Monmouthshire Regiment - Roll of Honour of Officers of the Monmouthshire Regiment Who Died In The Great War Whilst Serving With 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

No	Date Died	Surname	Forenames	Rank	Decs	Age	Cause	Country	Location	Cemetery/Memorial	Notes
1914
1	31st December	PATON	John Edward	2Lt	MiD	19	KIA	Belgium	Le Bizet, near Ploegsteert	Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery (I.B.12)	1/p98
1915
2	20th February	WATKINS	Vivian Holmes	Capt	-	25	DOW	UK	Empire Hospital, Westminster	Pontypool (Panteg) Cemetery (A.6)	(1)
3	26th February	HILLIER	Cyril Anthony Hudson	2Lt	-	17	DOW	UK	Farnborough Hall Hospital, Hants	Stowmarket Cemetery (T.97)	(2)
4	12th March	TAYLOR	John William	Lt	-	37	KIA	Belgium	Southwest of Ploegsteert Wood	Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery (I.J.2)	-
5	2nd April	DAVIES	Ellerton Osborne	2Lt	-	22	KIA	Belgium	Southwest of Ploegsteert Wood	Calvaire (Essex) Military Cemetery (I.L.5)	-
6	2nd May	FRASER	Alexander Evan	Lt	MiD	34	KIA	Belgium	Frezenberg, northeast of Ypres	La Brique Military Cemetery No 2 (I.K.34)	-
7	2nd May	REED	William Henry Tennent	2Lt	-	30	KIA	Belgium	Frezenberg, northeast of Ypres	La Brique Military Cemetery No 2 (I.K.33)	1/p156
8	5th May	WALTERS	Henry James	Lt	MiD	26	KIA	Belgium	Frezenberg, northeast of Ypres	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 50)	1/p158
9	7th May	WATKINS	Iltyd Edwin Maitland	Capt	-	25	KIA	Belgium	Frezenberg, northeast of of Ypres	Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 50)	1/p158
10	12th May	WILLIAMS	William John	2Lt	-	30	DOW	France	Hospital at Boulogne	Boulogne Eastern Cemetery (II.B.35)	(3)
1916
11	17th August	EDWARDS	Edward William	Capt	-	34	KIA	Belgium	Near Ypres	Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery (IV.B.3)	-
12	2nd September	HOCKADAY	Sydney Reginald	Capt	-	24	DOW	Belgium	10th CCS, Lijssenthoek	Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery (IX.B.8)	(4)
13	25th November	TAUNTON	Clive Warneford	Capt	-	21	KIA	France	Reserve Lines, Montauban	Bernafay Wood British Cemetery (H.43)	-
14	27th November	LAWLOR	Edward Frederick	2Lt	-	23	KIA	France	Near Flers, Somme	AIF Burial; Ground, Flers (V.E.8)	-
1917
15	2nd March	BOWEN	Alfred John Hamilton	Lt Col	DSO, MiD**	31	KIA	France	Near Potsdam Trench, Combles	Guards Cemetery Combles (I.D.8)	-
16	23rd April	CRUICKSHANK	Raymond Alfred	2Lt	-	23	KIA	France	Shrapnel Trench, near Arras	Dury Crucifix Cemetery, near Arras (I.F.51)	-
17	31st May	KING	Albert	2Lt	-	24	KIA	France	Near Arras	Arras Memorial (Bay 9)	-
18	30th November	TAYLOR	Francis Henry	2Lt	-	32	KIA	France	Near Villers-Plouich	Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery (VIII.D.11)	-
19	2nd December	SPENCER	Francis Leslie	Capt	MiD	21	KIA	France	Near Ribecourt, southwest of Cambrai	Flesquieres Hill British Cemetery (III.A.19)	-
1918
20	23rd March	SANKEY	William Mandeville	Lt	MC	23	DOW	Belgium	CCS at Ypres	Ypres Reservoir Cemetery (III.D.24)	(5)
21	11th April	COLLINGS	Walter	Lt	MC	25	KIA	France	La Motte au Bois, near Merville	Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery (4.B.4)	(6)
22	12th April	PERCIVAL	Reginald Frank	Lt	-	27	KIA	France	Near La Creche, northwest of Nieppe	Ploegsteert Memorial (Panel 10)	-
23	13th April	OWEN	Ivor Evan	Lt	-	22	DOW	Belgium	CCS at Proven, near Poperinghe	Mendinghem Military Cemetery (IX.E.25)	(7)
24	17th April	ROSENBAUM	Lawrence Braham	Lt	-	25	DOW	Belgium	CCS at Haringhe, near Poperinghe	Bandaghem Military Cemetery (III.F.26)	(8)
Notes: (The numbers marked with a "p" in the Notes column refers to the page within the trio of Books "The Welsh At War" - (Book 1) - From Mons to Loos and the Gallipoli Tragedy, (Book 2) - The Grinding War :The Somme and Arras and (Book 3) - Through Mud to Victory: Third Ypres and the 1918 Offensives, by Steven John, where the death of the officer is mentioned or indicated). 1. WATKINS was wounded by a German sniper at Le Bizet, Ploegsteert Wood on 15th January 1915. 2. HILLIER was wounded near Ploegsteert Wood on 21st February 1915. 3. WILLIAMS was wounded northeast of Ypres on 5th May 1915. 4. HOCKADAY was wounded at Piccadilly Trench, south of Potijze on 30th August 1916. 5. SANKEY was wounded at La Brique, Ypres, on 22nd March 1918. 6. COLLINGS was temporarily attached to HQ 29th Division at the time of his death (due to shellfire). 6. OWEN was wounded near La Creche on 12th April 1918. 7. ROSENBAUM was wounded near Le Creche on 12th April 1918.

Battalion History

The Reserve Forces of the UK were reorganised under the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907, abolishing the Volunteer Force and replaced it with a new Territorial Force (TF). Units were transferred, with changes in nomenclature, to the new Force on 1 April 1908.

The three new Monmouthshire Regiment battalions were formed of a Territorial Force-only Monmouthshire Regiment. Previously designated the 3rd Volunteer Battalion South Wales Borderers, the 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment was formed at the Osborne Road, Pontypool, Drill Hall on 1st April 1908.

At the outbreak of the Great war, the 2nd Battalion was based at Pontypool as part of the Welsh Border Brigade, of the Welsh Division. The Battalion was moved to its operational location at Pembroke Dock on mobilisation and on 10th August 1914 moved to Oswestry. By 31st August 1914 the Battalion had moved to Northampton and in early September 1914 the Battalion was split, with those personnel who had signed up for Imperial Service formed into the First Line of the Battalion, designated the1/2nd Battalion, for service overseas. Those personnel who had signed for Home Service (and could not or would not sign up for Imperial Service) were formed up into the Second Line of the Battalion, re-designated 2/2nd Battalion, for service in Home and Coastal Defence duties. The Battalion embarked for the BEF in France on 7th November 1914, part of 12th Infantry Brigade, of the 4th Division. The unit saw active service during Second Ypres suffering severe casualties. On 27th May 1915 the Battalion was temporarily amalgamated with 1/1st and 1/3rd Battalions of the Monmouthshire Regiment to form a composite unit. When these Battalions were brought up to strength with battle casualty replacements by July 1915 they resumed their individual identities and the 1/2nd Battalion were re-assigned to 12th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Division. The Battalion was re-assigned to 29th Division as Pioneer Battalion on 1st May 1916. The Battalion remained in France and Flanders throughout the war.

The brass “collar dog” insignia worn by men of Pioneer Battalions in the British Expeditionary Force. The design is of a crossed rifle and pick, representing the Battalion's dual fighting and labouring role. (A Pioneer Battalion's duties, as well as being a fully equipped and trained infantry battalion, included road and rail repairs, demolition, digging trenches, constructing defences and installations, and other labouring duties).

2/2nd Battalion TF. Formed in Pontypool in September 1914 as the second line of the 2nd Battalion, part of the Welsh Border Brigade of the Welsh Division. The Battalion moved to Cambridge on 25th February 1915 and was transferred to the retitled 205th (2/1st Welsh Border) Brigade, 68th (2nd Welsh) Division TF, at Northampton in April 1915. The Division, which became part of the General Reserve of Home Forces on 1st September 1916, was moved to Bedford in July 1915 then to the Lowestoft area in November 1916. The Battalion was moved to Herringfleet in the Spring of 1917 when the Division became part of the Northern Army of the Home Defence Central Force, before being movied back to Lowestoft later in the winter of 1917. By the sprring of 1918 the 205th Brigade was at Samundham and the Battalion was disbanded at Lowestoft on 20th April 1918. The Battalion did not serve outside the UK, performing home and coastal defence duties in the East Midlands and Suffolk area under command of the 68th Division.

3/2nd Battalion TF. Formed at Pontypool in February 1915 as the third line and depot of the 2nd Battalion. The unit was moved to Abergavenny in September 1915, with the 3/1st Battalion and the 3/3rd Battalion, and then to Oswestry in April 1916. The Battalion was re-designated 3rd (Reserve) Battalion TF Monmouthshire Regiment on 8th April 1916 and was then absorbed by the1st (Reserve) Battalion TF on 1st September 1916 at Oswestry. It did not serve outside the UK, performing depot, training and home and coastal defence duties.

Regimental History

A detailed history of the Regiment and its Battle Honours can be viewed here.