Chapter 3a – Armentieres

Historical Context - the “City of the Linen”. By the turn of the century Armentières, in the Artois region of Northern France, was an important centre of textile, printing, dyeing and brewing industries. It…

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1. During WW1 more than 900 open-topped B-type London buses were sent to the Western Front to convey troops behind the lines
2. Pont de Nieppe - Armentieres Map: 10-36NW2 - Ref: I.23 
3.  General Sir Charles Carmichael Monro (1860-1929). Three months later he was dispatched to the Gallipoli peninsula to replace Sir Ian Hamilton as regional Commander-in-Chief
4. breastworks
5.  Epinette - Map Ref: I.5.c.8.8
6. The Ministry of Munitions was first established in March 1915 in order to address the dire shortage of shells on the front line. The Ministry, largely staffed by businessmen, dramatically transformed Britain's munitions industries and created the largest government department the country had ever seen
7.  Pte Robert Wilson (4/2298) ‘C’ Coy (b. Alnwick), (e. Hexham), died aged 37 and is buried in Strand Military Cemetery
8. Pte Robert Bell (4/1578) ‘D’ Coy is buried in Strand Military Cemetery and commemorated on Mickley Memorial
9. ‘Willies’ were a type of German artillery shell
10.  Farm C – Position unknown at present 
11. Epinette - Map Ref: I.5.c.8.8
12. Grande Porte Egal Farm - Bois Grenier Map: 10-36NW4-6: Ref: I.10.b.6.7
13. ‘Whiz-Bang’ was the popular slang for a high velocity German 77mm artillery shell, describing the noise through the air and on detonation
14. Major General Sir Percival S Wilkinson KCMG, CB is described as ‘a capable energetic commander’ and ‘a sound, not brilliant’ man, completed the work of turning it into a ‘magnificent division’ [zotpressInText item="{CDDHFZTP}"]
15. Mountain guns or Pack Howitzers were artillery pieces designed so that they could be quickly disassembled and transported as smaller loads through mountainous territory i.e. by horse, mule etc
16.  Pte Francis Riley (4/1874) ‘A’ Coy was a bricklayer, married with four children. He was buried in Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle D’Armentieres and is commemorated on the Hexham Memorial
17. Pte William Ridley (4/1363) (b. Prudhoe) (e. Prudhoe). He is buried in Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, France
18. A redoubt was a small, usually temporary, defensive position built out in front of the main defensive line
19. Lt Col. Charles Harrie Innes-Hopkins  was the CO of the 20^th (1^st Tyneside Scottish Bn) NF. Resided at ‘The Towers’, Ryton on Tyne, Co. Durham. (R&DWMP)
20. Lt Col. Dunbar Stuart was the CO of the 21^st (2^nd Tyneside Scottish Bn) NF  
21. Situated 3 miles south west of St Omer the machine gun school at Wisques was established on 22^nd November 1914 by Major Christopher Baker-Carr
22. ‘Sausage’ and ‘Football’ were the nicknames given to types of Trench mortar bomb, no doubt on account of their shape
23. 2^nd Lt Frank Sigurd Steinburg (Steenberg) (b.1896) was born at Low Fell, County Durham and attended the North Eastern County School for Boys, Newgate, Barnard Castle. He resided at ‘The Quarry’, Stocksfield and embarked for France on the 25 Aug 1915. He transferred to the MGC. His father was a Public warehouse keeper residing at Heatherlea, Broomley, Stocksfield 
24. 2^nd Lt William Hedley Morant (b.1890, d.25 Oct 16) was born in Chesterton, Cambridgeshire but was raised in the Truro area of Cornwall. His father was a Surveyor of Taxes serving with the 12^th NF. His address was 6 West Terrace, Coniscliffe Row, Darlington
25. The 10^th Royal Hussars (6^th Cavalry Bde, 3^rd Cavalry Divn). One Coy served in the trenches
26.  A staff ride was an educational tour, usually conducted on horseback
27. L/Cpl Thomas Cowler
28. Pte John Edward Newton (4/909) of Prior Terrace, Hexham
29. The adjutant at this time was Captain Cecil George Arkwright 
30. Lt Henry Bell
31. Pte Walter Weatherly (4/1679) ‘D’ Coy (b. Mickley) (e. Prudhoe) died aged 21 and is buried in Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, France and commemorated on Mickley Memorial, Northumberland
32.  A Demonstration, in military terminology, is an attack or show of force on a front where a decision is not sought, but is made with the aim of deceiving the enemy 
33. White Phosphorous was used in incendiary and/or smoke producing bombs and shells
34. The six Divns of 1^st Army under Haig were: from right to left IV Corps (Rawlinson) - 47^th (London), 15^th and 1^st Divn. I Corps (Gough) - 7^th, 9^th (Scottish) and 2^nd Divn
35. Bombers appear to have been treated as a separate entity
36. The 8^th LNL (74^th Bde, 25^th Divn) were raised for the Third New Army (K3). The 25^th Divn was assembled around Salisbury during September 1914, crossed to France between 25 and 30 September 1915 and concentrated in the area of Nieppe
37. Pte Lancelot Swindale Lennie (4/811) (b. Benwell) (e. Newburn) is buried in Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, France
38. Pte Robert James Steele (4/2746) (b. Hexham) (e. Hexham) and was taken on the strength of the 3/4^th NF on 11 Jun 15. He was part of a draft of men sent to Flanders by the 3/4^th NF on the 3 Sep 15. Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery
39. Not clear which one of the two Pte Leathard’s serving in the battalion was court martialled
40. Pte Arthur McIntyre (4/1455) (b. Egremont, Cheshire) (e. Hexham) is buried in Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension
41. German counterattack at Loos
42. The 18-pounder Quick Firing (QF) gun was first introduced to service by the Royal Field Artillery in 1904. 18-pounder refers to the weight of the shell
43. The 14^th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry formed at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle in September 1914. It was one of Lord Kitchener's "New Armies" and part of 'K3', the third tranche of the 500,000 men Kitchener wished to recruit for the war effort. After training for a year in the South of England the battalion embarked for France on 11 September 1915 as part of the 64^th Bde (21^st Divn)
44.  L/Cpl Joseph Traill (4/1108), (b. Bolden Colliery), (e. Newburn) is believed to have been wounded before he reported for duty with the 3/4^th NF around 5 Jul 15. One of the fusiliers in a large draft of men sent out by the 3/4^th NF on the 18^th Sep 15. He is buried in Ferme Buterne Military Cemetery, France
45. The 12^th NF formed in Newcastle during September 1914 as part of K3 and attached to 62^nd Bde, (21^st Divn). It landed in France in September 1915
46. The ‘New Army’ battalions were formed from volunteers responding to Lord Kitchener’s recruiting campaign
47. Registering guns was the process of aiming and ranging them on specific targets. When the opposing lines were close, there was always the risk from the first shots to be fired
48. Strazeele - Map: 27.W.10 and 16
49. The village of Terdeghem lies between Steenvoorde and Cassell
50. Pte Robert Surtees Knots Renwick (4/1003)
51. Field General Courts-Martial (FGCM) were convened when the accused was on active service or stationed overseas. It had the full powers of the General Courts-Martial, but it could sit with a minimum of only three members (two if no more officers were available). On the Western Front FGCMs were used almost universally for trials throughout the war; imposing more than 3,000 death sentences of which approx 11% were actually confirmed. (An acquittal by courts-martial on any charge is final and absolute, whereas a conviction and a sentence are not valid until they have been confirmed by a superior authority)
52. Trench 80 - Armentieres
53. Rouge Choix road