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The military service history of

Elma Pateman

A narrative report based on documentary evidence

October 2017




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Report prepared for

Charles Waight

Our thanks

We are pleased that you gave batchitresearch14to18 the opportunity to work on this project. We hope that

you enjoy reading this report.

Cover image

Troops of the Northumberland Fusiliers waiting for their turn for a haircut, near Toutencourt, October 1916.

Note that the second man in the queue is wearing a German cap. (Imperial War Museum image Q1366.)

Content

This report contains the following sections:

Search results………………………………...Page 3

Narrative of Elma’s military service………...Page 6

Military appendix …………………………….Page 10

Next Steps…………………………………….Page 13




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Results of searches

Army service records of the Great War

Campaign medal records

The National Archives hold service records of men

up to 1922. This includes the main WO363 collection

that unfortunately was destroyed in an air raid in

1940 on the Army Records Office. Only 30% of these

records remain, as well as WO364, a miscellaneous

collection of records that were at the Ministry of

Pensions at the time of the air raid.

Unfortunately Elma’s service record, like so many

other men’s, was lost in an air raid in 1940.

Searches of men with similar regimental numbers to

Elma’s highlighted large numbers of men whose

service in the Northumberland Fusiliers was not

their first role in the army. These men had previous

regimental numbers and had been assigned

numbers in the 4700 range when moved into the

Northumberland Fusiliers. This raised the possibility

that Elma was in a similar situation and a broader

search confirmed this when Elma’s Pension Record

was discovered in the WO364 collection that

survived the Blitz.

This file is attached to the report.

It is possible to search for all individuals on a medal

‘roll.’ It lists all the men who qualified for a

particular medal, as well as an index card in which

the soldier is recorded individually.

The National Archive hold the original collection

WO329.

We have attached copies of Elma’s entry in the

index card and in the roll.

Elma is listed on the Index card as eligible for the

Victory and British War medal. These medals if

displayed together were affectionately known as

‘Mutt and Jeff.’




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Admission to hospitals in France and Flanders

Gallantry and special awards

Mentions in local newspapers

A small sample of military hospital admission

registers has been retained. They are held at the

National archive collection MH106.

We searched this archive as Elma’s Pension record

highlights a number of hospital stays in France, as

well as in England.

Unfortunately none of Elma’s records appear to

have survived.

Unusual awards including gallantry, bravery

medals and mentions in dispatches, were

announced in the ‘London Gazette’.

This was often followed by a reprint in the Times

and the local press of the recipient.

We could find no evidence of an award to Elma.

We have searched to see if Elma received the

Silver War Badge due to his wounding and

possible honourable discharge due to injuries

suffered. Further research showed that Elma

was not honourably discharged under

Regulation 392 and therefore was not eligible.

Regional newspapers wrote extensively about local

men and units during the war – often passing on

information handed to them from family members.

Many local newspapers are available for digital

search through the British Newspaper Archive.

We could find no mention of Elma in the

newspapers that have been digitised.

This does not mean he was not mentioned but

more extensive research would be required.




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Operational records of army units

All units were instructed to maintain a war diary

whilst they were on active service.

These vary in usefulness, as whilst all conforming

to a standard template and with instructions on

what information to record, they vary considerably

in their content and quality of information.

Men of non-commissioned rank are very rarely

mentioned by name. The original diaries are held

at the National Archives in collection WO95.

Elma’s Pension record shows that he served in

three different Battalions of the

Northumberland Fusiliers. He was initially

placed into the 12th Battalion but this was

purely administrative and within days had been

placed in to the 22nd Battalion. After his second

hospital stay of 1917 and his subsequent return

to England he was placed in to the 14th

Battalion on his return to the front. It was

whilst fighting in this Battalion that he received

his final injury of the war.

However it has largely been sourced for the

majority of his war service and we have

attached copies. The diaries are found in the

National Archives at WO95/1839/2.




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Narrative of Elma’s military history

Introduction

In the absence of Elma’s full service record we have to rely on his discharge documents and his application

for a pension, for the details of his service. Fortunately this file contains some significant information –

perhaps more than I have seen in similar circumstances, and allows us a reasonable outline of Elma’s

service. However, the finer details of his service remains unknown. We are unable to comment on matters

of discipline and his promotions and demotions, if any.

Enlistment and training

Elma Pateman initially enlisted the 4th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment No. 3121 on the 8th September

1914. He enlisted at Peterborough and was recorded as being a labourer, He was 21 years and 4 months

old on his attestation papers, which also record his service as being for the duration of the war.

A history of the 4th Battalion (Extra Volunteers) shows that in August of 1914 they were stationed to train in

Kingston upon Thames, moving on to Plymouth when mobilised. However Elma’s pension record shows

that after 132 days service, on the 17th January 1915, he was discharged. His ‘Statement as to disability,’

compiled as part of his final discharge in 1919 lists the reason for his discharge as ‘Unfit’. His original

enlistment record declared him fit, the only notable features listed are, ‘bad teeth,’ and ‘large scar on right

thigh.’ It would be speculation to suggest what had happened in these 132 days without Elma’s original

service file. There is a possibility that he was just placed on to a reserve list and the ‘unfit’ judgement

recorded in 1919 is incorrect. This is because elsewhere in his pension application it lists the period from

12-12-15 until the 28-7-16 as being placed on reserve. This clearly outlines the contradictions that

unfortunately exist without Elma’s full service file.

However things become clearer from 29th July 1916 when Elma reports to the army recruitment office in

Lincoln and is assigned to the Northumberland Fusiliers, with a new regimental number of 47242. His

pension file does not list his initial battalion in the Fusiliers, but is likely that he trained with one of the

reserve battalions – most likely the 3rd Battalion, in Sunderland.




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On the 28th December 1916 he was assigned to the 12th Battalion and embarked for France. This however

was short lived as by the 1st January 1917 he is listed as being part of the 22nd Battalion of the

Northumberland Fusiliers, with whom he remained until later in 1917.

Overseas service in France and Flanders

Elma primarily served in France. Periods that his Battalion spent in Belgium, notably during the Third Battle

of Ypres, were missed due to injuries sustained on the front.

Elma joined the 22nd Battalion whilst they occupied the Bois-Grenier line east of Lilles, during a relatively

quiet period on the front. The war diary shows large numbers of me joining at the same time as Elma

arrived – in total 241 during January. On the 26th January they were bussed to Godewaersvelde, east of

Poperinge but still within France. Here they undertook a period of training, before moving to the Arras area

on the 2nd March in preparation of the British offensive earmarked to start in early April of 1917.

On March 23rd Elma experienced the front line for the first time when the battalion was rotated in near

Rolincourt, north of Arras, and many of the new recruits came under attack from enemy artillery for the first

time. Time spent here clearly prepared the men for the Arras offensive and the war diary comments that the

battalion fitted scaling trenches to the front line trenches in preparation of the upcoming attack. (See

Appendix 1 for map of France and Appendix 2 for trench map of Arras)

On the first day of the Battle of Arras, the battalion were moved in to the front line and were involved from

the very first action on this day achieving the initial targets identified for them. Casualties were 36 dead,

167 wounded or sick and 60 missing. How involved Elma was is unclear. He is listed as being treated by

the 102 Field Ambulance on the 9th April but the injury is listed as ICT Right Leg. This is a term used for an

inflammation of the connective tissue – such as a knee sprain. How it occurred is not recorded but he is

moved to No.30 Casualty Clearing Station (In Aubigny-en-Artois - a village approximately 15 kms north-

west of Arras) and does not return to duty until the 28th July 1917, suggesting that the injury was severe.

Obviously moving across open ground, under fire and in what were snowy and icy conditions during early

April 1917 could easily have seen a sprain injury occur – the term is common on soldiers medical records.




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Elma rejoined the unit on the 28th July 1917, at which point they had moved significantly further south, near

the village of Hargicourt, which is in the Somme/Aisne region. Throughout August the battalion are involved

in a series of patrols, often at night. The instructions for these can be found in the war diary file.

On the 7-8th of September all companies of the battalion move to Villeret which is a few kilometres south

east of Hargicourt. On the 9th, at 12:15am they launch an offensive that the diary states has several

objectives such as allowing better observation of the enemy positions and is launched to securing what was

known as the ‘Farm trench.’ Supported by artillery and 24 Vickers machine guns, approximately 150 men

were involved. The attack was shrouded by thick fog and soon the men were described as, ‘losing

direction.’ This meant that the whole of ‘Farm trench’ was not secured and by 3am the decision was made

for troops to dig in from ‘Martin post trench’ across to the section of ‘Farm trench’ to try and secure what

had been captured. By 5am this operation stopped due to daylight, although the enemy had continued to

shell throughout. During the day the situation was fraught with a number of changes in tactics made,

throughout which the battalion remained fighting to hold on to ‘Farm trench’ and join up with other trenches

captured in the attack.

Around 30 men were wounded, one of whom was Elma, who is recorded as receiving a gunshot wound to

the upper right arm, which was graded as a severe flesh wound. By the 13th September he is on board a

hospital ship returning to England. (See Appendix 3 for trench maps of this area)

He remains in England until 14th March 1918. Some of this time was spent being treated at the 1st London

General Hospital (Military) in Camberwell, SE5 9RF. On the 17th November 1917 he is released from

hospital and returns to depot with the 3rd Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers at East Boldon. He

remains here until the 15th March 1918 when he leaves Folkestone, arriving at one of the biggest British

army depots in France at Etaples on the 16th March. From here he travels to the 14th Battalion of the

Northumberland Fusiliers who were stationed at Vaucellette Farm near Villers-Guislain, 15 km north of

where he had previously been injured in September.

What followed over the next few days was a series of retreats due to the German Spring offensive of 1918.

The first drive of this offensive had started on the 21st March, so Elma had barely arrived when the battalion

fell under attack. The war diary records a number of retreat to pre-designated lines and by the 25th March

the 14th Battalion were 40 km westwards of where Elma had joined them at Bray sur Somme. It was here




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that they dug in defences to defend the village and at some point Elma was suffered a gunshot wound to

the right shoulder. Casualties and entries in the war diary are sparse in this period due to the retreating of

the British, therefore it is difficult to know how many other Northumberland Fusiliers also were casualties.

(See Appendix 4 for map of retreat)

Elma is first taken to Rouen, far behind British lines and the advancing Germans, before being taken to the

coast and a hospital ship called HMHS Carisbrook Castle. On arrival in England he was transferred for

treatment, including the removal to the Red Cross Hospital at Oteley Park, Ellesmere, Shropshire. Part of

that treatment included the removal of part of the bone from his scapula hit by the gunshot. Where exactly

this operation occurred during his journey from the front line is unclear in his records.

Elma’s recovery took until August of 1918. By early September he is back at Boldon in the reserve

battalion, where he had been the previous September after his last injury.

He is demobilised on the 14th May 1919, whilst still serving in England in the reserve battalion. He was

transferred to Class Z which was standard procedure for men who enlisted for the duration of the war. This

meant they were subject to a recall for up to 12 months if required.

Post War – Relevant information

Most of this report has been written due to Elma’s application for a pension due to the final injury suffered

to his shoulder. This application was assessed on the 8th December 1919.

Elma reported that he was not able to have full movement of his left arm and unable to lift weights with it.

His medical examination reports he was in good health and movement of damaged arm was generally

good apart from in movement when there was ‘considerable pull on scar.’

They determined that there was a 20% disability that would last 12 months and this outcome would have

qualified Elma for some form of an army pension.




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Appendix to Military History Narrative

Appendix 1: Map of France showing Elma’s location at time of first hospitalisation at the battle of Arras.

Appendix 2: Trench Map of Arras 4th March 1917 – prior to British attack. German trenches are in red.




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Appendix 3: Trench map showing location on Northumberland Fusiliers on the 9th September 1917.

Overnight, Elma and fellow soldiers of the 22nd Battalion attempted to dig from Marten Post to Farm Trench

(both circled) after failing to fully capture Farm Trench on their initial attack. Fighting continued for much of

the day, during which Elma suffered a flesh wound in the upper arm.




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Appendix 4: Map showing the retreat of the 14th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers between the 21st

to the 25th March. This retreated started at Vaucellette Farm near Villers-Guislain, on the right of the map.

His war effort in France ended somewhere near the temporary defences they dug at Bray sur Somme,

40km west of their starting point before the German Spring offensive started. To the north of Albert you can

see the areas such as Thiepval and Beaumont Hamel that had been hard fought over during the Battle of

the Somme in 1916. Land gained by the British in 1916 and 1917 was lost in this region, especially the

southern sections and the attack caused widespread panic until brought under control.




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Next steps

Research has been thorough but there are some possible areas which could warrant further attention.

It seems odd that initial searches for Elma in the British Newspaper Archive did not return results

considering the number of times he was listed as a casualty. Further research may uncover articles as

many men’s families wrote to local newspapers for their relatives to be included in a table of honour. If

desired this work could be arranged.

It was not possible to determine the exact location of the 22nd Battalion on the first day of the Battle of

Arras. We know the name of the German trenches identified as their objectives but so far have been unable

to pinpoint them on the trench maps of the period. If required we can arrange a visit of the area as part of a

battlefield tour, please ask for further details.

Lastly we would recommend visiting the sites of Elma’s eventful service in the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Most of the areas discussed are accessible for visits and would give you a better insight of his experiences

during the First World War.

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