Arthur Kenneth Richardson RWF in the Great war.

This is my first addition to this forum, some may be aware of my interests from the Great War Forum (GWF). Hopefully this will serve 2 purposes. Firstly to fill gaps in my research and secondly to be of interest to others. A lot of the detail I have comes from his mothers book RemembranceWakes. At least one entry is undert he microscope (Entry for 21/02/1915).<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>The outstanding questions I have for Arthur concern dates of transfer and his service post 1^st Battalion. There is one entry in the WD for January that names a Capt Richardson (Gen staff), is this AK? <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>I am also interested to find out if his private diary extends beyond the letter concerning the action at Festubert 1915 that I have seen in theBattalion WD images (NA images). <o:p></o:p>

I will post further threads concerning Arthurs brother Mervyn & hismother Ethel soon. <o:p></o:p>


<o:p></o:p>RICHARDSON, Captain Arthur Kenneth. <o:p></o:p>

Age given: Born 06/03/1890.<o:p></o:p>
Address / Next Of Kin, family details: Ponder Island, British Columbia. Second son to Arthur and EthelRichardson, Purton House. <o:p></o:p>

MIC details / Medal entitlement.<o:p></o:p>
1^st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers. <o:p></o:p>

British War Medal, Victory Medal, 15 Star.<o:p></o:p>

Address given as Russell Hotel, Dublin. Medals to be sent to Purton house, Purton.<o:p></o:p>

Extracts from: Remembrance Wakes (EthelRichardson), Battalion Diary.<o:p></o:p>

At the outbreak of the Great War Arthur was in Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada. He owned a farm on Ponder Island. He was a special reservist with the 3^rdBattalion Royal Welch Fusiliers (RWF), when he heard of the declaration of Warand the mobilization of the reservists he reported to Port Washington then ontothe Canadian Royal Engineers at Esquismault. When at Esquismault the Canadianstried to persuade him to stay and assist the mobilization of Canadian Forcesbut his reply was that “he was required at Wrexham” (RWF Depot in North Wales).He proceeded to escort 500 reservists to England onboard the SS Ruthenia. <o:p></o:p>

02/12/1914 Arrived in France(Detail from MIC). <o:p></o:p>
04/12/1914 3^rd RWF log records thatAK Richardson left the depot (Wrexham), Ethel’s book records that he sailed onthe 4^th.<o:p></o:p>
07/12/1914 1^st Battalion RWF WarDiary records Arthur, 2 other Officers with 40 other ranks joining in reserveat Rue-Bataille. 1^st Battalion RWF, 22^nd Brigade, 7^thDivision.<o:p></o:p>
10/01/1915 Letter fromArthur; I had a splendid bath today, the first for close on a month.<o:p></o:p>
21/02/1915 Home on leave (Details fromRemembranceWakes.The Battalion War diary does not record Arthur leaving theBattalion), his mother makes reference to his arrival; “just as we weregoing to Church with a sack full ofGerman helmets and other souvenirs, himself covered with mud just as he hadleft the trenches”. <o:p></o:p>
10/03/1915 Letter from Arthur; “C Company gottwo prisoners yesterday; they walked into our trenches by mistake, I think onpurpose, and surrendered”.<o:p></o:p>
08/05/1915 Action at Aubers Ridge, 1^stBattalion were the reserve.<o:p></o:p>
12/05/1915 The Richardson’s receive news thatArthur was nearly drowned in France after he fell of his Bicycle into a river,with water above his head. He not only survived but also recovered his machine.<o:p></o:p>
15/05/1915 to 25/05/1915, Battle of Festubert.<o:p></o:p>

During the Battle of Festubert Arthur commanded a trench Mortar Battery. His motherrecorded at the time of <o:p></o:p>
the Battle“a fearful list of casualties…am anxiousabout Ken” (Ethel Richardson uses Ken or Kenneth in all <o:p></o:p>
her correspondence,Military records have his name as Arthur Kenneth, whichis how i list him).<o:p></o:p>

20/05/1915 Letter from Arthur; (A copy ofthis letter is lodged with the 1^st Battalion RWF War Diary). Atthe top of the letter are 2 remarks (1) Did another Helmut arrive in a box (2)Thanks very much for papers. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>My dear Fatherand Mother. <o:p></o:p>
We have justhad the most awful battle, and thank God I have come through unscathed. We wentdown to the trenches on <o:p></o:p>
Saturdaynight about 6.30, and went into our lines. I was with the Queens Regiment, onthe right of the road, and the <o:p></o:p>
RWF were onthe left. The Artillery bombardment commenced at 2.15, lasting for about halfan hour, battering down the <o:p></o:p>
Germantrenches, which were only seventy yards away. Then came the time. The whole ofour line, with one leap were<o:p></o:p>
over our parapet, and towards the Germanlines. It was a sad spectacle, owing to the fearful rifle fire and machine gun <o:p></o:p>
fire, mowingour poor fellows over, not to speak of the high explosive and shrapnel shells.I advanced with the second <o:p></o:p>
line. Wereached the first line German trenches, and proceeded to go on to the secondline. Before I left, I fired seventy <o:p></o:p>
roundsrapid, with my mortars. My men worked splendidly. We arrived in the secondline, on the way across we met the<o:p></o:p>
firstprisoner, my fellows wanted to bayonet him, but I managed to keep them back. Wewent down a communication <o:p></o:p>
trenchfilled with dead Germans, and our fellows (Queens). When I got some way down, Iwas told that I could bomb the<o:p></o:p>
third linefrom the end, and on arrival, found it too great a range, so went back into thesecond line, where I met Major <o:p></o:p>
Kirkpatrick,on whom the command of the Queens had fallen, owing to Colonel Bottomley beingdangerously wounded, <o:p></o:p>
whoafterwards died. He told me that Stockwell and Walmsley, and a handful of ourmen, were on the extreme left of <o:p></o:p>
him with nosupport. I at once packed of there; on arrival I found Stockwell with Walmsley,who appeared to be the only<o:p></o:p>
survivors ofthe Regiment, holding a communication trench, leading to an orchard and someruined houses. The trench <o:p></o:p>
was likebrown paper, so far as being bulletproof went. There were a number of Germans in the orchard, enfilading the<o:p></o:p>
trench. I at once got my guns to work. They(Germans) bolted back to their third lines. All day we remained holdingour
trench, with a few Scots Guards, RWFand my men. We were shelled throughout the day. I lost a few men, andothers w
ere killed also. We were veryshort of ammunition, which never came. At length the CO of the Queens sent for Stockwell
to take over part of his line, aswell as the left, owing to his beingwounded, a second time, and unable to carry on. Stockwell
then took over theentire second line. About 6pm Ireceived an order to retire, as we had been cut off from Stockwell. We
packedup and started to clear, shells dropping all the way down the trench weretired down. We came across men absolutely
buried by earth fallen in by the shells. I found one poor fellow buried, allexcept his head, sticking out. We dare not stop, but
left three men to dig him out; They got him out I was glad to hear. Igathered what was left of the Regiment in our old lines.
Stockwell turned up, and we tookover the exact spot where I and the guns had started from. The first line washeld all right.
Monday morning, the 20^thBrigade renewed the attack, and re-took the second line. We were shelled allday and night, and
we were all tired and wet.Tuesday we were again shelled. The Canadians, Scots, Irish and Grenadier Guardsattacked, and
drove all before them,capturing 1,000prisoners. That night we were relieved. So you see we had a badtime. We now have
three subalterns,Stockwell as OC and myself, second in command, and OC of C Company, and I havejust handed my mortars <o:p></o:p>
over to mysub-lieutenant, as I am needed by the Battalion. The Queens (like us) have onlyfive Officers left too. We<o:p></o:p>
were in support last Sunday week in anothershow (Aubers Ridge) The 8^th Division attacked this time, andwere badly<o:p></o:p>
cut up. We had a few casualties. I have somelovely souvenirs. Has my spare kit in sack arrived yet also my bayonet?.<o:p></o:p>
This lastshow was the worst I have ever been in, we have only 400 men left in theBattalion. I hope Mervyn is all right, <o:p></o:p>
I am so gladhe wasn`t here for this. Good bye for the present. <o:p></o:p>

With much love, from your ever loving Son.<o:p></o:p>

Ken<o:p></o:p>


<o:p></o:p>
14/06/1915 Letter from Arthur; We have just comeout of the trenches. An awful time, shelled day and night –we were close toFestubert – in German trenches. The whole place stank of dead bodies, awfulstink everywhere. A line of 700 yards with one Company; amount usually held bya Battalion. <o:p></o:p>
20/06/1915 Letter fromArthur; We all carry respirators now, in case of a surprise whiff of gas.<o:p></o:p>
5/07/1915 Sir Douglas Haigvisits the Battalion who are in reserve billets at St Hillair.<o:p></o:p>
29/07/1915 Battalion WarDiary records “To England”. <o:p></o:p>
22/05/1916 Arthur returned home: His motherrecorded “Ken turned up when we were at dinner, full of gruesome tales ofsubmarines, wrecks all around Le Havre, and funnels showing at low tide. <o:p></o:p>
00/00/1916 Arthur received orders to conduct adraft of men who were convalescent from wounds, to Gibraltar, there torecuperate. His return journey a week later was to escort a draft of men whowere now fit for duty in France on-board the Ivernia. The men had carried outGarrison duties but were now deemed fit for the front again<o:p></o:p>
15/06/1918 Embarked for Palestine at Southampton.He sailed to Cherbourg and then traveled through France to Marseille destinedfor Genoa and Palestine beyond. At Ismalia he received orders to proceed to the5/6^th (Territorial) Battalion RWF. *Ethel Richardson recordedthat he proceeded to the 115^th (Territorial) Battalion, Royal WelchFusiliers. There was no such formation.<o:p></o:p>
09/07/1918 Jerusalem. <o:p></o:p>
12/07/1918 Mentions being about 25 miles fromJerusalem, on the mountains of Ephraim. <o:p></o:p>
25/08/1918 Commandant and Chief Instructor at the53^rd Divisional Lewis Gun School.<o:p></o:p>
00/09/1918 School closed and he was moved to “G”department (Intelligence), interrogating Turkish prisoners.<o:p></o:p>
19/09/1918 Moved forward to the advancedDivision HQ in preparation for the last Battle of the War against the Turks inPalestine. He prepared a compound and began processing the Turks already comingin from the front.<o:p></o:p>
22/09/1918 The compound was moved as the advancewas so swift.<o:p></o:p>
23/09/1918 Moved again 12 miles to Akrabi, 7miles south of Nablus as the Turks withdrew. <o:p></o:p>

Evidence for inclusion on the Purton Parish list: Name listed in the Memorial book in St Mary’s Church,1918 voters list for Purton Parish (a NM), Purton House.


Regards

Bob Lloyd

Here is what I have:

Richardson, Arthur Kenneth, Capt

Arthur Kenneth Richardson, an old Etonian (1905), was commissioned 2/Lt (12/02/1910) to 3rd Bn and promoted Lt (02/06/1913). At the outbreak of war, he was in Canada. He landed in France 04/12/1914, joined the 1st Battalion 17/12/1914, and was promoted Capt 01/02/1915. He commanded the 22nd Bde TMB from May 1915, was wounded 29/05/1915, and returned to the UK. He was then restored to the 3rd Bn. He embarked for Palestine 15/06/1918, was attached to the 5/6th Bn and served in Palestine until the end of the war. He served in the Second World War with the rank of Maj. His medal group, consisting of 1914-15 Star, BWM, VM, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, WM are held in the Regimental Museum.

I seem to remember that Sassoon did not much care for him. Must look for the source.

John

John

Many thanks for your time. His mothers entries are detailed in many events but fall short in others. There is no entry for any "wounding" which stands out when compared against her notes for Mervyn!

Some of the details, even those she states are Diary entries are sometimes under suspicion as well. I may be wrong but assumed events like Officers leaving for a spell of UK leave were recorded in the WD, February 1915 does not?. This also would appear to be a lucky event for Arthur given he was only 3 months on mainland Europe?

Lots of questions! going to go through the WD again.

Many thanks again.

Bob

Bob,

As AKR was commanding 22 TMB, his wounding would not be in the 1st Bn WD. In fact, on 29/05/1915 the Bn was out of the line, in billets in St Hilaire.

My info came from John Tyler's Officers Biographies.

The WD for Feb 1915 mentions no officers going on leave. It is not always as detailed as we would wish! I myself searched in vain for the departures of several officers attached from other Regts in the hectic days of Nov 1914 to Feb 1915. No such luck. And it gets worse in 1917-1918.

John

Very interesting Bob and a warm welcome. I will copy the letter into the Vault. Many thanks

Al

John / Al

many thanks

Bob

I suppose being wounded & returned to England (Maybe 29/07/1915 rather than 29/05/1915, unless injured again?) would explain why he was an escort to a draft of men going to/from Gibralter, not fit for the front but ok for other duties?

Unless he was a particually poor Officer who wasn`t deemed fit to return to front line duties! rather harsh i know but just something to consider maybe? especially given the attition rate of experianced men available, i would of thought that an experianced man was worth his weight ib gold.

looking deeper if possible (Unfortunately Ethel does not go any deeper than the material quoted in my first post

Bob