One of the lucky ones

Britain declared war on Germany on 4^th August 1914 and, within days, Lord Kitchener, the new Secretary of State for War, believing that the existing British Expeditionary Force was too small to play an influential part in a major European conflict, appealed for 100,000 volunteers aged between 19 and 30 to join the British Army.  In just eight weeks, over three-quarters of a million men in Britain had joined up what became known as the New Armies or Kitchener’s Armies.[i]

Ted Mayhew, a wallpaper printer aged 24[iii], enlisted at Walham Green Recruiting Office, Fulham, during the first couple of weeks of September 1914[iv], when many people assumed the war would be over by Christmas.  Unfortunately, his Army Service Record has not survived as it was one of the 92% of soldiers’ records destroyed following bomb and fire damage at the records office during the 1940s. 

At the recruiting office Ted would have passed a series of tests and a medical examination to confirm he was over 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall and fit enough for the rigours of a soldier’s life and role.  He would then have sworn an oath of allegiance to the King upon a Bible promising to ‘faithfully defend His Majesty, His Heirs and successors…against all enemies’. The oath also required each man to promise to obey the authority of ‘all Generals and Officers set over me’.  New recruits signed up for a ‘Short Service Attestation’, under which they agreed to serve for ‘three years or the duration of the war, whichever the longer’, rather than the 12 years of service which were normally demanded when joining the Army. 

Ted did not apply to join one of the so called ‘Pals Battalions’ formed locally from men who enlisted together in local recruiting drives with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours, and colleagues, rather than being arbitrarily allocated to battalions.  Instead, he was assigned to the 8^th (Service) Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), as new recruits were often sent in batches wherever numbers were needed.  This battalion raised by Lord Kitchener in Pontefract, Yorkshire, in September 1914 and came under the command of the 70th Brigade in the 23rd Division[v]. 

Ted’s early life seems to have been uneventful.  He was born on 9^th September 1890, the twelfth child of Richard Alfred Mayhew, a labourer at the local gas works, and his wife Annie (née Bristow).  Although always known as ‘Ted’, he was christened Charles Edwin Mayhew at St John’s Church, World’s End, Chelsea[vi], and grew up in what no doubt was a very crowded and noisy house.  By 1911, Ted, now aged 20, was still living with his parents and had found work as a labourer in the Osborne & Shearman Wallpaper factory close to his home.  By now, all but one of his siblings, James aged 23 also a factory labourer, had married and left the family home[vii].  In his spare time, Ted loved playing football and was talented enough to play for Swan Athletic first eleven, an amateur football team linked to an illustrious local brewery based nearby at Walham Green.

Ted was the first of the Mayhew brothers to join the Army, although as a keen footballer, he might have felt a twinge of regret to have enlisted just weeks before the 17th Middlesex (1st Football) Battalion was raised at Fulham Town Hall, when his 23 year-old niece Harriet Obee’s fiancé, professional footballer and Chelsea reserve goalkeeper, William Krug was one of the first to step forward.  However, Ted’s focus may have been elsewhere as his mother Annie sadly died on the 6^{th of} October[viii] and, just weeks later, he married his sweetheart 22-year-old Elizabeth Edith Jolly,[ix] whilst home on leave from a training camp in Surrey.

In August 1915, following several months of basic training aimed at improving physical fitness , learning individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, basic field skills, and how to safely handle their weapons, the 8^th Battalion, including Ted[x], travelled by train to Southampton and then on by boat to Boulogne, France[xi]. The battalion, which consisted of about 800 officers and men, was divided into four Companies lettered A through to D, each made up of at least two platoons commanded by a lieutenant or second lieutenant, who was often younger than the men under their command.  These platoons of ‘other ranks’ were then divided into three or four sections of seven to twelve usually under the command of a non-commissioned officer, often a corporal or sergeant. 

After enduring several days of rigorous preparations in the pouring rain, the troops embarked on a gruelling two-day march through scorching hot weather until they reached the Western Front where, unbeknownst to them, they would spend the next four years.  The tough journey would have taken a toll on the men’s spirits, and their sense of camaraderie would have been dampened further by the tragic loss of one of their own when Pte George Arthur Goodacre, a 25-year-old quarryman[xii] from Nottingham [xiii], was drowned on 12^th September while bathing at Erquinghem-la-Lys[xiv].   

While stationed on the Western Front, the men of the 8^th Battalion actively participated in some of the major engagements of the war including:

The Battle of Loos (September-October 1915):
The battalion was involved in the British attack at Loos in France, which saw the first major attack by volunteer soldiers of Kitchener’s New Armies.  This was a significant battle which saw the first large-scale use of poison gas by the British forces.  During their first experience of active service, the men of the 8^th Battalion KOYLI witnessed three of their comrades killed and twenty wounded[xv].  The three volunteers who died were 22-year-old blacksmith striker Charles Blight from Cardiff[xvi], 42-year-old house painter Edwin Greenheld from Scarborough[xvii], and 19-year-old Joseph Sargan an apprentice butcher from Rotherham[xviii].  A few days later, one of the wounded, 26-year-old 2^nd Lieutenant Henry James Cook a former cider merchant’s clerk from Devon[xix], succumbed to his injuries in a military hospital near Etaples[xx]. 

After the battle, the men transferred with the 70^th Brigade to 8^th Division in an exchange designed to allow the inexperienced troops to learn from those who had battle experience.[xxi]  8^th Division was holding the front at Bois-Grenier south of Armentières, near Lille in Northern France, the men spent time in billets undertaking practical training, drilling, marching, working parties, cleaning, and church parades, interspersed with intense periods as a defence unit on the front line, when they learned how to live in the primitive trenches during a bitterly cold winter before returning to their original division in June 1916.

During this relatively quiet period, one officer was wounded, but twenty-three other ranks were killed in action, one was accidentally killed, four were accidentally wounded, seventy-three were wounded and one man died from natural causes.[xxii]

The Battle of the Somme (July-November 1916):  

The 8th Battalion KOYLI marked their entry into the devastating Battle of the Somme on Saturday 1^st July 1916 at the Battle of Albert.  However, before even venturing beyond their trenches at 7:30am near Ovillers, the battalion had already suffered terrible losses during the relentless barrage of hostile shellfire in the preliminary bombardment. 

As the first waves of young men went ‘over the top’, some managed to reach the enemy lines, but subsequent waves faced the brutal reality of No Man’s Land and were met with heavy losses.  Disastrously, before the first line of enemy trenches was reached, more than half of the battalion had been wounded or killed.  Of the twenty-five officers, one Medical Officer, and 659 other ranks who left the trenches that morning, only the Medical Officer and a mere 110 men would return by evening. 

The first day of the Battle of the Somme stands as a harrowing testament to the bloodshed endured by the British Army, etching itself into history as one of the most infamous and devastating days of what we now call the First World War.  The toll was catastrophic.  In just one single day, the British forces suffered an unimaginable 57,470 casualties including 19,240 fatalities. The territorial gain amounted to just three-square miles, a stark contrast to the immense cost paid in human lives and suffering. 

The following evening, the surviving troops from the 8^th Battalion KOYLI were marched to Dernancourt Station where they joined a train to Ailly-le-Somme arriving the next morning.  For two more days, the exhausted men marched until they reached their billets.  That afternoon, they had the honour of receiving an address from Brigadier General H Gordon, who commended the battalion for their magnificent performance during the recent operations, acknowledging that they had upheld the proud traditions of their Regiment.  The General expressed his confidence in their ability to safeguard the trenches and went on to say they had exceeded even his highest expectations by displaying exceptional courage during the recent battle.  He then urged the battalion not to perceive their inability to hold the enemy’s trenches as failure, for it was their unwavering determination and courage that had paved the way for future successes.  Their heroic deeds had already begun to bear fruit, laying the groundwork for victories yet to come.[xxiv]

Despite the Brigadier’s fine words, the battalion’s War Diaries provide a heart-wrenching glimpse of the losses sustained during the month of July of 1916: they had lost every one of their officers: one was missing believed killed, another had died of wounds, a further three were missing assumed wounded, and the last ten were confirmed wounded.  Among the other ranks, the toll was equally staggering, with 13 officially reported killed, 15 succumbing to their wounds, 1 killed accidentally, 356 wounded, and 314 listed as missing[xxv]. 

August and September saw the remaining men move away from the horrors of the Somme and head further north towards Belgium.  The men either marched on foot or travelled by train and engaged in a series of manoeuvres aimed at keeping them occupied and in motion. This constant activity might have been intended to prevent them from dwelling on the traumatic experiences they had witnessed on the battlefield.  Rather than granting them much-needed respite and time to process their emotions, the military command may have believed that keeping them busy would help maintain their focus and morale.  While the change of scenery may have offered a temporary distraction, it could not have erased the haunting memories of the Somme, nor could it heal the emotional scars the soldiers carried. The sights and sounds of war, the loss of comrades, and the near-constant stress would undoubtebly have left an indelible mark on their souls.

By October 1916, the battalion was back in action again and was moving close to the village of Contalmaison for another major push.  The Allies had been slowly pushing the German troops back towards Le Sars and the 8^th Battalion was posted in trenches to the right of the Le Sars road.  However, at dawn the following day their position was given away and they were shelled remorselessly, losing about a quarter of their force before the attack had begun.  At 3:15pm A and D Companies left their trenches, followed by C Company in support, with B Company remaining in reserve.  Their objective was easily achieved despite a counter barrage by German artillery, and they were joined at 2am by B Company who helped hold the captured lines throughout the night.  At daylight they were relieved and returned to their bivouac minus one officer killed, two missing and eight wounded and 248 casualties amongst the other ranks.  Nevertheless, this was seen as a victory and several rewards for gallantry were awarded to thirteen of the officers and men, and the entire battalion was honoured with a letter from the 23rd Division’s Commanding Officer Lt. Gen. James Melville Babington congratulating all ranks of the battalion on their success which, he wrote, was due to the gallantry and fine spirit they showed. [xxvi]

The Winter of 1916

During the next few weeks, the battalion was reinforced by the arrival of new officers and men, and some who re-joined after recovering from wounds sustained in previous actions. The routine of working parties and travelling on foot or by train between billets continued until they arrived at the Belgian town of Ypres where they dug in for the winter.  That winter would be exceptionally cold and wet, with appalling conditions in the region, particularly in the trenches.  One NCO later recalled: “The coldest winter was 1916-17. The winter was so cold that I felt like crying. In fact the only time… I didn’t actually cry but I’d never felt like it before, not even under shell fire. We were in the Ypres Salient and, in the front line, I can remember we weren’t allowed to have a brazier because it weren’t far away from the enemy and therefore we couldn’t brew up tea. But we used to have tea sent up to us, up the communication trench. Well a communication trench can be as much as three quarters of a mile long. It used to start off in a huge dixie, two men would carry it with like a stretcher. It would start off boiling hot; by the time it got to us in the front line, there was ice on the top it was so cold.”[xxviii]

Between November 1916 and the end of March 1917, the battalion’s number had been depleted by a further one officer killed, one dead of wounds, and another three wounded, with six other ranks killed, seven missing and seventy-five wounded, of whom eleven later succumbed to their injuries.[xxix]

The Battle of Messines (June 1917)

Following two months of intensive training, interior economy (cleaning), working parties, brief periods in the front lines, and the usual route marches between trenches and billets, the 8th KOYLI would find themselves in the thick of an attack by a force of Australian, British, Canadian, Irish and New Zealand, including artillery, mines, air power, infantry and tanks, in a carefully planned and ultimately successful attack on the Western Front near the village of Messines in Belgium. 

The battle began with the detonation of nineteen mines containing around one million pounds of high explosive at 3:10am beneath the German front positions, causing devastating explosions which could be heard in London and Dublin[xxx].  The combined explosion holds holds the dubious merit of destroying more people than any other non-nuclear man-made explosion in history with around 10,000 German soldiers killed between Ypres and Ploegsteert[xxxi].  The British and Commonwealth forces quickly gained control of Messines Ridge and around 7,000 German soldiers were captured. Fortunately, German counterattacks failed to retake the territory they had lost and, having taken the ridge, the Allies were in a better place to launch their offensive to the north-east towards Passchendaele.

Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) (July-November 1917):

The Battle of Messines itself was a prelude to the much larger campaign of the Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, when both sides suffered heavy casualties and endured appalling conditions. The infantry attack began on 31^st July but was very quickly hampered by heavy rains which fell on the region turning the landscape scarred by three years of conflict into mud. The left wing of the attack achieved its objectives, but the right wing failed completely but the situation was worsened as the preliminary artillery bombardment had totally destroyed much of the area’s drainage systems.

Within a few days, the heaviest rain for 30 years had turned the soil into a quagmire, producing thick mud that clogged up rifles and immobilised tanks.  Eventually, the mud became so deep that men and horses were drowned in it. Today the name Passchendaele has become synonymous with mud, blood, and the futility of attrition warfare.[xxxiii]  Between July and October 1917 the 8^th Battalion losses were 7 officers wounded, 53 other ranks killed, 4 missing, and 141 wounded.[xxxiv]

The penultimate entry of the 8^th Battalion’s War Diaries is dated 30^th October 1917 and notes amongst the other rank casualty totals for the month 16 suffering from ‘Shell Shock’.  This is the first and only time these words appear in the diaries, and they refer to the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that many soldiers experienced as a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting.   

Men of the 8^th Battalion continued to serve throughout the war until the Armistice was signed on 11^th November 1918, effectively ending the hostilities. The 8^th (Service) Battalion of the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry had played its part in the broader efforts of the British Army and had contributed to the eventual Allied victory.

Of course, as soon as hostilities on the Western Front ended, almost everyone wanted to go home immediately, but logistically this was simply not possible.  Generally, priority was given to men with scarce industrial skills, such as miners or agricultural labourers, along with men who had volunteered early.  As such, Ted Mayhew was demobilised (‘demobbed’) comparatively early on 27^th March 1919[xxxvii].

Before he left his unit, Ted underwent a medical examination and was given Army Form Z22, which would allow him to make a claim for any type of disability arising from his military service. He was also given an Army Form Z44 (Plain Clothes Form) and a Certificate of Employment showing what he had done in the army, plus a Dispersal Certificate which recorded personal and military information, together with the state of his equipment.  If he lost any of it after this point, the value would be deducted from his outstanding pay. 

On arrival in England, Ted moved to a Dispersal Centre, a hutted or tented camp or barracks, where he was given a Protection Certificate, which enabled him to receive medical attention, if necessary, during his final 28 days of leave, and a railway warrant or ticket to his home station.  He also received an Out-of-work Donation Policy, which insured him against unavoidable unemployment of up to 26 weeks in the 12 months following demob.  In addition, he was given an advance of pay, a fortnight’s ration book together with a voucher – Army Form Z50 – which he must return with his greatcoat to a railway station during his leave.  He could choose to have either a clothing allowance of 52 shillings and sixpence or be provided with a suit of plain clothes.  If he chose the latter, he would hand back Z44 (Plain Clothes Form).  

At last, his final leave began the day after he was dispersed and he left to go home, still in uniform and with his steel helmet and greatcoat.  Although he was still technically a soldier, he could now go about in plain clothes, but legally he could not wear his uniform after 28 days from dispersal.   At the end of his leave, Ted was discharged into the Class Z Army Reserve, a Reserve contingent of the British Army consisting of previously enlisted soldiers, now discharged, but would were liable to be recalled in the event of a grave national emergency.

Millions of other men eventually returned home to try to pick up the pieces of their old lives, but for many too much had changed for them to settle back again.  The world had changed while they were away, their wartime experiences had changed them physically and mentally, and, as thousands flooded the employment market, many found it very difficult to find work.

Ted Mayhew was ‘one of the lucky ones’ and was able to return to to his old occupation as a wallpaper printer and resume married life with his wife Elizabeth[xxxviii].  Subsequently, he would receive through the post three medals, the 1914–15 Star, the British War Medal, and the British Victory Medal, to commemorate his service during the four years which saw a world-wide mobilisation of 65 million soldiers, and the deaths of almost 15 million soldiers and civilians combined. Approximately 8.8 million of these deaths were of military personnel, while six million civilians died as a direct result of the war; mostly through hunger, disease, and genocide.[xxxix]

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