Thomas Henry Hamnett 1895

Thomas Henry Hamnett
1895-1985

 

Coldstream Guards
WW1

Thomas Henry Hamnett, 1895, Birmingham, 21002,  3rd Bn. and 2nd Bn. Coldstream Guards.

The primary evidence for Thomas and his war experince are the two listings in the Birmingham Absent Voters 1918 and 1919 which indicate 3rd Bn. C Grds and 2nd Bn C grds respectively as his regiment.  Two medal documents are found and these confirm hi service most likely from 1916 onwards as no 1914-15 Star medal is awarded. The serial number 21002 is helpful as a man who joined just after him (from serial number allocation) Private J Bower 21039 from Holmfirth Yorkshire is killed on 2 Dec 1917 and apparently arrived in France in mid October 1917. We the take up the story of the 3rd Coldstream Guards in October 1917. Note the 3rd C Gds were in 1917 part of the 1st Guards Brigade of the Guards Division.

1917
  • 9 Oct. On this day the 3rd C Gds were in the Battle of Poelcappelle, (3rd Ypres) along with the Irish Guards they sustained large casualties the 3rd C Gds lost 41 men killed and 130 men wounded . This would have been possibly the reason Thomas and others were brought up as reinforcements for the battalion and seems the most likely time for him to join the battalion. The war diary makes no mention of re-inforcements in October but the 3rd C Gds are very sparse in the detail.
  • 18 Oct. The battalion is in camp at Northleulinghem.
  • 23 Nov -5 Dec. Cambrai Operations.
  • 23 Nov. On the third day of the operation to take Bourlon Woods and Cambrai the 3rd C Gds moved to the front line trenches at Fontaine Notre  Dames. It was quite in the trenches and on the 26 Nov. the Bn were relieved by the 3rd Grenadier Gds. and went to billets near Ribecourt. On the 28th they marched to Metz au Couture.
  • 30th Nov. The Germans had counter attacked and so the 3rd C Gds alongs withe 2nd C gds and the 1st Irish Gds, countered again this attack and re-took Gouzeaucourt.
  • 1st Dec.The Bn. attacked the Quentin Ridge with other Gds battalions and with four tanks attached to the battalion. This attack was successful and the Bn. was relieved on the 2nd Dec.
  • 4th Dec. The Bn. was back into the line again for another 24 hours.
  • The Casualties for the period were heavy with 23 killed and 226 men wounded, if this was as it seems Thomas induction to battle it was a fierce one.
1918
  • 2 Jan. The Bn moved to billets at Arras.
  • 10  Jan. In the trenches at Pudding Trench, Fampoux
  • 14-18 Jan. In trenches north of the Scarpe to the Douai Rlway. The land thawed and trenches filled with water then the Germans attacked with Gas canisters etc. Casualties 11 men killed some gas casualties.
  • 18-26 Jan. Returned to Pudding trench.
  • 8 Feb. The 3rd C Gds left the 1st Guards Brigade of the Guards Division and moved to the 4th Guards Brigade of the 31st Division.
  • 21-25 Feb. In the trenches on the Bailleul-Willerval line north-east of Arras..
  • 1-21 Mar. Bn. Moved via Bray camp to Tinques area.
  • 22 Mar Bussed to Hamelincourt..
  • 23-31 Mar. German Spring Offensive.
    • 23 Mar. Move to line between Ervillers and St Leger in support . 3 men killed in action.
    • 24 Mar.Enemy advance on right 2 men killed 13 wounded
    • 25 Mar. Heavy shelling , enemy attack. Casualties 4 men killed 34 wounded 10 men missing.
    • 26 Mar. ordered to withdraw to high ground south-west of Ayette. 3 Coys withdraw south-east of Douchy-Gommiecourt Rd. 3 men wounded.
    • 27 Mar. In the pm enemy drive back troops holding Courcelles so Bn. becomes front line. 11 men wounded 1 missing
    • 28. Bn Advance and hold line of Ayette-Bucquoy Rd .6 killed 28 wounded and 2 missing.
    • 31 Bn relieved return to Bienvillers Casualties 3 killed and 5 wounded.Note the CWGC reports 39 men killed in March action.
  • 12 -13 April The Battle of the Lys.The continuation of the German spring offensive and for the 3rd C Gds involved a bloody defense near Bailleul.
    • 11 Apr. “The brigade debussed during the evening of the 11th at Strazeele where they met up with their transport and marched to Le Paradis just south of the Hazebrouck -Bailleul railway, about one mile north of Vieux Berquin”2
    • 12 Apr.The German advance began in the morning and quickly swept away tired opposition but the 3rd C Gds stopped the advance and despite the line breaking up under attack held their line..
    • Casualties for this period were heavy the CWGC shows 139 men killed between 11-13th April. The heaviest toll was the 13th with 121 men killed in the holding the line.
    • May-Jun. The battalion moved to Theivres towards the end of May and stayed there in billets
    • Jul-Sept. The Bn. moved to Criel Plage and was basically in rest and training there until in Sept. moving to Bray anf new billets.. after moving about a bit in October the Bn. returned to Criel Plage and for them the war was over.
Sources
  1. War diary of the 3rd Coldstream Guards.
  2. Thesis – The British Army on the Defensive in April 1918 by Geoffrey David Blades

Medals

Awarded the 1914-15 Star and the British War medal

Gallery