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POP's STORY...
World War 1, France and the Battle
of the Somme
We had always believed some stories
that got changed over the years, and I had always believed
that Pop was in the Army. What I found was quite different,
he was, in fact, a Royal Marine, and his division became the
Royal Naval Division, 188 Machine Gun Company.
Having been sent the War Diaries of
188 Machine Gun Company,and also Pop's War Service Record,
I discovered a little more about what had happened.
Able Seaman Albert BELCHER lied about
his age,went into the RNV in 1915 and trained at Blandford,
in Dorset, before being sent to France on 30th July, 1916.He
received a gun shot wound to his hand during the Battle of
Beaucourt on 30th November,1916, but was treated in the Canadian
Field Hospital in Etaples.
He then saw action at Thiepval prior to the advance on Miraumont
in February 1917. His Division moved south, to take part in
the Battle of Arras in April 1917. Their participation was
centered upon Gavrelle, which was taken by the 189th and 190th
Brigades on 23rd.The 8 guns of 188th were in reserve, so it's
possible Pop took part.
He spent some time back at Machine Gun Corps at Carniers before
rejoining his Unit on 6th August 1917.The unit remained in
the Arras sector until early October 1917 when they moved
north to Ypres and were involved in the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele.
This was the third phase of the 3rd Battle of Ypres which
came to an end on 10th of November 1917. 188 Machine Gun Company
was active in supporting the Canadians when they took the
village on 6th November 1917.
Following the end of 2nd Passchendaele, 188 Machine Gun Company
remained in the area, and it was here that Pop received his
most serious wounds on 3oth November 1917. On the morning
of that day 188 Machine Gun Company moved by train from Danbre
Camp to Irish Farm Camp, when the latter was hit by shellfire.
The unit war diary notes one casualty ...Albert Belcher, and
this effectively put an end to his war overseas. Shrapnel
had entered his chest and back, and he was shipped home to
a Military Hospital in Stoke, Newcastle. He was later transferred
to the Reserve battalion, serving with the Coastguard in Eire.
The above, and History of
the RND, below, is courtesy of Mike Shingleton, a very good
friend, and Military Historian.
His website is here :
The Royal Naval Division
was founded in August 1914 from
some 20,000-30,000 surplus men of the Royal Navy Reserve,
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Royal Marine Reserve.
Its basic premise was to create land forces from the surplus
Naval Reserve. This was not a new concept and Naval Brigades
had fought as ad-hoc land units in the Crimea, in China, during
the Indian Mutiny and in the South African War.
From this large surplus two Naval Brigades and one Marine
Brigade were formed with the latter intended for home defence.
Each of these Brigades was four Battalions strong as follows;
1st Brigade: Collingwood, Hawke,
Benbow, Drake.
2nd Brigade: Howe,
Hood, Anson, Nelson
Brigade (Royal Marines): Portsmouth, Plymouth, Chatham, Deal
The Royal Naval Division took part in the Defence of Antwerp
between 4-9 October 1914 and following its fall withdrew to
England landing in Dover on 11 October 1914 (with the exception
of about 1500 men of 1st Brigade who crossed in to Holland
and were interned for the rest of the war). The RND reassembled
at Blandford Camp in Dorset at the end of November 1914.
The Division was chosen to take part in the Gallipoli Campaign
and embarked for Lemnos from Devonport during February 1915.
It took part in the landings on Helles Beach on 2 April 1915
and remained active in the Gallipoli Campaign until its withdrawal
in January 1916 when it was split up. It was not to reform
until its arrival back in France in May 1916 and was formally
renumbered 6 (Royal Naval) Division whilst its brigades were
renamed as follows:
Royal Marine Brigade renamed (Royal Marine) Brigade
on 22/05/1916 & renamed 188th Brigade on 19/07/1916
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