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34th DIVISION, 103rd Brigade, 3rd ARMY
The history of the 34th Division (1915-1919) is told in
the text "The Thirty Fourth Division" by Lieut. Colonel J.
Shakespear, C.M.G., C.I.E., D.S.O., published by the Naval and Military
Press. This book is a "must read" for anyone learning about the
Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras or the other great events of that
period of the Great War. I have used this text to obtain information that
relates primarily to the 26th Northumberland Fusiliers, thus the events
experienced by George Van Wyck Laughton. However, in doing my research I
began to understand how important to overall effort and action of the 34th
Division was during this period. Having some understanding of these events
helps one to understand the more specific components of the 26th NF.
Chris Baker has the Order of Battle and other details of
the 34th at his "Long Long Trail" web site located here: http://www.1914-1918.net/34div.htm
This
Division was originally part of the Fifth New Army, and was numbered 41st.
However, the Fourth New Army was broken up in April 1915, and the Division was
renumbered 34th, part of K4. It was formed of many units that had been raised
by public subscription and private projects, and was only taken over by the
War Office on 15th August 1915. The Division moved to France between 7th and
15th January 1916, and served with distinction on the Western Front throughout
the war.
26th (Service) Bn , the Northumberland
Fusiliers (joined June 1915, disbanded February 1918)
Also referenced in this summary is the 34th Division
history as recorded at the divisional history web site: http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/34_div.htm.
Birth of the 34th Division
 | formed in Great Britain in June 1915, reportedly, a
typical "New Army Division", in that the men had little or no
training;
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| arrived in France in January 1916 with companies as
follows: 5 artillery, 3 Royal Engineers, 1 Signal, 15 infantry and1 Pioneer
Battalion;
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| first Commander, Major R. F. Lock, R.A.
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| first battle casualty, Brigadier-General Fitton,
Divisional Commander, while on a routine inspection with Brigadier-General
Nicholson, Brigade Commander, shot by a sniper through both hips, dying the
following day;
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The 34th in 1916
| served on the front lines in an area from the centre of
the Mash to the centre of the Sausage Valleys, some 400 to 800 yards from
the German lines, but nearly touching at the centre at La Boisselle;
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| raids undertaken in June 1916, two each by the 24th and
26th Northumberland Fusiliers, leading to the death of Captain Price and
many wounded;
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| Battle of The Somme in and around La Boisselle,
resulting in the near total destruction of the 20th and 23rd Northumberland
Fusiliers; the21st and 22nd NF doing somewhat better and the 18th NF
suffering heavily from artillery fire;
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| the first three days of July 1916 were devastating for
the 103rd Brigade (H.Q., 24th NF, 25th NF, 26th NF, 27th NF, 10rd MG, 103rd
TMB) with 23 officers killed, 60 wounded (including Lieutentant-Colonel E. Richardson of the 26th NF) and 4 missing, with 77 other ranks killed, 508
wounded and 1288 missing;
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| July 22, 1916 the first commander and maker of the 34th
Division (Major General Ingouville-Williams, C.B., D.S.O.) was killed by
shell fire and on July 25th Major-General C. L. Nicholson C.M.G. took
command;
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| total losses for the 34th Division for the year 1916
(Officers/Other Ranks) were killed 158/1364, wounded 439/9301, missing
125/3015, sick 11/1467 for a total casualty count of 733 officers and 15,235
other ranks.
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The 34th in 1917
| Now located at Armentieres, action stated on January
26th 1917 as a result of heavy frost, opening the possibility of a German
attack across the Belgian front (normally protected by the impassable
marshes);
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| January 29th the group heads off to the Arras region,
arriving on February 24th, with responsibility of the 34th Division
extending 200 yards north of the St. Nicholas-Bailleu road to some 1,500
yards north ("K" section), with a remodelled system of trenches
covering the Roclincourt Valley and the Chalk Farm Plateau;
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| bombardment of the German lines commences on April 4th
1917, continuing until the delivery of the major assault on April 9th and
the start of the Battle of Arras.
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For additional details on this period, please see the separate page on the
26th Northumberland Fusiliers from the page links provided.
Roclincourt Military Cemetery
During the process of undertaking this research, it became
apparent that a large number of the 34th Division war dead were buried in
Roclincourt Military Cemetery, in the small village of Roclincourt a little to
the east of the road from Arras to Lens. A description and photo of the
cemetery is posted on the Commonwealth War Graves web site, and extract of which
is follows:
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The French troops who held
this front before March 1916 made a military cemetery (now removed), on
the south-west side of which the present Commonwealth cemetery was made.
It was begun by the 51st (Highland) and 34th Divisions in April 1917,
and contains many graves of 9 April, the first day of the Battles of
Arras. It continued in use, as a front-line cemetery, until October 1918
and after the Armistice graves, mostly from the battlefield north of
Roclincourt, were brought into Plot IV, Row F. Roclincourt Military
Cemetery contains 916 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 32 of
them unidentified. |
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