Chimes Frank Louis 1893-1986 – Blencowe Family in World War One

Frank Lewis CHIMES

1893-1986

Father Nm: Thomas Chimes 1865 Evemley

Mother Nm: Eliza Blencowe [81] born 31 January 1865 Mixbury, Oxon.
died 11 July 1958 The Maltings, Chackmore, Bucks,

Marriage Dt:1922 Amersham to Florence Primrose H Muckley

K comments: Brothers James Henry and Harry William served with the 17th, 9th Sherwood Foresters and 2nd, 11th and 1/5th Bn’s Lancashire Fusiliers respectively in WW1

Spouse comments:Florence Primrose H Muckley b.19 Apr 1899

Children.

BORN 28 April 1893

1901 CENSUS

First name(s)	Last name	Relationship	Marital status	Gender	Age	Birth year	Occupation	Birth place
Thomas	Chimes	Head	Married	Male	46	1855	Carter On A Farm	Evenley, Northamptonshire, England
Eliza	Chimes	Wife	Married	Female	36	1865	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England
James Henry	Chimes	Son	Single	Male	9	1892	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England
Frank Louis	Chimes	Son	Single	Male	7	1894	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England
Amy Mabel	Chimes	Daughter	Single	Female	5	1896	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England
Alice Elizth	Chimes	Daughter	Single	Female	3	1898	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England
Harry William	Chimes	Son	Single	Male	2	1899	–	Mixbury, Oxfordshire, England

1911 CENSUS

Living at Hilcote House, New Lane Hilcote, Blackwell, Nottinghamshire but with no definite occupation in the household. Brother James a Farm Servant in the household.

Chimes Frank Lewis, 1894, Mixbury, Gunner 64168, 57 Brigade, 103 Siege Battery RGA

As the 103 SB is the only unit given for Frank then it’s assumed he joined late 1915 or early 1916 and was with the 103 SB in France in 1916.103 Siege Battery was a 12 inch Gun railway mounted batter and as such not very mobile and tended to be in place for longer periods.

Note

The RGA batteries that had large bore guns were formed into RGA Brigades or otherwise known as Heavy Artillery Groups (HAG) the siege batteries would have been moved into different groupings as the war progressed and Armies moved around them. For those wanting to understand the greater picture of Franks war the Army Corps that the HAG reported too can be found sometimes here and then related to the WW1 history books.
The war diary in 1917 starts to use code for targets but occasionally the targets are mentioned or referenced by map, these are shown when this happens.

‘Hilda’, a 12 inch Mk I Howitzer on Railway Hill, in the Ypres sector. ‘Hilda’ was accustomed to taking up different positions on the railway line and firing on special targets in the enemy territory.

1916

28-30 May. The 103 Siege Battery embark for France after being inspected by the King at Southampton. The Battery disembarks at Le Havre. They proceed to the Docks Rest Camp until 5 June.
5 Jun. The 103 SB entrain for Doullens and from there to a rest camp at Authieul then split into two halves and went to Humbercamp and Amand in the Arras sector.
7-23 Jun. The 103 SB spent this time in digging in and preparing the Guns.
25 Jun. Fired first artillery rounds at targets in Gommecourt.
26 Jun.-20 Jul.
The firing lines of 103 SB in June and July 1916 . Note the range is about 8 km .

Fired on targets at Essars, La Brayelle, Gommecourt Wood, Gommecourt, Monchy au Bois, Pommier , Gasteneau Farm.
20 Jul. Prepare new gun position Pommier.
31 Jul. Started work on a new position at Berles and Gasteneau Farm
3 Aug. Left-hand Battery was hit by enemy shells while lating new telephones lines and suffered its first casualties Gunner F H Bracey 52057 killed and Gunner W S White 64404 was severely wounded.
31 Aug. The 103 SB was transferred from 19th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) to 35th HAG. operating with the 7th Division.
12 inch howitzer on railway mounting of the 89th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery being prepared for action; near Dickebusch, 14th June 1916. IWM
Sept. Batteries remained at Humbercamp, Pommier and St Anand. through September.
10 Oct. 103 SB transferred from 35th HAG to 65th HAG. 48th Division, 7th Corps of the Third Army.
Oct-Nov.
Line of Fire in October and November 1916

Battery fired on Hostile Batteries at map ref L2 and F10 plus Rossignol Wood, Biez Woods, Douchy les Ayettes and Essarts..
- A repaired Gun was received by the Battery at Pommier this has previously belonged to 128 Siege Battery.
- 27 Nov. Battery transferred to 39 HAG headquartered at Souastre.
Dec. Fired rounds on Ayette, Monchy and Forest Lodge near Adinfer Wood just north of Monchy.(see above map).

Note: While the Siege batteries were undoubtedly important in attack and defence it can be seen from the war diary that they were used to reduce the enemies hiding places with Woods being a prime target in 1916 as this photo of Gommecourt Woods shows.

View of Gommecourt Woods – everything flat, 1916. B/W from Vancouver Archives which has been colorised by Mark at Canadian Colour.

1917

Jan-Feb. No action in these winter months in the war diary. A consolidation of both 39 HAG and 54 HAG meant that there was a larger battery group 54 HAG which also moved from the command of 7th Corps to the XVIII Corps.
27-28 Mar. The battery left by train for Ligny Flochelle about 25kms arriving on the 28th. They then turned east and travelled to Dainville (another 25kms) in the close vicinity of ARRAS arriving on the 30th March.
1-14 Apr. The guns No 2 and No 13 were positioned at Agny. by the 4th April they were ready for action. Positions fired in the early part of the month included those shown in this map.
April targets of 103 SB

14 Apr. The Battery moved to Dainville. and the CO met with Command to select new positions for set up 16kms south-west at St. Leger.
May-Jul. The battery is ready for action at St Leger on 5th May. Note: The war diary starts to use codes for target areas and so cant say at this time what the targets were. We can surmise they were behind enemy lines in the Arras sector. Also in the war diary is Aeroplane observation detail on the results of rounds see Gallery below for an explanation of the codes used to describe results.
20 Jul. The left section of the Battery entrained for Velu Woods and new positions.
21 Jul. The left section Battery arrives at Velu Woods. The Guns are in place and working on the 22nd and rounds fired on the 23rd at Flesquieres Woods to clear possible enemy position. Note on the 21st the Battery has another death W E Pellow 60540 who is buried in Cornwall cause of death unknown but could have been illness.
Aug both battery section firing from St Leger and Velu.
9 Sept. The Battery at Velu is withdrawn.
Sept-Dec The Batteries continue to fire from St Leger
14 Nov. 103 SB transferred to 4th HAG.
15-24 Nov. Targets include Bullecourt, Hendecourt, Riencourt and Fontaine-les-Croiselles.
24 Nov. 103 SB transferred to command of 32 HAG.
Dec. Targets included above plus La Brulle and Queant.

1918

The 103 SB begin the year attached to 32 HAG, 6th Corps, Third Army.and facing the centre of the British line around Bullecourt.
British Front Line- January 1918
Jan-Feb. Continued to fire on Hendecourt and Riencourt.
Mar. Still at St. Leger and firing on same targets.
21 Mar. The German Spring Offensive. The 103 SB ordered to move to the rear. Engines arrived and took the howitzers 4kms to Boyelles. 103 SB had to abandon machinery and munitions. On the night of 21st a party was sent to St Leger to recover stores, casualties were taken two men were killed DM Fry 65901 and F Mounce -Stephens 64234
22-23 Mar.
The position at St Leger overrun very soon after the 103 SB evacuated along the red dotted retreat line

Engines took the Howitzers first to Boisleux-au-Mont , Achiet le Grand and then Varennes.
25-30 Mar. The Howitzers moved further back by train to Candas then onto Abbeville and finally taken by train east to Borre by the 30th March. The personnel of the Battery were sent to Ypres to billets there.
Apr. The 103 SB came under command of the RGA 25th Brigade.
8 Apr. Howitzers arrived at Bergues from Borre. Joined by personnel from Ypres on the 14th April.
15 Apr. Howitzers moved to Zeneghem
May. Dannes Camiers. The 103 SB swopped out some of its guns presumably better equipment as guns returned to Calais. On 23 May the 103 SB moved to Frescheville.
Aug. Coigneux.103 SB under command of 57th RGA Brigade, 4th Corps Third Army move to Coigneux 17 kms east of Doullens.
7-10 Aug. Fired rounds on Beaumont Hamel area.
18 Sept. 103 SB personnel move by trains to Neuville Bourjenval.
19 Sept. The SB 103 men takeover 2x 21cm howitzers at map ref P22. Left section took over 2x 15cm howitzers
20-21 Sept. Howitzers moved 10 kms to positions east and south-east of Englebelmer. Fired rounds from here.
25 Sept. Howitzers moved to Velu Woods positions they held in July 1917.
26 Sept. Fired on positions south of the Ancre River between Beaucourt and Grandcourt.
27 Sept. Fired on targets Gouzeaucourt amongst them.
28 Sept. 103 SB moved out od action and went to Lealvilliers where the 103 SB stayed until the end of the war.