Thomas Atkinson

Thomas Atkinson. 46377 Pte. 13th Battalion (Bn), Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Killed in action (KIA) 28th August 1918, Longueval, France, age 35 yrs.

Thomas Atkinson was a gardener at Aynsome Manor, prior to his enlistment and lived in one of the "tied" cottages. The manor was the home of Sir Evan and Lady McGregor. Miss Joyce Smith, daughter of the the Reverend G.S. Smith, remembers this dour Scottish couple. They were owners of one of the first automobiles in the valley and, to avoid the possibility of it being scratched by a wayward horse and carriage while they were in church, the car was parked inside the vicarage grounds. The young Miss Smith one day wrote her name in the dusty paintwork and was rewarded with a severe telling-off! Sir Evan retired to Cartmel from the most senior civilian post in the Admiralty and his standard still hangs in the North Transept of the priory. He was the grandson of Hardy, Nelson's Captain at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Aynsome Manor is on the right hand side of the photograph, with the gardeners' cottages on the left.

The "Westmorland Gazette" reported, "ATKINSON, Pte. Thomas E., Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was killed in action on the 28th August. He was the husband of Mrs. Ada Atkinson, Aynsome Cottages, Cartmel, and eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Atkinson, Chestnut Cottage, Troutbeck Bridge. His captain writes; "It is hard for me adequately to express my sympathy. It may be some consolation to know that he was brave and fearless to the end. He was all a soldier should be, and his loss is deplored greatly by those few who remain." This is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson who has lost his life in action within nine months; another is a prisoner of war, and a fourth son has lost an eye." Cpl J H Atkinson, 11th Bn. Border Regt., died of wounds age 32, on 26 Nov 1917 in 61 CCS (Casualty Clearing Station), at Dozinghem west of Ypres, where he lies today in plot XIV, row E, grave 20.

The Parish Magazine contained a different excerpt from the captain's letter, "During the recent fighting the behaviour of your husband was magnificent and he fell during the advance on Delville Wood....he died doing his duty, brave and fearless to the end etc....."

The warfare of the summer of 1918 was changing from the slogging stalemate of the previous years, to a more mobile battlefield. The German offensive of the spring had been held and the Allies were advancing at a speed unheard of in 1916. Ludendorff later called August 8th 'the black day of the German Army'. They estimated a loss of 30,000 casualties and prisoners. British losses were 6,500 killed or wounded.

The 13th, 14th, and 16th Battalions of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers made up 113th Infantry Brigade part of 38th (Welsh) Division, V Corps in the summer of 1918. Late July and early August saw the division resting near Herissart holding sports, horse shows and races at nearby Toutencourt, but on August 5th it returned to the line North and South of Aveluy Wood.

Albert and the river were in German hands, the Ancre had been flooded, leaving it 2-300yards wide, 113 Brigade were ordered across. The brigade traversed rebuilt bridges under shellfire on the night of 22/23 August and formed up 100 yards from the enemy who were successfully attacked at 4:45 am when Usna Hill and 194 prisoners were taken.

Fighting continued, and 113 Bde. fought hard in the La Boisselle area and, by 4:00pm on the 24th, the division occupied a line North and South-East of Ovillers. That night the divisional field artillery, which include 62nd Div. artillery (see G. Hardy), crossed the Ancre to join the infantry. 113 Bde. continued to advance during the evening and took Contalmaison.

There was no respite and all three of the divisions infantry brigades advanced in line on August 25th, to come up to the German's line of Mametz Wood - Bazentin-le-Petit - High Wood. 113 Bde. attacked and captured Mametz Wood, a name to invoke horrific memories for the Welshmen who fought there in 1916, Bazentin-le-Petit was also captured, but High Wood's dominant position again made its capture difficult.

Nevertheless 113 Brigade's advance continued on the 26th across the 1916 battlefield. The broken and undulating ground approaching the Western edge of Longueval was captured with the help of Robert Graves’ and Siegfried Sassoon's old Battalion 2/RWF.

The Brigade was heavily counterattacked by enemy troops massing unseen in Delville Wood, but they were halted by accurate rifle and artillery fire.

The following morning, at 4:00am, 113 Bde. attacked again, but were able to make only slight gains because of the enemy's strong position at Longueval - Delville Wood - Flers. The area was subjected to heavy shelling on the 28th, but the enemy retaliated with their own guns, making life uncomfortable for the Welsh infantrymen.

113th Brigade noticed that the enemy's resistance in Longueval was weakening as the evening drew on. The Brigadier ordered an attack and the village was captured, but Thomas Atkinson was killed. On the 29th the division moved on, 113 Bde. advanced South of Delville Wood and captured Ginchy, 115th Bde. passed through 114th Bde. North of the wood while Delville Wood itself was cleared by 13th Welsh Regiment, what a different story to that of 1916.

Pte. Atkinson is buried in Delville Wood Cemetery, Plot XXII, Row L, Grave 6. This photograph shows Thomas' grave third from the left, Delville Wood itself is in the background, basking peacefully in the August sunshine 82 years later, almost to the day he died.