War Medals

10905 PRIVATE WILLIAM BOTTING: 8/EAST SURREY REGIMENT:

British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (10905 Pte.:W.Botting, E.Surrey R.): Memorial Plaque; Memorial Scroll: (The 8th.(Service)Battalion,East Surrey Regiment, became known as The Footballers, when on 1 July 1916 at the commencement of the Battle of the Somme during the attack at Montauban Ridge, 'B' Company started to move out towards the enemy wire, Captain Neville strolling quietly ahead of them,giving an occasional order to keep the dressing square on to the line of advance. They took four footballs out with them which they were seen to dribble forward into the smoke of our bombardment. The Battalion walked into a hail of enemy fire and suffered over 400 casualties including Captain Neville and most of the Officers killed. On 4 April 1918 the Battalion was still on the Somme at the Marcelcave Aubecourt Road. At 5am the enemy commenced very heavy shelling including smoke and gas shells. It had been raining incessantly all morning and by this time the ground was sodden and very muddy so that it was very difficult to keep rifles and Lewis Guns in working order. At 6.30am an enemy infantry attack developed. It was still raining heavily and rifles became so clogged with mud that it was almost impossible to keep them clean although extra flannelette and rifle oil was sent up from Brigade HQ. As a result of the conditions the fire power of the Battalion was reduced by at least two-thirds and when at about 4.00pm a fresh enemy attack developed,the fire power of the Battalion was not sufficient to repulse it and a general withdrawal commenced along the whole of the line held by the Brigade. Attempts were made to form a stand but most the Officers had become casualties and a large percentage of the men were practically unarmed owing to the fact that their rifles were useless. A stand was eventually made, but with the exception of the Commanding Officer, his Second in Command and two Lieutenants, all the Officers had become casualties,it was therefore very difficult to rally the men,who had also lost most of their NCO.'s. A line was eventually formed with 7th.Queen's to the left and two platoons of Royal Berkshires on the right, but it was a very thin line. William Botting was born Little Horstead,Sussex and resided at Buxted. He had enlisted at Chichester: He was killed in action on 4 April 1918: He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France:) Battle of St Quentin or Operation Michael was the first of Ludendorff's Offensives,involving 'Storm Divisions' 21 March to 4 April 1918 : Sold with verification and copy exracts from Battalion War Diary: Scroll contained in glazed frame; medals and plaque EF £245