The Somme Offensive July 1 st – November 18 th 1916
The Framlinghamian – December, 1916 With this issue another eventual year is rapidly drawing to a close, and again we have to chronicle sad losses of more of our brave schoolfellows who have sacrificed their lives in this never-ending war. Fourteen more names, of gallant men whom the world can ill afford to lose, have been added to the Roll of Honour since our last issue – the longest additional list it has so far been our sad lot to publish.
July 1 st 1916 Private William Bagshawe volunteered to go over the top 10 minutes before the main assault by his York and Lancaster Regiment to help clear the wire. Sadly Bagshawe and his nine friends were pinned down by a German sniper and picked off one by one. Bagshawe had been a Sub Prefect and winner of the 1898 Drawing prize. He was listed as exhibiting his art at the New English Art Club in 1915 having graduated from Slade School in London (now UCL).
July 1 st 1916 Lieutenant Alfred Ratcliffe (a Master at Framlingham College before the war) was killed leading his company of 10 th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment into battle on the opening day of the campaign. “From where we found his body he must have led it pluckily and well”.
June Song Written by Mr A. V. Ratcliffe two weeks before his death on the Somme. It’s sweet to love, ah, very sweet, But then, God knows, The thorn climbs swift to tear the hand That loves the rose. But if the heart’s dear blood shall touch The gathered flower, It will but make a redder rose A rosier hour. For life is short, and love, ah! love Is fleet to fade. Oh, pass not the red roses by Dear man, sweet maid.
July 1 st 1916 Rifleman Frederick Matthews of the London Regiment was mortally wounded aged 19. Matthews had been a member of Green Set (Garrett House) before the war and was one of three OFs killed on the opening day of the battle. British casualties for July 1 st totalled 57,470, 19,240 of whom had been killed.
July 13 th 1916 Lieutenant John Fry , previously a College Prefect and Colour Sergeant in the CCF, was killed in action leading his men of the 4 th Regiment, South African Infantry.
July 15 th 1916 Second Lieutenant William Milburn became the second Master to be killed on the Somme. At 0600 hrs the Suffolks moved up in support. As soon as they left their trenches they came under machine gun fire from both flanks and were also heavily shelled. Casualties mounted rapidly and all attempts to move forward proved fruitless. Between 4pm and 5pm the whole enterprise was abandoned. The Suffolks suffered severely with over 200 casualties, including several officers.
20 th July 1916 The killing wasn’t just confined to just the trenches. Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Randall was killed when his BE 2c plane was shot down by a German Fokker a short way north-east of Albert, near Contalmaison. This however did nothing to lessen the tempo of operations in the unseasonably bad weather. (official report of the action)
July 23 rd 1916 Second Lieutenant Frank Walker was reported killed in action near Thiepval, although his body was never recovered. Frank was formerly named Schumann, but presumably changed his name to Walker in the face of anti-German sentiment following the outbreak of war in 1914. His brother Percy, another OF, was also killed in the war.
July 25 th 1916 Private John Buckmaster of the 11 th Battalion, Australian Infantry, was killed by German artillery as he prepared to attack an enemy stronghold near Pozieres. Having enlisted in September 1914, 21 year old Buckmaster had already served in Egypt and Gallipoli before being redeployed to the Somme in July 1916. It wouldn’t have been lost on “Buck”, as he was affectionately known, that the 11 th Australian Infantry Battalion shared Framlingham’s brown and light blue colours as their identification badge.
August 5 th 1916 Private Sydney Clift was killed in a charge on enemy trenches as part of operations with the 18 th Battalion, Australian Expeditionary Force. Clift had won the Junior School Classics Prize in 1901.
August 17 th 1916 Captain The Reverend William Benton I am afraid he has gone through most of the torments of Hell, but I consider him to be the most gallant gentleman in the world. He knew absolutely no fear… I have come almost to worship him for what he is, and that is the finest and manliest man I have ever known. (Major P. W. Magnay) ‘Dick’ Benton was fatally wounded while carrying a wounded man across no-man’s land. Known to many as “The Fighting Parson”, Benton twice played cricket for Middlesex in 1913 and had been a member of the College 1 st XI Football and Cricket teams between 1888-1890.
September 2 nd 1916 Second Lieutenant Tom Tate was killed in action fighting with the Royal Sussex Battalion, aged 23. Tate had been a College Prefect, won the Book Keeping prize in 1910 and 1911 and been awarded his Athletic Cap.
September 18 th 1916 Second Lieutenant Norman Stockdale of the 6 th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment was killed in action.
October 2 nd 1916 Captain Sydney Clark was a 45 year old surgeon working with the Royal Army Medical Corps, 5 th London Field Ambulance, when he was killed. He had previously worked in hospitals in London and Leeds before moving to the USA where he was President of Nye County Medical Society. The Framlinghamian records him as having won the Mantle Essay Prize in 1887.
November 7 th 1916 Second Lieutenant Ralph Rash met his end near Thiepval while fighting with the 7 th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Rash had been a Sub Prefect at school and was the youngest of six brothers to attend the College. Two stained glass windows in Wortham Church near Diss commemorate the ultimate sacrifice made by Ralph and his brother Arnold during the war, and bear the insignia of the Suffolk Regiment and The College.
October 19 th 1916 Second Lieutenant Joseph Macnamara was killed aged 19 fighting with the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). His headstone at the Guards Cemetery, Les Boeufs, France reads; Beloved Joe Deeply mourned and cherished By your sad parents & family RIP
October 30 th 1916 19 year old Second Lieutenant Eric Joyce was reported as killed in action with “A” Company, 4 th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and buried in Guillemont on the Somme. Just two years earlier he had been a Sub Prefect representing the College 1 st XI at cricket, hockey and football as well as winning the Junior Victor Ludorum and Athletics and Swimming caps.
November 13 th 1916 Lieutenant Sydney Burch was the final Old Framlinghamian to perish during the Somme Offensive in what was to become known as the Battle of Ancre. General Ludendorff described the battle as a particularly heavy blow to his German army, though sadly Burch wouldn’t live long enough to learn of his role in its success.
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