On 19 July 1916 a diversionary attack to the main Somme Battle was launched on strongly held German lines at Fromelles in Northern France. The Battle was a disaster, costing thousands of lived needlessly, and among these were several local men.

The discovery of a mass grave at Fromelles now holds a possibility of, after 92 years, finally identifying some of the men killed and missing during the Battle, who are commemorated on the War Memorials at Loos and VC Corner.

Fromelles Mass Burials Discovery

 

Men of the 53rd Battalion, AIF waiting to 'go over the top' at Fromelles 19 July 1916 (Courtesy AWM).

At 07.20 a.m. on 1 July 1916, the Battle of the Somme began. Meanwhile, in Flanders, the British XI Corps, and the ANZAC Corps had been ordered to launch an offensive on the Fromelles Salient, on the Aubers Ridge, to draw German reinforcements and attention away from the main offensive on the Somme. The attack began on 19 July 1916, its aim to launch; '…an attack with a view to capturing and holding permanently 2,100 yards of the enemy's trenches from the Fauquissart road at N.19.a.4.3 to the enemy's salient at N.8.d.5.3 [The Sugarloaf position].'

Among the units taking part in the attack were to be the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division, and I ANZAC Corps. In June 1916, the sector had been held by the 38th (Welsh) Division, which was full of West Wales men. The 61st Division had relieved the Welshmen in the line, so that they could move south to the Somme, where they would take part in the assault on Mametz Wood.

As part of the 61st Division was the 2/7th Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, a Territorial unit which had been made up to strength from a draft of reinforcements from the 4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, the Carmarthenshire Territorial's. Among the reinforcements were a number of Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire men.

At 05.50 p.m. on 19 July 1916, the 2/7th Warwicks launched their assault across No Mans Land on the German positions opposite. They managed to successfully carry their assault, capturing the German front line trench, and taking hundreds of German prisoners as they emerged from their deep dugouts. The units attacking alongside them failed to make headway however, and the 2/7th Warwicks were left isolated, fighting a desperate defensive action. Over 380 men were killed in the ensuing fighting, from that battalion alone. Nearby, men of the 5th Australian Division had also launched their assault, but had been massacred. Several Welshmen fought in their ranks also.

The ground was littered with dead and dying men, but they could not be reached, and most of them remained here for the next two years. The 61st Division having lost 1,547 casualties, and the 5th Australian Division 5,533 men. At the end of the war, the local villagers gathered up the remains of the dead from the battlefield, and over 400 of the Australian dead were buried in two pits at VC Corner. An unusual War Cemetery was built on the site, incorporating the two mass graves into it, which is today called VC Corner Military Cemetery and Memorial. A wall at one end commemorates the names of the dead, plus another 1,000 Australian missing. The British missing are commemorated on the Loos Memorial.

The Loos Memorial and Dud Corner Cemetery

V.C. Corner Military Cemetery and Memorial

In June 2008, acting on information discovered in the archives of the German Red Cross, archaeologists excavated a site at Pheasant Wood near Fromelles in Northern France, where there were believed to be several mass graves of Australian and British soldiers. These men were buried there by the Germans after they died in the futile assault on the German positions at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. Human remains were found during the preliminary dig, although whether there will be any identification possible remains unclear. The Australian and British authorities, together with the help of the French Government, have from 5 May 2009, began to exhume these mass graves, in a gallant attempt to identify as many of the men as possible, to afford them a decent burial in a new military cemetery nearby, named 'Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery'.

Several men of West Wales died during the battle, and this page serves to commemorate their loss. It is a shot in the dark really, but some of these men are thought to be buried in the mass graves. If any are identified, they will at long last be afforded a known grave. The remains of all however, identified or not, will be relocated into the new Fromelles Pheasant Wood Military Cemetery nearby, work on the construction of which has began.

At least fourteen known Welshmen, including several known West Wales men died during the Battle of Fromelles. The West Walians were;

James Ernest Davies, Private, 5949, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. James was the Son of John Isaac and Anne Davies, of 2, Castle Street, Llandovery, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the 4th Welsh, before being transferred into the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. James was killed in action at Fromelles on 10 July 1916, aged 25. He is remembered on the Loos Memorial.

 

Robert Clifford Davies, Lance Corporal, 267414, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Robert was the Son of David and Ann Davies, of 8, Ralph Terrace, Llanelly. He had served with the 4th Welsh from September 1914, with the regimental number 5338, before being transferred to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Robert was posted as missing in action during the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916. He was later found by a military enquiry to have been killed. Robert was 19 years old, and is another man who is probably buried in the mass grave. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France. Below is a cutting from the Llanelly Gazette of the day, with an enquiry as to the whereabouts of Robert. (Thanks to Mark Collins for the photograph).

 

 

John Griffiths, 5958, Private, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. John was the son of Thomas and Mary Griffiths, of Cardigan. He had enlisted at Cardigan into the Welsh Regiment, with the regimental number 2528, and was posted to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. John was 32 years old. The regimental chaplain wrote a condolence letter to his sisters in Cardigan, stating that John had been buried and a cross erected on his grave. Sadly John is now another of the missing, and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. He is one of the men probably buried at Fromelles.

Daniel Harries, Lance Corporal, 5970, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Daniel was the Son of David and Mary Harries, of Plasnewydd, Manordilo, and had originally served with the 4th Welsh, before being transferred into the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Daniel was killed in action during the main attack on 19 July 1916, aged 22. He is another local man who is probably buried in the mass grave, and is remembered on the Loos Memorial. Daniel's name has been incorrectly recorded by the CWGC as 'Harris'.

Josiah Harries, Private, 5728, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Josiah was the Son of Mr. J. Harries, of St. Davids Cottages, Dafen, Llanelly. He served in the 4th Welsh, with the regimental number 5385, before being posted to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Josiah was killed in action two days before the main Battle of Fromelles, on 17 July 1916. He is buried in Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, France.

 

Llewellyn John, Lance Corporal, 5276, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Llewellyn was the son of Isaac and Margaret John, of Little Whitehall, Robeston Wathen, and resided at Llandovery prior to the war. He enlisted at Carmarthen into the 4th Reserve Battalion the Welsh Regiment. Llewellyn was then posted to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, in 182 Brigade 61st Division. Llewellyn was Killed in Action before the main Battle of Fromelles, on 30 June 1916, aged 27, and is buried at Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue.

 

Thomas Stephen Lewis, Lance Corporal, 5727, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Thomas was the Son of William and Anne Lewis, of Rhyw Fach, Manordilo, Carmarthenshire. He had also served with the 4th Welsh, with the regimental number 5196, before being posted to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warickshire Regiment. Thomas was wounded just days before the Battle of Fromelles, and died of wounds on 16 July 1916. He was 27 years old, and is buried at Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, France.

 

William Simon Rees, Private, 5962, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. William was the Son of James and Hannah Rees, of 2, Railway Terrace, Ffairfach, Llandeilo, and enlisted at Llandeilo into the 4th Welsh, before being transferred to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. William was killed in action during the Battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916, aged just 21. He is another man probably buried in the mass grave, and is remembered on the Loos Memorial.

 

Henry Percival Watkins, Lance Corporal, 5948, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Henry was the Son of Benjamin Thomas Watkins and Elizabeth Louisa Watkins, of 190, Robert Street, Milford Haven. He had served with the 4th Welsh, with the regimental number 354, before being posted to the 2/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Henry was killed in action during the first assault at Fromelles on 19 July 1916. He was 25 years old, and is one of the men who is probably buried in the mass grave. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, France. 

The other Welshmen killed at Fromelles were Private Benjamin James of Pontypridd; Private John Thomas Jones of Merthyr Tydfil; Private William John Jones of Swansea; Lance Corporal William Owen Lamb of Corwen; Lance Corporal Joseph Gordon Millard of Newport, Gwent; Private Richard Morgan of Treharris; Private Ernest Edward Reynolds of Cardiff and Private Samuel Augustus Stewart Thomas of Cardiff. May they all rest in peace.

There were probably Welshmen serving with I ANZAC Corps at Fromelles, but more work is needed to identify them, and I will put these men on the site as soon as possible if I uncover any. Of personal interest to myself, one man who served with my Great Grandfather in the 4th Battalion, AIF was Private Downie Dodd. Downie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and had emigrated to Australia. He joined the 4th Battalion at Casula, NSW, but in May 1916 was posted to the 56th Battalion. He was one of many Australians kileld at fromelles who has no known grave. Downie is listed on the list of men probably buried at Fromelles. He is currently commemorated on the V.C. Corner Memorial. His medals, along with his identity discs and pay book, were sent to his father at Glasgow, so possibly there is still a relative of Downie Dodd alive today.

If anyone is related to any of the men known to be missing at Fromelles, then the Ministry of Defence and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are looking to hear from you, in order to possibly help to identify any of the men's remains. Please get in contact with them via the link below if so, as these brave young men have earned to right to a decent burial, in a known grave if at all possible.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission-Fromelles Site

The Australian 'Cobbers' Memorial, at Fromelles Memorial Park.