mentionedindespatches

This photograph - is possibly not Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Salter Weston CMG OBE. Though wearing the Manchester Regiment cap badge and collar dogs, the officer depicted is wearing the medal ribbon of the Military Cross. A regular officer in the Manchester Regiment, Reginald Salter Weston, born Clapham, Surrey, was promoted to Lieutenant wef 2nd August 1888. However LG 26022 of 11 Feb 1890 also shows him promoted to Lieutenant vice Lt C H Moore on 17 Jan 1890. Having been on seconded duty away from the Regiment as a Captain from 18 Mar 1899 [LG 16 May 1899], he returned as Battalion Adjutant from 9th Jan 1901 [LG 27288 of 22 Feb 1901] until 23 Jan 1904 [LG 27657 of 23 Jan 1904]. Major R S Weston was promoted to Temp Lt Col wef 8 Feb 1915 [LG 29293 of 10 Sep 1915]; a rank he relinquished on 13 Nov 1915 [LG of 21 Dec 1915] (probably due to his being wounded and leaving the appointment of Commanding Officer 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment). On 1 Sep 1916, again a Temporary Lieutenant Colonel R S Weston CMG, (annotated Major Manchester Regt), was appointed to the command of a Training Reserve Battalion. Interestingly he is shown as posted from the East Lancashire Regiment. [LG 29754 of 15 Sep 1916]. this appointment ran until 31 Mar 1918 when he again relinquished the rank of TLt Col on 'ceasing to command a battalion'. [LG 30559 of 5 Mar 1918]. On 26 Sep 1918 Major R S Weston CMG Manchester Regiment was appointed as an Area Commandant in the Royal Defence Corps [LG 12117 of 15 Oct 1918] and made once again Temporary Lieutenant Colonel [LG of 22 Oct 1918]. Note that ORs of the Royal Defence Corps wore a circular cap badge and that TLt Col Weston appears to have remained a Manchester. On 22 Nov 1922, on account of his age, Lt Col R S Weston CMG OBE was struck off the strength of the Reserve of Officers.

A quick check of the Army List (September 1919) reveals that none of the Lt Col Commanding Officers in the Manchester Regiment held a Military Cross. The 5th Battalion CO at Wigan was a Major B L Fletcher MC, but not shown in Acting or Temporary rank. Of the Brevet Lieutenant Colonels in the 1st and 2nd Battalions there is a rash of CMGs, DSOs and OBEs but no MCs. Reginald Salter Weston is shown as the most senior Major with CMG OBE. At a guess the officer in this photograph might be; Acting Lieutenant Colonel G B Martin MC, a substantive Captain in the Manchester Regiment serving with the Service Battalions of the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry. He could also be; Major H W Walker MC of the Manchester Regiment who was detached to the Ministry of Information.//

I can't be sure about the ribbons on a b/w photo but this is certainly my uncle Rex (L/Col Weston) with whom I stayed every school holidays from 1933 to 1943 before the war. I have an original studio print of this picture given to my mother by his sister.

John Weston John, I would very much appreciate learning more about your and your uncle's ancestors. My mother-in-law also descends from John and Ann Weston, your uncle Rex's grandparents, but I know nothing about them other than their names. I hope you can take the line back further for us as well. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Albert Baswitz, b 1892 in Bradford, a student teacher and former member of London University OTC, was commissioned into 22nd (County of London) Battalion The London Regiment (The Queen's). He was the son of Mr Herman Baswitz, a German citizen and an enquiring agent with an insurance company. The family home in 1911 was at 40 Tamworth Street, Fulham, London. Albert Baswitz was a student at King's College 1911-14 and afterwards at the London Day Training College. He passed his Intermediate Arts examinations in 1912 and graduated with a Mathematics BSc with Honours in 1914. The award of a Military Cross to 2Lt (Temporary Lt) Albert Baswitz is published in the Supplement of 14 Jan 1916 to Edition 29438 of the London Gazette dated 11 Jan 1916. 2Lt (Temp Lt) Baswitz was promoted to Temp Capt with effect 5 Jul 1916. [LG 29694 dated 4 Aug 1916]. 2Lt (Temp Capt) Baswitz was promoted to Lt (Temp Capt) with effect 12 Sep 1916 [LG 29778 dated 10 Oct 16].//

The King's College London Memorial contains the following extract from the King's College Review of December 1916 kingscollections.org/warmemorials/kings-college/memorials... Captain Baswitz met his death gallantly leading his men against the Germans on September 16th last. A brother officer writing of his death says: "His sheer keenness for the whole thing was wonderfully infectious. On the 16th his chance came - the chance he had been longing for. He was ordered to take his company up and reinforce another battalion which was going to attack. So he died, gallantly leading his men, doing a work that he was always anxious to do." Another writes: "His men, especially the bombers, adored him. There was no more popular officer in the whole division. His example will always be before us." His Colonel, writing to his bereaved parents, said: "He was one of the bravest men I have ever met and one of the best of friends, beloved by the officers and all of his men too."

In September 1916 the strong and dominating German position in the notorious ‘High Wood’ feature still remained to be taken. III Corps was assigned to assault this feature, as part of a broad attack on Martinpuich and Flers Courcelette, using 47th (London) Division. 47th Division, commanded by Major General Charles Barter, had recently arrived on the Somme and they relieved 1st Division in trenches in front of their objective on 10th September. Tanks were to be used for the first time in this attack, but because of the proximity of the British front line to High Wood the 3 day artillery preparation that was to be brought down elsewhere, commencing on 12th September, was not fired for 47th Division. Maj Gen Barter and the Commanders of 140, 141 and 142 Brigades wanted to temporarily pull back to allow the British artillery to include High Wood in the fire-plan, but they were overruled by HQ III Corps. Barter also, correctly, had misgivings about the ability of the tanks to negotiate the tree stumps and craters in and around High Wood. At 06.20hrs on 15th September the 47th Division attack began with 50th Division on their left and the New Zealand Division on their right. The first wave, left their trenches before ‘zero’ and lay out in formation, consisted of London battalions from 141 Brigade – 17th Battalion (Poplar & Stepney Rifles), 18th Battalion (London Irish), and two companies 15th Battalion (Civil Service Rifles) from 140 Brigade. The Germans immediately responded with artillery and machine-gun fire. 15th Battalion suffered 80% casualties and had both Company Commanders killed. The tanks, as predicted, became ditched and stuck and were left behind. As the attack lost momentum the second wave of 141 Brigade, 19th Battalion (St Pancras) and 20th Battalion (Blackheath & Woolwich) went over the top. Meanwhile on the left of High Wood 140 Brigade was caught by enfilade fire quickly countered by 7th Londons who got into the ‘Switch Line’ trench. 8th Londons (Post Office Rifles) followed them into the churned and stump filled wood and despite taking heavy casualties began to roll-up the German positions – this advantage was quickly exploited by 6th Londons (Rifles) who reinforced them at 0820hrs. The infantry battle for High Wood became a savage, close-quarters, hand-to-hand fight which raged for 5 hours during which the London battalions had to call for close artillery and trench mortar fire to neutralise the enemy in prepared positions in the north, north-west and eastern extremities of the wood. Eventually the Germans were overrun and began to surrender. By 1300hrs the British finally held High Wood, though the Germans continued to bring down artillery fire. 142 Brigade, (21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Londons) were quickly moved into High Wood to tackle any by-passed positions and consolidate the ground taken. The 332 men killed and wounded in 17th Battalion reflected the desperate ferocity of the battle which cost 4,500 British casualties. On 19th September, 47th Division was relieved in place by 1st Division. The GOC, Maj Gen Barter was immediately relieved of his command by the III Corps Commander, Lt Gen Pulteney, who accused him of unnecessarily wasting men. This was manifestly unjust as Barter had strongly objected to attacking without preliminary artillery support and the consequences chiefly arose from the flawed III Corps plan. Maj Gen C StL Barter was awarded a KCG in 1916 and a KCMG in 1918, but was denied the official enquiry into his dismissal from command.//

Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists following details BASWITZ, ALBERT Rank:Captain Date of Death:16/09/1916 Age:24 Regiment/Service:London Regiment 1st/22nd Bn. Awards:M C Grave ReferenceI. E. 13. Cemetery FLATIRON COPSE CEMETERY, MAMETZ Additional Information: Twice Mentioned in Despatches. Son of Mr. H. Baswitz, of 40, Tamworth St., Fulham, London. Theses details can be found here www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/556251/BASWITZ,... A photo of his grave can be found here twgpp.org/information.php?id=3201880

Albert is one of my cousins. I added him to our family tree last year as his name was not included on the same tree where his father, mother and three other siblings are. From English census records was able to verify he is/was very much a part of our family. He died too young, but he died valiantly. As another of our cousins pointed out, there was a very good chance Albert was fighting his own cousins across enemy lines as there were others of our relatives who fought on the German side during WWI, unbeknownst to each other.

Super picture. For once, this service dress looks 'used' - creases on a pocket and on the sleeve; bulging right pocket (who knows what!). His tie looks a bit rough, too. Either his batman has let him down, or he has just come inside for a photograph, after a morning's hack. Nice picture. Interesting story.

9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers. Not 9th Battalion.

Later Sir Charles Wilfrid Bennett, Baronet Kirklington, (15 Mar 1898 - 25 Apr 1952), son of Sir Albert James Bennett, 1st Bt., MP (1872-1945) and Caroline Carleton Backus. 'Wilfrid' Bennett married Agnes Marion Somervell, daughter of James Somervell, on 3 June 1927. They had two children: A daughter Anne Bennett b. 7 Oct 1928; and a son, Ronald Wilfrid Murdoch Bennett, later 3rd Bt, b. 25 Mar 1930. He received the Territorial Decoration for his Territorial service. He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry. After the First World War he was admitted to Inner Temple in 1924 and was entitled to practice as a Barrister-at-Law. He fought in the Second World War, where he was mentioned in despatches. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Baronet Bennett, of Kirklington, Nottingham on 14 December 1945. He held the office of Metropolitan Police Court Magistrate between 1946 and 1952.//

Superb capture. Have a good day

Nice shot