1/4TH   BATTALION
Alexandra,  Princess   of   Wales's   Own
YORKSHIRE   REGIMENT
Page 45. May. Famechon and Bayencourt.

At the end of April the Battalion moved to Famechon for rest and training. During the month of May they were twice ordered to march East to provide cover for attacks in which they were not eventually required to participate.

1st MAY. The Division marched back toward the Front to be in depth behind an attack planned for the 3rd.
The march was broken at Bayencourt and ended at Blaireville, in which ruined village the Btn spent 2 nights.
They marched back on the 4th. stopping again at Bayencourt and reaching Famechon on the 5th. Twelve more days of good weather were spent at this most delightful of villages"

38942 Pte Atkinson Richardson. Home in Grasswell, Co Durham. Born Tadcaster, Yorks. Enlisted at Houghton Le Spring. Died of wounds on the 2nd. Buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport
203161 Pte McMann John. Home at S Bank, Middlesbrough, place of birth and enlistment. Died of wounds on the 2nd. Buried at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty
200484 Pte Beach John, Moses. Enlisted at Aldborough Darlington. Died of wounds on the 3rd. Age 33. Buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery, Le Treport
202243 Pte Holton Leonard. T. Northampton Died of wounds on the 4th. Buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery Le Treport. Ex Northants Regt
3456 Pte Baines Joseph, Nichols. Home at Mount Pleasant, Great Ayton, N Yorks Died of wounds Age 21. Buried at Great Ayton Cemetery.

Pte Edward George Leonard Baker.
Pte John William Dowson. Right.



200321 Pte Hutchinson John. Home at - 35 Waterloo Rd, Richmond, N Yorks, town of birth and enlistment. Died of wounds on the 4th. Age 21. Buried at Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty
203088 Pte Dowson John, William. Home at - The Holme, Great Broughton, N Yorks. Born Rosedale, N Yorks and enlisted at Stokesley, N Yorks. Died of wounds at No 16 General Hospital, Le Treport, on the 4th. Age 20. Buried at Mont Huon Military Cemetery. Le Treport.
[Photograph kindly contributed by Roger Dowson, not a relation.]
202969 Pte Baker Edward, George, Leonard. Home at Granchester, Cambs, town of birth. Enlisted at Cambridge. Died on the 7th of May from wounds that he had received on Monday, the 23rd April at Arras. Aged 19. He is buried at St Sever [Hospital] Cemetery Extension, Rouen. Ex 3003 Cambridge Regt
Edward went to school in Grantchester, and, on leaving, joined his father in the Dairy.
He worked there until he was old enough to enlist and then, knowing that his mother would be upset and try to

4 men of the 4th Yorks Battalion. The only one identified is Henry Bennison, standing on the right. He was wounded and became a prisoner of War. After the War he married and had a family, but was killed in 1940 by a fall of stone while working as a Deputy in the Ironstone Mine at Carlin How, N Yorks. [Photo kindly contributed by Michael Bennison of Ayrshire.]

prevent him, he joined the Cambridgeshire Regiment while she was on holiday in Bath.
He was afterwards transferred to the 4th battalion, Yorkshire Regiment and was sent to France.
In a letter dated 28th April he wrote:-
"I was wounded at 6.30 am and was in a shell hole till 8 pm within the German lines.
Our men were driven out and could not carry me back.
The Germans gave me water and an overcoat.
At 8pm our men advanced and I crawled into a dug out.
On Tuesday a D.L.I. got me more water and on Wednesday two D.L.I. carried me to where there was a stretcher.
I was taken to a Dressing Station, where my wound was dressed and I had some tea and was sent to this hospital.
Nurse and Doctor are looking after me and I feel alright."
On May 1st the Assistant Matron wrote to Mrs Baker to say that Private Baker was seriously ill. He had been admitted on the 28th April suffering from a severe wound of the right thigh with Amputation.
Photo and story courtesy of Roll of Honour.com.

235222 Pte Burrage Cornelius, Peter. Home at Reepham Rd, Cross, Norwich, Norfolk. Killed in action. Age 28. Commemorated on the Arras Memorial. CWGC give date of death as 9th.
201426 Pte Richmond Albert, Edward. Enlisted at Middlesbrough, N Yorks. Died of wounds on the 10th. Buried at St Sever Cemy Ext, Rouen
1041 Pte Carter Harry. Died of wounds in UK on the 11th May 1917. Age 25. Harry was born in Stokesley, N Yorks in 1892.
He had enlisted in his local TF unit in 1910 when he gave his occupation as a Groom. He went to France with the 4th Yorks on the 18th April 1915 and on the 24th May at Ypres he was among the many who were badly affected by chlorine gas. He was in and out of Hospital in France until June 1916 when he was repatriated to the UK and eventually discharged on the 17th July 1916.
He could speak only in a whisper and was coughing blood. He was diagnosed with tubercular laryngitis. He continued to suffer at home and was treated in a local sanatorium before he died on this day. Sadly in 1924 his mother was refused the bronze plaque issued to every soldier who had died on active service because the authorities said his death was not due to Army service.
He is buried in the Church Burial Ground at Stokesley, N Yorks. The local newspaper report of Harry's funeral:-
The second military funeral accorded to Stokesley men, who have died for their country, took place on the afternoon of the 5th inst, when the mortal remains of Private Harry Carter [known as "Punch"] were laid to rest in the quiet little cemetery of his native town.
Private Carter, who was the second son of Mr and Mrs J Carter, of West Green, Stokesley, was a member of the Stokesley Territorial Company and was drafter out to France with that Regiment.
He was gassed at Ypres on Whit Monday, 1915, when the Regiment [the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Yorkshires] covered itself with glory.
After some months, he was discharged and returned home.
His eldest brother, Fred, is serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers in France.
Despite the cold and inclement weather which prevailed, a large concourse of people assembled to pay their last tokens of respect.
All along the route of the cortege the blinds in both private dwellings and business places were lowered.
The funeral procession was headed by the Stokesley brass band playing the Dead March in Saul.
The coffin, which was draped with the Union Jack, was covered with a profusion of beautiful floral tributes and wreaths, as also was the top of the hearse.
In the rear of the mourners walked a large number of the Stokesley detachment of the V.T.C. and a Company of wounded soldiers from the Manor House Red Cross Hospital and Privates James Smith and W Bowes of Stokesley.
The bearer party consisted of wounded soldiers, including Private Grabdam of Stokesley.

Pte Harry Carter.

A large number of people were unable to gain admission into the Chapel at the Cemetery, where the Rev Canon Fisher conducted the funeral service.
After the committal rites had been performed, the band rendered "Days and Moments quickly flying" and the "Last Post" was sounded over the grave.

201938 Pte Brown George, Albert. Home at Brandon Village, Co Durham. Born Whitton Gilbert and enlisted at Croft on Tees. Died of wounds on the 14th. Buried at St Nicolas British Cemetery.
18th MAY. The Division marched East again.
Diary - Another night was spent at that pied a terre Bayencourt [perhaps less sanitary than villages should be] and Douchy Les Ayette was reached after a hot march on the 19th.
Here in spite of one night of torrential rain, a happy five days were spent.
Orchards, in spite of Teutonic hatchets, were in full bloom; good baths were constructed; rich pasture for horses;
trenches and strongpoints and fair terrains for the rest of us thronged manifold.
A city of bivouacs appeared and was relinquished with sorrow for the smells and verminous farmyards of Bayencourt, where the remainder of the month was spent.
Whilst estaminets are few, buildings ruinous and the feminine element singularly distant;
all which things are for the good of training.
Several drafts were received during this month. Some returned men, some from the reserve battalion at Catterick and others from regular and service battalions of the Regiment.
Physique and intelligence above the average of the preceding 4 months.
The health of the Btn throughout the month above average.
Effective strength at start of month was 19 Officers and 610 other ranks. On the 31st it was 28 Officers and 705 Other ranks.
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