2 Battalion OB 8 August 1918

2 BattalionOB. 8^th August 1918

2 Battalion had 35 tanks in action on 8^th August 1918 ^(W21):

A Company – Major Diamond HV MC ^(H2)

1 section

9016, 2Lt Clarke AJ

9302, 2Lt Clarke ADM

9067, 2Lt Greenwood P

2 section

9019, 2Lt Somper JJ

B14, 9299, "Bodecea", 2Lt Harrison HD

9066, 2Lt Baxter ES

3 section

9327, 2Lt Cann WG

9257, 2Lt Whitehead A. MM

9002, 2Lt Stammers AE

4 section

9312, 2Lt Deans JK. MM

9305, 2Lt Teale FA

9031, Lt McLean RC

B Company – Major Scrutton AE ^(H2)

5 section – Captain Hoylans, ^(W2)

B26, 9034, "Buffalo III", Lt Cornish W

B28, 9017, "Bison III", Lt Wright WTC

B36, 9300, "Byon II", Lt Martin A

6 section – Captain Ramsden ^(w18aus)

B37, 9035, "Bushranger III", Sgt Hadlow BW

9041, Lt Coe HJ

A third tank which failed to start.

7 section - Captain Porter ^(w19aus)

B21, 9414, "Belicoze II", Lt Todd AS

B22, 9402, "Bantam II", Lt Allison JA

B23, 9094, “Baronet”, Lt Craig WA

8 section – Captain Auden ^(w17aus)

B33, 9013, "Blighty II, Lt Samuals TR

B34, 9415, "Bunty", Lt Botterill GV

B27, 9309, "Buffoon II", Lt Rothery A

C Company – Major Crouch TA DSO ^(H2)

9 Section

9432, 2Lt James AS

B4?, 9004, 2Lt Tattersfield

9314, 2Lt Cahill JJ

10 Section

9401, Sgt Smith WE

9325, 2Lt Rendle NC

9009, Lt Percy-Fade PR

11 section

9398, 2Lt Gorringe PH

9010, 2Lt Albertson AH

9077, 2Lt Dearburg SG

12 section

9359, 2Lt Hedges WR

9256, 2Lt Green WT

B56, 9003, "Barrhead", 2Lt Cameron D

Also, possibly spare tanks:

B31, 9006, "Buccaneer II"

B32, 9320, "Blackleg II"

B39, 9046, "Bandit II"

Supply tanks

1 section (6 tanks) of Top towers attached from Maj. Watsons 4 Tank Supply Company (originally from 5 tank Supply Company). ^(W2a)

5^th and 7^th Australian Brigades - One Gun Carrier Supply tank each ^(w28Aus)

1 Section, 1 Gun Carrier Company. ^(w28Aus)

112, “Auld Reekie” ^(w28Aus)

137, “Leeds” ^(w28Aus)

8^th Australian Brigade ^(W15bAus)

5 GC tanks, listed in 13^th Battalions Narrative.

15^th Australian Brigade – 4 Gun Carrier supply tanks ^(W15bAus)

135, “Eastbourne”

109, “Bath”, 2 Lt W Saunders

146, “Jarrow”

101, “Charlton”, Capt HC Raxton

Notes

Section allocations a guess.

B46, "Britannia", male, filmed behind British lines: IWM 286: 2.35 - 3.14 http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060022769

presumably one of "C" company's males: 9009 or 9010, though 9004 can't be ruled out.

B6 photographed moving forward with other male tanks, unknown date: IWM Q 46130: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205280259

First part of 9004 crew number from photograph;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7700258@N05/937584518/in/set-721Lt Coe's tank57601074581465

One “C” Company tank was knocked out by shellfire on the night of the 5/6^th. It was replaced by a spare tank that had been painted up as a Comic tank and used as a side show at the recent brigade sports. ^(H2)

B56 details from narrative ^(S42.p148) and photograph ^{(X52 cover)}

All other crew numbers and names, and all possible spare tank details, from Provisional Tank Identification List, A Huygelier (SBv BMA)

B39, 9406, may be Lt Coe's tank or it may be the tank which broke down and failed to start.

Sources

W2 – 2^ND Battalion War Diary, Report on Operations of 8^th August 1918. Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.

W2a – 2^ND Battalion War Diary, Report on Operations of 8^th August 1918 and

Account of Action of 2^nd battalion form Afternoon 8^th August to evening of 9^th August 1918

H2 – 2^nd Battalion War History, Transcript from Bovington Tank Museum.

W25 – 5^th Tank Brigade War Diary – Relevant report on operations. PRO WO 95 / 112

W25bg – 5^th Tank Brigade War Diary – Relevant Battlegraph. PRO WO 95 / 112

OH – Official History, 1918, Vol IV, pg.62ff

W5bAus – War Diary of 5^th Australian Infantry Brigade. Downloaded.

Initial report of operations 8^th August 1918.

Fifth Australian Infantry Brigade Order No. 207.

W7bAus – War Diary of 5^th Australian Infantry Brigade. Downloaded.

Seventh Australian Infantry Brigade Order No. 211.

Report of operations carried out on the morning of 8^th August 1918.

W17aus – War Diary of 17^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W18aus – War Diary of 18^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W19aus – War Diary of 19^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W20aus – War Diary of 20^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W26aus – War Diary of 26^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W27aus – War Diary of 27^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

W28aus – War Diary of 28^th Australian battalion. Downloaded from AWM.

SBv BMA - Provisional Tank Identification List, A Huygelier

2 Battalion 8 August 1918