Fallen Officers of the Great War   |   South Wales Borderers

No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

1916

1

1st July

NEWMAN

Alfred

Capt

-

23

AK

France

Marles-les-Mines

Lapugnoy Military Cemetery (X.F.9)

(1)  (p231)

2

5th August

REES

Henry Charles

Major

-

32

KIA

France

Calonne, north west of Loos

Loos British Cemetery (XVIII.C.15)

(p292)

3

14th August

PRITCHARD

Charles Meyrick

Capt

MiD

34

DOW

France

CCS at Chocques, north west of Bethune

Chocques Military Cemetery (I.F.17)

(2)  (p292)

4

26th September

WINGARD

Hume Sanders

Lt

MiD

23

DOW

France

CCS at Noeux-les-Mines

Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery (I.L.7)

(3)  (293)

1917

5

21st April

MORRIS

Oscar David

Capt

-

30

KIA

France

"Fifteen Ravine", Gouzeaucourt

Fins New British Cemetery (VIII.K.1)

(p301)

6

1st May

GREEN

Harold Syddall

2Lt

-

28

DOW

France

Hospital at Le Havre

Ste Marie Cemetery, Le Havre (62.1.A.7)

(p301)

7

6th May

OSBORN

Arthur Guy

Capt

MiD

32

KIA

France

South east of La Vacquerie

Fins New British Cemetery (VIII.K.2)

(p302)

8

4th September

POWELL

David Bernard

2Lt

-

24

DOW

France

CCS at Ytres, NW of Manancourt, Cambrai

Rocquigny-Equancourt Cemetery (I.B.19)

(359)

9

22nd November

EDWARDS

Eric

Lt

-

24

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

10

23rd November

MORGAN

Frederick Ernest

2Lt

MC

?

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

11

23rd November

PRICE

Gordon William Bassett

Lt

-

?

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

12

23rd November

SHARPE

Stanley Arthur

Capt

-

23

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

13

23rd November

YORATH

Glynne Lougher

Lt

-

22

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

14

24th November

HOOPER

Ernest Jesse Joseph

Lt

-

22

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

15

24th November

REED

Charles Napier

Lt

-

?

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

16

24th November

THOMAS

Reginald Ivor Victor Clifford

2Lt

-

19

KIA

France

Bourlon Wood, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 5)

(p363)

17

25th November

JENKINS

John Ernest

Capt

-

?

DOW

France

CCS at Ytres, near Manancourt

Rocquigny-Equancourt Cemetery (III.E.26)

(4)  (p363)

18

22nd December

MOSS

George Percival

2Lt

-

21

DOW

France

CCS at Boisleux-au-Mont, south of Arras

Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux (II.C.16)

(5)

The Battalion was disbanded in France on 10th February 1918

Officers of Other Regiments Who Died in the Great War Whilst Attached to 12th Battalion South Wales Borderers

1

15th July 1917

SNELSON

Victor Louis

2Lt

-

20

KIA

France

Near Villers Plouich

Fins New British Cemetery (I.C.8)

(6)   (p358)

2

24th November 1917

GOODMAN

Douglas

Lt

-

27

KIA

France

Bourlon, Cambrai

Cambrai Memorial (Panel 13)

(7)   (p363)

3

12th January 1918

BREWER

Edmund

2Lt

-

32

DOW

France

CCS at Achiet-le-Grand

Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extn (II.C.8)

(8)  (p391)

Notes:   (Those numbers marked with a "p" in the Notes column refers to the page in "The History of the South Wales Borderers 1914 - 1918" by C T Atkinson, where the death of the officer is mentioned or indicated).

1.   NEWMAN was accidentally killed during bombing training.   He was originally buried near Marles-les-Mines Communal Cemetery and reburied at Lapugnoy in 1936.

2.   PRITCHARD was wounded during a raid in the Loos Sector on 12th August 1916.

3.   WINGARD was wounded near Double Crassier, Maroc Sector, on 26th September 1916.

4.   JENKINS was wounded at Bourlon Wood, Cambrai on 24th November 1017.

5.   MOSS was wounded at Bullecourt on 21st December 1917.

6.   SNELSON was detached from the Welsh Regiment.

7.   GOODMAN was detached from the Army Service Corps.

8.   BREWER was detached from the Glamorgan Yeomanry and was wounded at Bullecourt on 12th January 1918.

Battalion History

The Battalion assembled and commenced training for active service at Prees Hill Camp on 13th July 1915, continuing at Aldershot in September 1915 where it was assigned to 119th Infantry Brigade of the 40th Division.   It was moved to Blackdown in December 1915 where it remained until 2nd June 1916 when the Battalion embarked for Le Havre.   On arrival with the BEF in France the Battalion entrained initially to Lillers then marched to Bourecq, to the north-west of Bethune, to commence training for trench warfare.

The Battalion served in France and Flanders throughout the war and a detailed list of engagements and operations can be viewed in the history of the 40th Division.   The Battalion was disbanded on 10th February 1918 with officers being transferred mostly to other SWB Battalions, and 500 men to Battalions of the Bedfordshire and Worcestershire Regiments.

The Battalion lost 18 officers, 3 officers from other Regiments and 223 other ranks.

Regimental History

The South Wales Borderers was formed on 1st July 1881, as part of the Childers Reforms, which saw the two separate Battalions of the 24th (2nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot become the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions of the retitled Regiment, with the Regimental Depot based at The Barracks, Brecon. 

The 1881 reforms also redesignated the Militia and Rifle Volunteer Corps (RVC) within the Regimental District as numbered Battalions of the Regiment - the 3rd (Militia) Battalion was formed from the Royal South Wales Borderers Militia and the 4th (Militia) Battalion from the Royal Montgomeryshire Rifles.  The four (later five) Rifle Volunteer Corps, the 1st Brecknockshire RVC, 1st Monmouthshire RVC, 2nd Monmouthshire RVC, 3rd Monmouthshire RVC and 1st Montgomeryshire RVC were retitled as 4th to 8th Volunteer Battalions respectively.

The 1908 Haldane Reforms reorganised the Regimental Militia and Volunteer Battalions, with the 3rd Militia Battalion forming the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion.   The 4th (Militia) Battalion was transferred to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers with the Montgomeryshire Volunteer Battalion.   The three Monmouthshire Volunteer Battalions were reorganised as the newly formed Monmouthshire Regiment of the Territorial Force (TF).   The 4th Volunteer Battalion became the 1st Brecknockshire Battalion of the Regimental Territorial Force (TF).   After the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914 and up to 1st July 1918, the South Wales Borderers had formed, disbanded, reorganised or reconstituted 20 Regular, Territorial Force, Service, Reserve, Graduated and Young Soldier Battalions.

A detailed history of the South Wales Borderers can be viewed here.