Richebourg Boar’s
Head Commemoration 2008
Early on the morning
of June 28, while most people were still soundly asleep in their beds, small
groups of people from across the south of England were setting off for the
Channel ports, at the beginning of what, to some of them, has become an annual
pilgrimage.
Where were they
going? To a small French village in the Pas de Calais called Richebourg.
Why were they
going? To commemorate the men of the Southdowns
battalions of the Royal Sussex Regiment, known locally as Lowther’s Lambs, who
had fought in a battle on the eve of the Somme,
30th June, 1916.
En route to
Richebourg this year, our party travelled via the village of Laventie,
near to which is the Royal Irish Rifles cemetery. Despite its name this small cemetery contains
the graves of men from a diversity of regiments. Amongst them are those of just three men from
the Boar's Head action, including Eastbourne
man Nelson Carter. Company Sergeant
Major Nelson Victor Carter was one of the men of the 12th Battalion, the Royal
Sussex Regiment, who fought and died in the Battle of the Boar's Head. His grave is singularly distinguished from
the others within the Royal Irish Rifles cemetery by the engraving on his
headstone of the Victoria Cross, which he was awarded posthumously for his
action in single-handedly taking a German machine gun position, turning the gun
on the enemy, and holding the position whilst his comrades from the Southdowns
battalions withdrew, when, towards the end of the battle, the British gains
became untenable. Carter himself
subsequently returned to the British lines, but went several times into no
man's land to bring back injured men. It
was whilst doing this that he was shot in the chest, and died “almost
immediately”. Our party placed a small
cross of sacrifice at Carter's grave in memory of his brave actions, before
continuing our journey to Richebourg.
Just before 6 p.m. local time, the parties who
had travelled from England
met at the Richebourg St. Vaast cemetery, where the local villagers, the Mayors
of Richebourg and Aubers, the Richebourg local band, and the standard bearers
of Les Anciens Combattants, the local veterans
associations, were already gathered.
There followed a very moving, commemoration ceremony, in which we
remembered the sacrifice made by those who laid down their lives, those who
were wounded or taken prisoner, and those who survived the battle but for whom
the memory of the events of that day would remain with them for the rest of
their lives.
Among those attending
from England
were relatives of the dead and missing, and some of the soldiers who had
survived the battle. Every major town in
Sussex
lost men on that day, with the towns of Chichester,
Eastbourne, Hastings and Worthing
suffering some of the greatest losses, and all of those towns were represented
by relatives, with a total of thirteen attending from Eastbourne
alone. The Glosters, who also played a significant part in the action, were
also represented at the commemoration.
There are many sad personal tales relating to the battle,
included among which, from Worthing alone,
were the deaths of the two Blaker Brothers, Leonard, who is buried at
Richebourg St. Vaast Post cemetery, and Frank, who is listed amongst the
missing on the Loos Memorial. Also from Worthing,
the Pannell Brothers, Alfred and Charles, 12th Battalion, and William, 13th
Battalion, all amongst the missing. The fourth brother George, a Corporal in
the Southdowns, was at home on leave at the time of the attack. We hope that
relatives of both families will join us in future years.
Amongst the saddest
of all the stories must be that of John Searle, one of five brothers from Worthing. Private
Searle had enlisted in the 12th Battalion at the age of just fourteen and a
half. After the battle, his mother
appealed through the local paper for any soldier having knowledge of him to
contact her, but no contact came. He had not yet reached his 16th birthday when
he was listed missing presumed dead at the Battle of the Boar's Head. He too is recorded
amongst the missing on the tablets of the Loos Memorial.
Following the commemoration the Mayor’s party, the band ,
and the standard bearers, with the Royal Sussex Living History Group, marched
from the cemetery to the village War Memorial, where we laid a wreath in memory
of our French comrades who also paid the ultimate price defending their
homeland during the Great War, and also as a sign of respect for the people of
Richebourg itself. The village was awarded the Croix de Guerre in recognition
of the devastation it suffered during the war.
On the morning
following the remembrance, we visited the battlefield with the majority of the
relatives who had taken part in the commemoration. The course of the battle was explained,
following which some of the group walked the battlefield to try to gain a
better understanding of the challenges their ancestors had faced, whilst others
chose to use the time in quiet personal reflection.
During the course of
this year’s remembrance we were
fortunate to have Richard Jones and his cameraman Paul from Meridian
Tonight with us. We would like to thank them for the very moving piece that
they compiled, and was broadcast on 30th June.
Later that day we
visited the Loos Memorial to the missing, and there laid a wreath in memory of
Pte Searle, and the other one hundred and ninety-one men of Lowther’s Lambs who
fell at the Boar’s Head and have no known grave.
This year's
commemoration is the third to be held.
Now an annual event, it takes place each year on the last Saturday in
June, at 6 p.m. local time,
at the Richebourg St. Vaast Post Military Cemetery, in the Rue des
Charbonniers, Richebourg.
If you had a relative
who served with one of the Southdowns (11th, 12th and 13th) battalions, the
Royal Sussex Regiment, who took part in the Battle of the Boar's Head, the Royal Sussex
Living History group would very much like to hear from you.
We can be contacted
via e-mail at:
or by telephone on 07977 511134.
since the ninetieth anniversary
WE HAVE REMEMBERED THEM.
We will endeavour to continue to do so
at
Richebourg St. Vaast Post Military
Cemetery
At 17.00hrs on the last Saturday in
June
each year until the 100th
anniversary
The 100th
Anniversary Commemoration will be held at 17.00hrs on 30th June 2016.
God willing we will
be there.
The major
Boar’s Head Cemeteries are:
Our thanks to Fred Dablemont for providing us with the
excellent photographs.
© 2006-2010 John A Baines