Pte. J.W. Jeffs 1st Border Regiment (forum archive)

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 Posted by martyn6747 » Thu May 05, 2011 9:15 pm
martyn6747
Lance Corporal
Registered user
Posts: 13
Hello there,

At least 15 members of the 1st Border Regiment were killed in a bombardment during the late evening of April 6 1916 as the Germans isolated Mary Redan prior to a text book trench raid that ended with the 29th Division losing over a 100 men that night, there were prisoners taken - and no doubt many casualties evacuated, the South Wales Borderers suffered the worse and many of them were buried in Mesnil Ridge. 13 of the Borders were buried in Auchonvillers com cem which was very close to where they fell. In the centre of that line of headstones lies my children's Great Great Grandfather Pte. J.W. Jeffs service no 7340. James William Jeffs joined the army in 1906 (Hackney). We know little of his service record until he went into Belgium (possibly as a Reservist) with the 2nd Border Regiment in 1914. He was married with two small children and lived in East Ham. We know his WW1 story generally speaking - but do not know what the Borders were actually doing when they were hit by shell fire - or exactly where they were. Tipperary Avenue or First Avenue perhaps?

We would like to find out more and we would like to know more of his early service record if possible to complete his story. We have Jack Sheldon & Ralph Whiteheads books which speak of the trench raid - but the Borders get less of a mention than the Welsh lads who were holding the line.

Any help of course would be appreciated.

 Posted by kerchi » Fri May 06, 2011 8:59 pm
Kerchi
Field-Marshal
Administrator
Posts: 2160
In memory of
John Bardgett
(15309 L/Cpl.)

11th Border Regiment
Who died 1st July 1916.
Martyn,

By the sounds of it you'll need to contact the Border Regiment museum, either by phone or by using the contact page on their website to see if they can assist you with more detailed information as you already know more information than I have from the war diary and from Wylly's book The Border Regiment in the Great War.

This is all I have from the war diary:

6th April 1916 - The firing line
Reopening of BROADWAY communications trench between POMPADOUR and ESSEX Street completed. A patrol of 5 other ranks under Lt. E. A. CROSSLAND 13th DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY (attached) which left our trenches at 2130 on the 5th did not return till dawn on the 6th. Lt. E. A. CROSSLAND and one other rank failed to return.

Enemy artillery show activity. 'D' Coy. ordered to join Battalion tonight

  • 2050 A party of the enemy attempted to bomb ROONEYS Sap.
  • 2055 Heavy bombardment opened by enemy on communication trenches in our sector Enemy machine guns also show activity
  • 2115 Capt. MEIKLEJOHN reports enemy infantry attacking on our front
  • 2117 Our artillery retaliate, machine guns fire increases both enemy and our own
  • 2147 All Companys report no infantry attack
  • 2153 Communications with Brigade by telephone interrupted
  • 2159 Bombardment of our communication trenches decreases slightly
  • 2204 'A' Coy report although bombardment is heavy - no casualties so far
  • 2205 Enemy machine gun fire increases
  • 2228 Bombardment decreases appreciably
  • 2230 Bombardment ceases altogether

You say you know little of his service record until 1914, does this mean you have a copy of it but it doesn't provide much useful information? Knowing where he might have been (exactly) is going to be difficult to find and contacting the museum is probably the best next course of action.

 Posted by martyn6747 » Sat May 07, 2011 12:28 pm
martyn6747
Lance Corporal
Registered user
Posts: 13
Thanks for the replies - the story I know however owes much to Steve Eastwood at the Border Museum - who told me many years ago that Private Jeffs originally joined up in 1906 - Steve also told me of Jeffs Great War involvement with the 2nd Borders in 1914/1915 - he suffered a gunshot wound in the arm at neuve chapelle before rejoining a year later in the 1st Borders only a few days before his death on the 6 April.

Many years ago I red the war diary at the PRO but seem to remember little detail in it. Notable article's I have red mean I know of Lt Crossland and Rooneys sap too. But detailed information as to the 15 lost Borders location is difficult to come by - also Jeffs early service record - it's just a shame that the British didn't record everything in the sort of detail as the Germans did so that I could complete the story of Grandads short life.

Thank you once again Martyn

 Posted by kerchi » Sat May 07, 2011 4:14 pm
Kerchi
Field-Marshal
Administrator
Posts: 2160
In memory of
John Bardgett
(15309 L/Cpl.)

11th Border Regiment
Who died 1st July 1916.
Martyn,

I did wonder where you got that information about the 15 Border men. The war diaries I have noticed can be, at times, extremely vague and give little to no useful information at all and other times there will be 3 or 4 pages just on one bit of action with minute details as to there whereabouts and what they were doing at regular intervals; just a shame the bit you're interested in is not one of those sections.

If you do find out more about Pte. Jeffs, do keep us updated. Sorry I couldn't be of much help.

 Posted by martyn6747 » Fri Apr 19, 2013 5:37 pm
martyn6747
Lance Corporal
Registered user
Posts: 13
I am back after a long break and hope to add to the details I have for Great Grandfather.

At the outbreak of War 7340 Private J.W. Jeffs was recalled as a reservist to serve in the 2nd Battalion the Border Regiment in August 1914. He embarked with the Battalion for the Western Front on 5 October and was serving with D’ Company when they sailed aboard the SS Minneapolis. The Battalion disembarked at Zeebrugge on 6 October and entrained to Bruges.

Soon the Battalion were heavily involved in the First Battle Ypres and on the 19 October were entrenched at Kruiseik Hill and apparently surrounded on three sides at one point with Germans mown down in swaths during a desperate defence of the crucial position – this was one of many notable actions during October. In November they marched to Locre and in December were involved in the Christmas truce.

In January Pte Jeffs was ill with trench foot during a miserable cold and wet winter but worse was to follow when in March he received a gunshot wound left arm at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle. J.W. Jeffs, we believed, returned to blighty until approximatly one year later when he rejoined with the 1st Border Reg at thye start of April - on the 6th he was killed near Auchonvillers.

I am still trying to uncover more facts about his Service particularly Dec – March 1914/15 - and the actual date of his rejoining in 1916 – but my story is slowly building and of course any help from any kind experts is always much appreciated.

 Posted by plbramham » Fri Apr 19, 2013 9:17 pm
plbramham
General
Global moderator
Posts: 1369
Hi Martyn,

Give me a few days and I'll post a transcript of the 2nd Battalion war diary between December 1914 and March 1915. For now here's a cutting from the diary for the period of the Xmas Day Truce, Regards, Paul.

 Posted by martyn6747 » Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:46 pm
martyn6747
Lance Corporal
Registered user
Posts: 13
Thanks plbramham that's superb - I eagerly await your posts.
 Posted by plbramham » Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:34 am
plbramham
General
Global moderator
Posts: 1369
Martyn,

I've done the first three for December 1914 & Jan/Feb 1915 - March (longer one) will follow. I've posted them in the 2nd battalion sub section of the First World War section, but just click these links to go straight there:

Didn't your great grandfather join the battalion until December 1914?, or was he also with them in October & November? (I also have those two months diaries and will transcribe them later, after I've done the March 1915 ones).
Regards, Paul.

 Posted by plbramham » Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:43 pm
plbramham
General
Global moderator
Posts: 1369
Martyn,

Here's the part of the diary - March 1915, where I guess your Great Grandfather was wounded.

I will be gradually transcribing the rest of the 2nd battalion diary so keep an eye open. I'll do the October and November 1915 ones next - I don't know if your ancestor was with the battalion at that time or if he did not join them until December? Regards Paul.

 Posted by plbramham » Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:45 pm
plbramham
General
Global moderator
Posts: 1369
Martyn,

Is this of any interest? - 1st battalion diary for 6th April 1916, the date you said your ancestor was killed. You wrote that you've read it before, but there was not much detail? - Well, actually to give a full page to one day is really pretty good detail compared with the majority of pages you see. Anyway, hope this is of help, Regards, Paul.

 Posted by martyn6747 » Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:55 pm
martyn6747
Lance Corporal
Registered user
Posts: 13
Thank you again - I have seen this 6 April piece before but for some reason had not recorded all the detail - if I can I would like to find out some time which Company Private 7340 JW Jeffs served with in the 1st Battalion, and which trench he died in - because it has been written (Paul reed) Tipperary Avenue and also First Avenue.

I would like to know when he actually returned in 1916 following his wounding with the 2nd Battalion at NEUVE CHAPELLE in March 1915- but these are mere tiny details - because thanks to your generous help I know all his service with D Company 1914/15

My very best regards

 Posted by plbramham » Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:23 pm
plbramham
General
Global moderator
Posts: 1369
 martyn6747 wrote:
if I can I would like to find out some time which Company Private 7340 JW Jeffs served with in the 1st Battalion, and which trench he died in - because it has been written (Paul reed) Tipperary Avenue and also First Avenue. I would like to know when he actually returned in 1916

It looks unlikely that you will be able to ascertain the exact date and place where he joined the 1st Battalion because it appears that his service records did not survive the Second World War bombing (in which about 60% of WW1 soldier’s documents were destroyed). I had hoped that there may be some hint in the war diaries when new drafts arrived which may have included him (you mentioned he joined a few days before his death on 6th April), but there is no such mention between 2-6th April and the diary for March 1916 appears to either have been lost, or not to have existed. However, I suspect the reason for this was that in March the battalion arrived in France, via Egypt, having previously been at Gallipoli. Therefore, I reckon your ancestor must have joined the 1st Battalion at the time they arrived for duty in France.

Regarding which trench he died in, well, unless there is a recorded eyewitness to his death, I think the closest you will ever come is an educated guess taking into consideration the sector where his unit was operating. You mentioned that Paul Reed had suggested Tipperary Avenue and also First Avenue. The location in the war diary for 5th April states “opening up of 'C' 'D' + 'E' streets, ESSEX Street and ROONEYS Sap commenced” and the diary for 6th April states: “Reopening of BROADWAY communications trench between POMPADOUR and ESSEX Street completed”. I guess he could have been in any of these trenches?

Although his service documents do not survive his Medal Index Card does (see below). This is one of the “first type” variety. It shows he entered theatre of war on 5th October 1914 – hence all the diaries for the 2nd Bn from October to March 1915 relate to his service and experiences. His medal entitlement is given as being for the 1914 Star, the British War Medal, and The Victory medal. He is also entitled to a “clasp” for the Star, which was awarded to those who had actually been under fire between August and November 1914. It took the form of a dated bar sewn onto the ribbon of the medal, or a silver rosette when the medal ribbon bar alone was worn. His family would also have received the bronze memorial plaque (also known as the death plaque or “Dead Man’s Penny”) and memorial scroll which was sent to the next of kin of all those who died.

On the 1911 census he is listed as a 26 year old gas stoker living at 21 Wellington Road, Stoke Newington, with his wife of one year, May Louise (No children – so not a shotgun wedding!). On 1891 census he is a six-year old living with his labourer father Henry A. Jeffs and mother Elizabeth L. Jeffs, 4 sisters, a brother and a lodger at 19 Shacklewell Road. West Hackney.
Regards, Paul.

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