Norman Lynes
On 11th September 1914 Norman joined up at Hornsey, Middlesex (North London) on this day he declared previous military service with 1/10th Battalion Duke of Cambridge's (Middlesex) Regiment time expired. 1/10th Battalion being a Territotorial force Norman had served four years which was time served by September 1914, his medical examination records him to be 6' 2½" tall, exceptional for the time where the national average was 5' 3". Norman signed the Imperial Service Agreement meaning he was willing to serve abroad, he was posted to 2/7 Battalion and given the number 7/3082.
2/7th was formed at Hornsey in September 1914 as a second line unit and initially moved to Barnet and then Egham, near to where the Magna Carta was signed. In February 1915 they moved to Gibraltar where they undertook Garrison duty for one of the Regular formations moved to the Western Front. In August 1915 the Battalion moved to Egypt landing at Alexandria on the 31st, this location was classed as a war zone and Norman's entitlement to the 1914/15 Star is dated 1st September 1915. Moving to Cairo in November they returned to Alexandria where they formed part of the Western Frontier Force.
British occupation of Egypt was opposed by some Arab groups and German money and support was able to generate offensive acts on British outposts. In August 1915 two British submarines taking shelter near Tripoli were fired on by a group of Arabs under the leadership of a European officer. In November the crews of two Royal Navy torpedo boats, the HMSvMoorina and Tara, landed near Cyrenaica and were captured by hostile elements of the Arab Senussi and held captive. Other attacks led to the hasty formation of the Western Frontier Force, a composite of various Yeomanry and Infantry formations at that time not involved in the defence of the Suez Canal. Amongst the Infantry units was 2/7th and 2/8th Battalions Middlesex Regiment.
Map of operations of Western Frontier Force (LLT).
On 11th December 1915 the force moved out from Mersa Matruh under the command of Major-General A. Wallace. Over the next few months the force increased adding artillery and armoured vehicles, they attacked camps which contained both Arab and Turkish forces and repelled attacks made on them killing and capturing hundreds of enemy soldiers.
Artistic Impression of an attack
In March 1916 intelligence from prisoners revealed the location where the two British naval crews were being held, an armoured car battery under the command of Major Hugh Arthur, Duke of Westminster quickly covered the 120 miles of desert attacked the camp and rescued the sailors without incurring casualties an action winning the Duke a DSO.
In May 1916 2/7th, their job in Africa done, moved to France to join the BEF landing at Marseilles on 15th, on arrival the whole Battalion was put into Quarantine due to an outbreak of Typhus. In June 1916 the 2/7th was disbanded, the men were located in an Infantry Base Depot from where they were posted to other formations. On 5th July Norman was posted to 1/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment.
1/7th Battalion also of the Territorial Force had been embodied in August 1914 and sent to Gibralter for Garrison duty. Returning to the UK in February 1915 they sailed from Southampton landing at Le Havre the following day, when Norman joined them they were part of 167 Brigade of 56th (London) Division. The Battalion had experienced low losses for a Battalion on the Western Front and had become known as 'the lucky 7th'. On 5th July 1916 1/7th had come out of the front line and were in the village of Hebuterne in support positions. Norman arrived with a draft of 64 other ranks led by Lieutenant W Kay to replace losses of the Battalion's involvement at the Battle of Gommecourt on the opening day of the ongoing Somme offensive. Rotating in and out of the line in the Battalion moved to Gapennes at the end of August where it commenced attack training with tanks.
On 9th September the Battalion went through Maricourt to support lines on the edge of Maricourt Wood, they held these positions until 13th September during which time they had been subjected to heavy shelling, they lost four officers and 90 other ranks. These losses were not replaced before the Battalion lined up for their next attack on 15th September when they were only able to commit 500 other ranks to the Battle.
On 15th September 1916 the Somme offensive was being was being renewed on a six mile front between the villages of Courcelette on the left flank to Combles on the right, involving six Infantry Divisions. The 56th Division in which 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex Battalions served were assigned to the extreme right of the front and whose overall job was to secure a strong flank. The system of wide front attack was dependent on a cohesive line being maintained to prevent the enemy counter attacking using outflanking manouvres or opportunities for enfilade fire which decimated formations. To achieve this 56 Division were to attack and clear enemy trenches in the area of Leuze and Bouleaux Woods, now a very open area containing stump remains of the trees. The woods were known by the British as Lousy and Bollocks Woods and had been heavily contested recently, leaving the battlefield uncleared of hundreds of bodies, left where had dropped it being impossible to recover them.
In May 1916 2/7th, their job in Africa done, moved to France to join the BEF landing at Marseilles on 15th, on arrival the whole Battalion was put into Quarantine due to an outbreak of Typhus. In June 1916 the 2/7th was disbanded, the men were located in an Infantry Base Depot from where they were posted to other formations. On 5th July Norman was posted to 1/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment.
1/7th Battalion also of the Territorial Force had been embodied in August 1914 and sent to Gibralter for Garrison duty. Returning to the UK in February 1915 they sailed from Southampton landing at Le Havre the following day, when Norman joined them they were part of 167 Brigade of 56th (London) Division. The Battalion had experienced low losses for a Battalion on the Western Front and had become known as 'the lucky 7th'. On 5th July 1916 1/7th had come out of the front line and were in the village of Hebuterne in support positions. Norman arrived with a draft of 64 other ranks led by Lieutenant W Kay to replace losses of the Battalion's involvement at the Battle of Gommecourt on the opening day of the ongoing Somme offensive. Rotating in and out of the line in the Battalion moved to Gapennes at the end of August where it commenced attack training with tanks.
On 9th September the Battalion went through Maricourt to support lines on the edge of Maricourt Wood, they held these positions until 13th September during which time they had been subjected to heavy shelling, they lost four officers and 90 other ranks. These losses were not replaced before the Battalion lined up for their next attack on 15th September when they were only able to commit 500 other ranks to the Battle.
On 15th September 1916 the Somme offensive was being was being renewed on a six mile front between the villages of Courcelette on the left flank to Combles on the right, involving six Infantry Divisions. The 56th Division in which 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex Battalions served were assigned to the extreme right of the front and whose overall job was to secure a strong flank. The system of wide front attack was dependent on a cohesive line being maintained to prevent the enemy counter attacking using outflanking manouvres or opportunities for enfilade fire which decimated formations. To achieve this 56 Division were to attack and clear enemy trenches in the area of Leuze and Bouleaux Woods, now a very open area containing stump remains of the trees. The woods were known by the British as Lousy and Bollocks Woods and had been heavily contested recently, leaving the battlefield uncleared of hundreds of bodies, left where had dropped it being impossible to recover them.
Trench Map of the Woods
1/7th Middlesex job was to give close support to 1st London Battalion who were to attack and hold the German trench running through Bouleaux Wood, on signal they would move forward through the Londons to take the next line. On the night of 14th September the Battalion moved up to positions in Leuze Wood the attacking Companies, A and C occupying a trench running diagonally through the wood, by midnight all were in position. At 6 a.m. an intense artillery bombardment commenced on the German positions, the lines were fronted by a deep protective barbed wire entanglement which should have been cut. To the left of the woods was a heavily fortified German position known as the Quadrilateral and containing concrete pill boxes, which had a clear field of fire over the woods, was also to be neutralised by artillery and other elements of 56th Division.
Map showing Quadrilateral
At 6.20 a.m all along the front whistles blew and a creeping barrage commenced for the attacking Infantry to move forward behind, this could not be used in 56th Divisions area due to the narrow gap between the front lines. Encouraged on by officers and NCO'S the 1st Londons went over the top and attacked, the German defensive wire had not been cut, they were held up 50 yards from their objective and cut to pieces by enemy fire. Communication was lost and it was unclear what had happened so at 8.20 a.m. the order was given for A and C Companies to attack. Again the whistles blew, the leaders shouted encouragement and over the top the men went confident the artillery had been effective and that the tanks they had trained with would be a decisive factor. Three of the 49 new Mk1 tanks of the Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps assigned to the offensive were to support 56th Division, these lumbering beasts had been kept a top secret but had a top speed of four miles per hour. One failed to start, one reached a first trench, was hit by a shell and could not move, it did however continue to fire its guns on German positions. The third kept to the left of the woods but didn't stop where if would have been useful.
There was a lull in the firing but when the two Companies reached the 1st Londons they were subjected to intense artillery, machine gun and rifle fire. From the right they were enfiladed by a number of heavy Maxim guns, A Company took the full force of this fire the Company Commander and two second Lieutenants were killed instantly and the third officer mortally wounded. Both Companies took fire from the Quadrilateral to their left, the guns from both directions had already zeroed their guns on the Londons and the fire was instantaneously on target and devastating. The fire from both flanks and the front created a killing ground from which few were to escape. C Companies officers were incapacitated, the Commander and one second Lietenant were killed outright and the other two severely injured.
Both reserve Companies, B and D, were pushed forward at 11 a.m. but the same fate awaited them, again losses were heavy and both Company Commanders were killed.
1/8th Middlesex were sent forward and attacked in the North west area of Bouleaux Wood, they made little headway and were sent orders to hold where they stood. By the evening of 15th September survivors held the former German front line in Bouleaux Wood which they had managed to enter on the left side of the wood and cleared it with grenade and bayonet under the leadership of Sergeant Groves. About 40 German prisoners had surrendered and were hustled out of the trench to get to British positions to go into captivity, unfortunately no one else was aware and they were mown down by both sides. The survivors held their positions and although they were running low of ammunition, repelled a strong counter attack running out of bombs. Some of the defensive wire was dragged to the new front and the positions consolidated to hold against any further attack, as dusk fell some of the wounded were evacuated to an aid station in Leutze Wood and a few officers and reinforcements from the 1/7th reserve arrived to reinforce the defence. The following day, 16th September 1916 was quiet, snipers were active and a further five men were killed and 11 wounded, however, the survivers held their positions until relieved that night, the 1/7th withdrew from the battle.
Of the 500 men committed to the battle over 400 were killed including all four Company commanders, two CSMs and eight Sergeants, wounded or were missing, Norman was counted in this last statistic and his family notified. It is unclear where in the battle Norman fell unfortunately it is rare that a man's Company appears on his file, there is an indication he may have been in D Company which places him in the reserve Companies committed at 11 a.m. Some effort was made to recover the bodies a few days later and most of the officers identified, Norman was not but by the time the area was safe to recover the dead not many men were. There was little doubt that Norman was killed, no enquiry record exists in the POW Red Cross files, but his status of presumed dead was not changed for a long time. In fact during the Spring of 1917 the whole Territorial Force was re-numbered each Regiment being allocated blocks of 5,000 numbers, Norman was actually allocated a new number TF/208876. His status was finally changed on 27th July 1917 his file marked as; "accepted as dead".
Norman left £2.2s.5d to which a war gratuity of 8.10s was added, this with his 1914-15 Star, British War and Victory Medals, Memorial Plaque and Scroll were forwarded to his mother Anne. Anne had a Memorial stone made which she placed on the grave of her husband, on it is carved a line from his last letter home, "There Is No Victory Without Sacrifice". Norman is also commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, pier 12D face 13B, one name amongst 72331 men lost during the Somme Offensive of 1916 who have no known grave.
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