with an appointment to the Post Office Engineering Dept in 1922 suggests George maybe had a role as signaller in the war , this would explain less of a direct combat role and improve his chances of surviving. Never the less he saw great hardship and difficulty like all the men at the front and it should be noted he was discharged Honourably because of sickness in 1919.

1914
  • 28 August. Enlisted
  • 10 October. Most likely at this time posted to the newly formed 11th Battalion part of 69th Brigade, 23rd Division.
  • December. Bullswater Hampshire
1915
  • Aldershot then in February to Shorncliffe.
  • May. Bordon Hampshire.
  • 25 August. Embarked for France. George recorded the first day of service in France on 27 Aug. The 11th Bn landed at Boulogne and concentrated near Tilques..
  • September.  In Billets in Doulie. The 23rd Division had was attached to III Corps and in the Merris-Vie Berquin area near the Belgium border. The 11th Bn. underwent trench familiarisation during this time. On 15 Sept moved to billets at Erquinham.
  • 25 September-8 October. Battle of Loos. The 11th Bn was in the trenches at the front line during this battle. Marked approx on this map the front line.
  • The 11th Bn held this line until January 1916. During this period the fighting was relatively quiet and spread over the period the 11th Bn lost 12 men during the period 15 September 1915 to 1 January 1916.

1916

  • January-February. Still holding the same front line, In January the 11th Bn lost 14 men, more men than in the preceding 4 months. They were relieved mid-February and moved to rest in billets at Steenbeque, Eestaires and Haillecourt.
  • 7 March. Into Trenches in Souchez sector taking over a sector between the Boyau de l’Ersat and the Souchez River from the French 17th Division.
    The Allied blue front line between Souchez and Givenchy in 1916. The river Souchez intersecting the front line opposite the Bois de Givenchy

     

  • 18 March-16 April. Went into Billets at Hersin and then on the 19 relieved 17th Royal Fusiliers in Angres sector in spells until 16 April..Casualties 8 for this period.
    11 Bn north of the February position on the front line shown approx in blue

     

  • Mid-April to Mid -May. At rest in Bruay.
  • 17-30 May. Back into the trenches in the Angres sector. The Germans attacked Vimy Ridge on the 21st of May. The brunt of the attack fell on 47th (London) Division, to the right of the 23rd Division. The 11th Bn in this period suffered just 4 fatalities.
  • June. On the 11th of June, the 23rd Division Infantry moved to Bomy to begin intensive training for the Battles of the Somme.

    The map of the Somme and the allied progression in 1916
  • July. The Battle of Albert
    • 4-5 July. The 11 Bn marched to Becourt Woods and then relieved the 16th Royal Scots at Scots Redoubt as the battle began. The attacks failed and the 11 Bn. had to retire going back to Becourt Woods. The CWGC records show 34 men killed between 4-7 July but as the Bn had retired to Becourt woods on the 5th July many must have died of wounds from the battle or counted as dead later after going missing.  
    • 27 July. In billets until the 27th when The 11th Bn relieved the 13th Bn DLI in the recently captured Contalmaison.
    • 5-7 August. Another spell in Contalmaison on the front line and resulted in 4 men being killed during an attack.
    • 13 August. The 11th Bn entrained for Bailleul 90 km north and close again to Belgium border.
    • 1 October. After a month-long rest in September, the 11th Bn moved into trenches at Martinpuich..
    • 7 October attack on Sars. Targets were gained but heavy losses were incurred, 77 men recorded killed by CWGC in this battle.
    • November. Ypres sector.
      Battle of Ypres New York Times map

      Early in the month in the trenches, Ypres sector and on 16th  moved up to the front line near Zillibeke to relieve the 10th Duke of Wellington Regt.

      • 20 November a bombing raid by the 11th Bn resulted in loses war diary states 2 dead i wounded. CWGC records 4 men killed in November.
      • December-February1917. Spells in the front line in the Ypres sector. ( men recorded killed in this period
1917
  • 6-7 June. 11th Bn re-capture Hill 60  from the Germans in the Battle of Messines. The 11th Attack coincided with the explosion of mines placed under German positions.
    Hill 60 . The original memorial was replaced after the original was damaged during WW2.

    The attack map from 69th Bde diary shows target lines with the black line the final desired. position. Blue trench lines are the allied trenches at the inception of the attack.
  • 18-24 September. After the 69th Bde attack on Inverness Copse, the 11th Bn relieved 8th Yorkshires and held the Copse line.
    Message map no. 5, Sept_1917 _ [3rd Battle of Ypres, Zonnebeke Region]
  • The Second Army attack along the Menin Road. The 11 Bn part of 69 Bde, 23rd Division took part in an attack along the Menin road toward Poldhoek. The 69 th Bde map below shows it was sitting between the 2nd Australian Bde to the North and the 68th Bde to the south and advancing from Inverness Copse towards three target lines red green and finally black.
    • 18 September. The 11th Bn took over the front line fronting onto  Inverness Copse suffering 25 casualties (9 men dead 19 Sept. CWGC records)
    • 19 September. Was spent assembling and readying for zero hour.
    • 20-24 September. The attack began under a barrage the Germans defending the Copse appeared demoralised according to reports and the red line was taken by the 11th Bn and consolidated until relieved on the 24th of September. Casualties were high with CWGC reporting 76 men killed between 19-24 September.
  • In contrast, the war diary shows the wounded missing etc and although different numbers from final tallies show the scale of casualties in this attack
    September 1917 Casualties from the 11th Bn war diary.

     

  • 27 September-2 October. Front Line.
    • 27 September. The 69th Bde went back into the line the 11th Bn taking over at Clapham Junction which is behind lines gained on 20 Sept..
    • 29/29 September Heavy enemy bombardment killed 11 men
    • 2 October. The 11th Bn is relieved after taking 16 fatalities in this spell in the trenches.
  • 3 October . The 11th Bn travel by motor bus to Berthen area.
  • 12-15 October. Back into the front line the battalion bombarded until relieved on 15th . 7 men killed in this period.
  • November. The 23rd Division moves to Italy.
  • In November 1917 the Division moved to Italy concentrating between Mantua and Marca before taking over the front line at the Montello on the 4th of December.
1918
  • In 1918 they were in action during fighting on the Asiago Plateau and the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, including the passage of the Piave and the Monticano.. Casualties in the Italian campaign while not at the level of the western from were still 45 men killed , 17 of them in the final battles of October/November  1918.
  • At the Italian Armistice at 3pm on the 4th of November, the 23rd were midway between the Riv Livenza and Meduna, east of Sacile.
1919
  • They moved to billets west of Treviso and demobilisation took place in January and February 1919. It seems that George may have been retained or signed on for longer service but he was sick and his service terminated.
  • 7 November. Honourably Discharged -Sickness
Medals
Awarded the 1914-15 Star the Victory and British War medals
Sources
    1. Ancestry  and BFA database
    2. Long Long Trail.
    3. War diaries; 11th Battalion West Yorskires and 69th Brigade HQ.
After the War
1922
  • August. George is appointed to The Post Office Engineering services as an SW2 wireman, confirming he was likely in the signals of the 11th Battalion, West Yorkshires during WW1. Note By 1939, George has risen to an Inspector with PO Telephones.
1939 Census

50 Seagrave Crescent, Sheffield
William G Vause 42 Inspector Post Office
Florence Vause 40
This record is officially closed. likely to be son Donald Vause age 15
Jean M 6

Death 1973

Oct 1971, Sheffield,

Gallery

There are service records in the National archives for this person they can be viewed and downloaded from their website https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/