VALENTINE Roland

Our People - Roland Edgerton Valentine

31 May 1917

#203996 Private Roland Edgerton Valentine
1st / 9th Battalion, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
165th Brigade, 55th (West Lancashire) Division
Killed in Action 31 May 1917 age 19
Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Ref. AA.2.

Frederick Oswald Valentine and Elizabeth Ann Openshaw were aged 27 and 28 respectively when they were married at Christ Church, Adlington on 18 October 1892. Frederick was a painter and decorator and Elizabeth was a housekeeper. Their first child, Margaret Alice, was born 12 November 1893 and baptised 11 February 1894 at Adlington. They had one other child - a brother for Margaret, Roland Edgerton, born 16 May 1898 in Leyland and baptised at St. Ambrose, Leyland 10 July 1898.

From the records, it would appear that Elizabeth died in 1900. The 1901 census shows Frederick and his young family living with his mother Frances, 59, and his sister Alice, 25 at 11 Newsholme Street in Leyland. Frederick was still working as a house painter.

By 1911, Frederick and his children were still with his mum at 11 Meadow Street, Leyland. Frederick was carrying on his painting and decorating and Margaret was a rubber worker. Roland was studying at school.

No service record survives for Roland, but assuming that he did not join the services under-age, he would have been called up shortly after his eighteenth birthday on 16 May 1916. He joined 1/9th Battalion the Kings (Liverpool Regiment). He was killed in action at the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, the opening attack of the Battle of Passcendaele (3rd Ypres). We are fortunate in that the War Diary is extremely detailed for this day and we can only imagine what Roland and his comrades went through. As one might expect, the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele was an extremely busy one. The 1/9th Battalion War Diary is very detailed and like most War Diaries it is handwritten in pencil - some of which is very faint. Where I cannot read a particular word I have inserted a question mark rather than second guess the writer.

"JULY 30 1917 OXFORD TRENCH. The Battalion objective was the BLACK LINE from C.24.G.35.55. to D.19.A.40.45. The forming up trench was OXFORD TRENCH. Battalion Headquarters being in the Cart dugout. All ? were completed by about 2.30 AM. - the first wave was composed of C. Company on the left (LEFT) and D. Company on the right (RIGHT) with a platoon from B. Company under 2nd Lieut. Ebbels in rear to mop up PLUM FARM and APPLE VILLA. B. Company was in support and A. Company in reserve.

At 3.0 AM tea was issued and the leading wave got out of OXFORD TRENCH and lay in front of it. Zero hour was fixed for 3.50 AM. when the 5th and 6th Kings would have to attack and capture the German front line system and consolidate the BLUE LINE.

JULY 30 / JULY 31 1917. The night was quiet, and the Battalion had got into position without casualties. At 3.50 AM the barrage started and the 5th and 6th Kings left the trenches. Our leading waves left OXFORD TRENCH to take up their position in WARWICK TRENCH. At 4.20 AM the Battalion started - it was very dark and difficult to pick up landmarks - no news had yet come in from the 5th and 6th Kings. Four minutes after ZERO, the enemy put a heavy barrage of H.E. shells on OXFORD TRENCH - several men were hit there. A Lewis Gun team was knocked out and the reserve Lewis Gun ammunition blown up, and the wounded had to be dressed in the open trench. No news came in for a long time, but numbers of German prisoners were seen coming over to our lines. At 6.30 AM Capt. Atkinson, Lieut. G. W. Harrison, 2nd Lt. Lees, and A/RSM Roberts went over to establish Headquarters at JASPER FARM. No news was received from the 5th, 6th or 9th until 7.30 AM. when a runner returned from Capt. Atkinson bringing messages from the front line Companies and supports. Capt. Richer reported that he had reached his objective but was in need of reinforcements - Capt. ROBERTS reported that he had crossed the STEENBEKE with from 6 to 10 men, another message following immediately, said that he had reached BANK FARM. 2nd Lieut. GELDARD reported that he had reached his final objective with seven (7) men.

Headquarters the proceeded first to UHLAN FARM, and then to a dugout near JASPER FARM. A message was then received that 2nd Lieut ELLAM had reinforced 2nd Lieut GELDARD with fifty (50) men and that all was consolidated. A runner reported that D. Company had been held up by machine guns on both flanks, but the men who had been temporarily held up were reforming their Company in small parties. At this time the enemy was shelling his old front line system, NO MANS LAND, and as far back as POTIJZE very heavily with 77mm., 4.2, 5.9 and 8 inch shells in addition to high bursting shrapnel.

In the vicinity of JASPER FARM there were five (5) tanks, most of which appeared to be derelicts.

A message was received at 9.30 AM from 2 Lt. EBBELS who with his platoon was at APPLE VILLA, saying that the enemy was massing on HILL 35. - at the same time the 164 BRIGADE who were to attack the GREEN LINE began to pass JASPER FARM. A verbal message was received saying that Lieut FAUSSET had been killed and 2. Lt BARKER wounded. 2nd. Lieut RAWCLIFFE was slightly wounded.

At 11.45 AM, orders arrived from the Brigade that all available men were to be sent up to the BLACK LINE and that we were to be reinforced by TWO (2) Companies of the 6th Kings.

Major HOARE then went forward by PLUM FARM to BANK FARM and the POMMERN REDOUBT to see what the situation was - at PLUM FARM there were several wounded and Lieut. HARRISON established an Aid Post there in a concrete dugout. BANK FARM had been captured by this Battalion although it was really in the sector allotted to the 166 Brigade. A German machine gunner on the roof of a concrete dugout had caused us many casualties - in carrying out the attack on this gun Lieut. FAUSSET who led the party was shot through the heart - a tank arrived at the ? moment and shot the machine gunner who had been firing his gun up to the last minute and was now lying dead on the roof of the dugout surrounded by hundreds of empty cases. Capt. ROBERTS had also come up against BANK FARM, whereupon 2nd Lieut GELDERD seeing that the leading companies were going too far to the left (LEFT) attacked the POMMERN REDOUBT with six men one of them being a signaller armed with a shutter. Unaided, they captured about forty prisoners. Then 2nd Lieut ELLAM arrived with B Company and the number of prisoners was increased to about 90 (ninety) - the enemy was quite demoralized and running in crowds over the crest line of HILL 35. 2nd Lieut RANDALL had led an attack on a party of Germans who started bombing our men on their left flank as they were digging. At BANK FARM Capt. ROBERTS saw a party of Germans lying in a trench - he immediately rushed towards them shouting as he waved his arms above his head "Hoch, hoch, hoch" - the enemy at once stood up and also putting up their hands replied "Hoch, hoch, hoch" and surrendered.

During the attack on the POMMERN REDOUBT, Corporal JAMES CLARK discovered an enemy machine Gun team trying to take their gun out of action - he immediately shot one of the gunners, put the remainder to flight, and caused them to abandon their gun. At the same place, Lance Corporal J. MARCHBANK organized a bombing squad and worked his way down an enemy trench - this squad although only seven (7) strong took twenty (20) prisoners. Private F. FOWLER also displayed great gallantry in bombing the enemy and when the supply of bombs was finished he used German bombs. Through his efforts at least a dozen prisoners were taken.

The Companies were reorganised and were consolidating in line from BANK FARM to the POMMERN REDOUBT - this was being heavily shelled from 11 AM till 4 PM. Company HQ were established in a dugout at BANK FARM on the roof of which was the machine gun which had caused so much trouble. This dugout had been the Headquarters of the Artillery Officer believed to be a Colonel who was taken prisoner by Sergeant Williams. A number of maps and papers were taken here and sent down to the Brigade. BATTALION H.Q. were now established at PLUM FARM. About 4 PM reports began to come in that things were not going well with the 164 Brigade in front of us and that it was falling back but for some time no confirmation of this was forthcoming.

Company Commanders were warned to be ready to meet a counter attack - the day had been dark and misty and it was impossible to see anything clearly. Some distance away on the left, parties of Germans could be seen and some of them apparently advancing with their hands up - what had happened on the right flank we did not know. FREZENBERG we believed to be in our hands as the enemy appeared to be shelling it. From the reports came in that the 164 Brigade was falling back - small groups of men appeared to be coming back over HILL 35 but there was still no sign of a general withdrawal. The Battalion ? was "standing to" ready to meet a counter attack - our artillery officer came in during the evening and reported that the 164 Brigade had retired and the enemy were holding HILL 35 in force. An ? order arrived from the Brigade ? a general ? up on the BLACK LINE but this involved no change in our own dispositions - it ended by saying that the BLACK LINE was to be held at all costs - it was followed later by another ORDER, directing that the Brigade was to be relieved that night. All efforts were now being directed to bringing up supplies and every man at BATTN. H.Q. who could be spared was put on this job. The shelling was now very violent all round PLUM FARM. A party of 20 (twenty) had been sent for from the FRONT LINE to carry up water etc. - in less than half an hour all but 3 (three) were casualties, eight (8) of them being killed.

During the night the 164 Brigade retired over the BLACK LINE and rain fell heartily."

Roland was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. His effects of £1 7s. 9d. were authorised 26 November 1917 and paid to his father, and a War Gratuity was authorised 3 November 1919 and also paid to his father. He is also remembered on three Leyland memorials - the Church Road Civic Memorial, the Wesleyan Methodist Church WW1 Roll of Honour and the St.Andrews C.E. WW1 Plaque

Note: The Leyland Parish News for September 1917 gives his date of death as 2 August 1917, while the Register of Soldiers Effects gives date of death as between 31 July 1917 and 2 August 1917, which are the recognised dates for this battle. I have, however gone with the Commonwealth War Graves and other records.

CWGC headstone of Roland Edgerton Valentine at Potijze Burial Ground Cemetery

CWGC Roland Edgerton Valentine
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