Private Harry Armiger 8th Norfolks KiA 1st July 1916

The edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday September 29 1917 included this picture along with the caption Private Harry Armiger, Burnham Sutton, killed in action last year.

Private ARMIGER, H J S
Service Number:………. 13791
Died:……………………........ 01/07/1916
Unit:………………………......8th Bn., Norfolk Regiment
Buried…………………….....Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz.
Grave:............................ VII.A.10
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/547130/armiger,-/

Soldiers Died in the Great War records that Private 13791 Henry James Sofley Armiger was Killed in Action on the 1st July 1916 whilst serving with the 8th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment in France & Flanders. He was born Burnham Market, Norfolk, and enlisted Norwich. No place of residence is shown.

The Medal Index Card for Private 13791 Henry J S Armiger is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/1/111981
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D1643503

His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Army Service Records were stored.

No match on Picture Norfolk, the County Image Archive.

No missing persons enquiry seems to have been received by the International Red Cross.

The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for 13791 Henry James Sofley Armiger who died on the 1st July 1916.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=Armiger&Su...

“Harry” is remembered on the combined War Memorial for the four villages collectively known as “The Burnhams”.
www.roll-of-honour.com/Norfolk/Burnhams.html

1895 Birth and Baptism……………………..

The birth of a Henry James S Armiger was registered with the Civil Authorities in the District of Docking, Norfolk, in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1895. Docking Civil Registration District included the Civil Parish of Burnham Ulph and Sutton.

The baptism of a Henry James Softley Armiger, born 17th January 1895, took place at St Mary, Burnham Westgate, Norfolk, on the 2nd June 1885. His parents were George William, a Labourer, and Harriet. The family lived in “Burnham”.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf8e93790ec8b4c512...

Or it could be the baptism of a Henry James Sofly Armiger that took place on this day.
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N17P-1TP

Other family baptisms………………….

Emma Jane Armiger, no date of birth recorded, was baptised at All Saints, Burnham Ulph, on the 11th November 1886. Parents were George, a Labourer, and “Harriett”. The family live at Burnham Ulph.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818da66e93790ec8b4b323...
An Emma Jane Armiger, born 12th June 1886, was also baptised at St Mary , Burnham Westgate on the 18th August 1889. Parents were George, a Labourer, and Harriet. The family live at Burnham Ulph. This was the same day and place as her sister Edith Maria, (see below)
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf8e93790ec8b4c4f2...

Edith Maria Armiger, born 8th July 1889, was baptised at St. Mary, Burnham Westgate, on the 18th August 1889. Parents were George, a Labourer, and Harriet. The family live at Burnham Ulph.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf8e93790ec8b4c4f2...

George Ernest Armiger, born 16th February 1892, was baptised at St. Mary, Burnham Westgate, on the 18th March 1892. Parents were George, a Labourer, and Harriet. The family live at Westgate.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf8e93790ec8b4c502...
He was baptised again on the 2nd June 1895 – the same day as his brother Henry.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf8e93790ec8b4c512...

Ethel Florence Armiger, born 9th March 1899, was baptised at St. Mary, Burnham Westgate, on the 30th April 1899. Parents were George, a Labourer, and Harriet. The family live at Burnham.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818daf9e93790ec8b4c52c...

The most likely marriage of their parents was that of a George Armiger to a Hannah Softly which took place at St Mary, Burnham Westgate on the 12th March 1881. George, then aged 19 and a Bachelor was working as a Labourer. He lived in the Parish of Burnham Westgate, and his father was Henry Armiger, a Labourer. Hannah Softly, a Spinster, was then aged 20 and living in the Parish of Burnham Westgate. Her father was James Softly, a Labourer. Witnesses were George and Jane Softly.
www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/58182c8fe93790eb7f4e39b...

1901 Census of England and Wales

The 6 year Henry Armiger, born “Burnham”, Norfolk, was recorded living at one of the Cottages between Friar Thorn Farm and Cradle Hall Farm, Burnham Westgate. This was the household of his parents, George, (aged 39, Sheep Tender on Farm, born Burnham), and Harriet, (aged 40, born Burnham). As well as Henry their other children still single and living at home are:-
William……….aged 17…..born Burnham…Teamster on Farm
Emma…………aged 14…..born Burnham
Edith………….aged 11……born Burnham
George………..aged 9…….born Burnham
Ethel………….aged 2……..born Burnham

1911 Census of England and Wales

The Armiger family were now recorded living at Burnham Westgate. Parents George William, (48, Farm Labour, now shown as born Burnham Norton) and “Harriett”, (50, now born Burnham Westgate), are stated to have been married 30 years and to have had 9 children, of which 8 were then still alive. Still single and living with them are:-
George…..aged 19…born Burnham Westgate…Farm Labourer
Henry……aged 16…born Burnham Westgate…Farm Labourer
Ethel…….aged 12…born Burnham Westgate
Audrey….aged 8…..born Burnham Westgate

Until September 1911 the quarterly index published by the General Registrars Office did not show information about the mothers maiden name. A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Birth for England and Wales 1911 – 1983 shows no likely additional children of George and Harriett.

1915 Norfolk Register of Electors……………

A George Armiger was registered as eligible to vote in Parliamentary, County and Parish Elections, on the grounds that he was a (male) householder of a dwelling house on Back Street, Burnham Westgate.
www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2H1W-PM6

On the day…………………………….

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, Mametz.

Location Information
Mametz is a village about 8 kilometres east of the town of Albert. The Cemetery is a little east of the village on the north side of the road (D64) to Montauban.

History Information
The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:- AEROPLANE CEMETERY, FRICOURT, on the old German front line to the south of Fricourt village. It contained the graves of 24 N.C.Os. and men of the 20th Manchesters who died on 1 July 1916. BOTTOM WOOD CEMETERY, FRICOURT, on the south edge of a small wood between Mametz and Fricourt Woods. This was a field ambulance station for some months from July 1916, and the cemetery contained 104 graves. BULGAR ALLEY CEMETERY, MAMETZ, 230 metres east of the village, named from a trench. It contained the graves of 24 soldiers who died on 1 July 1916, and all but one of whom belonged to the 22nd Manchesters. HARE LANE CEMETERY, FRICOURT, at the north-west corner of the village, named from a trench. It contained the graves of 54 soldiers who died on 1 and 2 July 1916, and of whom 49 belonged to the 10th West Yorks. MAMETZ GERMAN CEMETERY, in which 12 soldiers were buried by their comrades in July and August 1916. This cemetery was near the crossing of the Fricourt-Maricourt and Mametz-Bray roads. MANSEL COPSE CEMETERY, MAMETZ, on the Fricourt-Maricourt road, near the present Devonshire Cemetery: and MANSEL COPSE WEST CEMETERY, MAMETZ, 460 metres further west. These contained the graves of 51 men of the 2nd Border Regiment, who died on 1 July 1916. MONTAUBAN ROAD CEMETERY, CARNOY, which contained the graves of 25 soldiers (almost all of the 18th Division) who died on 1 July 1916. VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units. Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/61000/dantzig-alley...

As part of the commemoration of the outbreak of the Great War, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have added a number of original documents to their website. One of these on their webpage for Henry is a Concentration Report. These reports detaiul exhumation and move to the current location. It looks like his body and those of 8 other men, (4 of them 8th Norfolks men who died on the 1st July 1916, and three of them Unknown British Soldiers) were moved in the Spring of 1919 to their current resting place, having been found in marked graves at Map 57c S.W. A.2.b.5.1.

July 1st 1916

France
The 8th Battalion as part of the 18th (Eastern) Division was present on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. They got beyond their initial target and had by 5.00pm reached the German trenches known as "Montauban Alley". Over one hundred men and three officers had been killed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Norfolk_Regiment

Battalion War Diary

1st July - Assembly Trenches.

The Battalion took part on an assault of the German trenches north of CARNOY and S.W of MONTAUBAN.

The 7th Battalion of the Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment of the 55th Brigade was on our Right, and the 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, of our own brigade, were on our left.

In the early hours of the morning, the battalion was in position in the four assembly trenches, i.e in their battle position ready for attack.

The early hours of the morning were passed in comparative quietitude.

5.30am. Teas were brought up from CARNOY and served out in the Assembly trenches.

7.20am Our artillery commenced the intense bombardment and the enemys retaliation on our Fourth line assembly trench became more apparent.
7.27am. A mine and two Russian Saps were exploded on our front.
7.27 am. The first wave of our “C” and “ D” Companies deployed from our firing line and laid out in the open about 30 yards in front. This movement was accomplished without loss.
7.30 am. The assault commenced. The remainder of our two assaulting companies left our trenches and moved forward in four successive waves.
MINE TRENCH was reached and crossed by these two Companies with practically no opposition and without loss on our side. All Germans remaining alive in this trench after our artillery barrage had passed were thoroughly cowed and at once surrendered. “C” Company on our right took about 30 prisoners from the West Edge of the mine craters.
MINE SUPPORT was taken about 7.40 am. The wire entanglements in front having been completely demolished by our artillery.
Up to the point, the Battalion suffered very few casualties.
BUND SUPPORT was reached and taken at 8 a.m, where a halt was made.

The two assaulting companies on leaving BUND SUPPORT came under heavy enfilade machine gun fire from the direction of BRESLAU SUPPORT and BACK TRENCH and suffered heavily. Captain B.P Ayre being killed and Captain J H Hall being seriously wounded. By this time the following officers had been wounded. Capt & Adjt H.P Berney-Ficklin, 2nd Lieuts. J G Hampson, C.T Blackborn, L.Padfield, S.A Wharton, G R Ironmonger and E. Maclean, (at duty). There now remained no officer with the left leading company and two subalterns in the right leading company, which were now reduced to 90 and 100 men respectively.

The Left Leading Company under C.S.M A F Raven reached our first objective - POMMIERS TRENCH - and took it at about 10.30 am. A portion of the Right Leading Company also got into POMMIERS TRENCH near the East Side of THE LOOP at the same time, but the remainder of this company was held up by machine gun fire and a strong point at the junction of BOCHE TRENCH and BACK TRENCH with MINE ALLEY.

After this company had been reinforced by a platoon from the support company under 2nd Lieut G E Miall-Smith and the Battalions Bombers under Sergeant H E West had also been sent up to this point, this strongpoint fell and the garrison of about 150 Germans and 2 Officers of a Bavarian Regiment surrendered, and right leading company was then able to push forward into the East portion of POMMIERS TRENCH which up to then had not been taken. At this point in the attack, “A” company which had been in reserve and had advanced from the assembly trenches in artillery formation at 7.45am, and had been consolidating MINE TENCH, now advanced to BUND SUPPORT and commenced the consolidation of this trench. At the same “B”, the support company, advanced with three platoons, (1 already having been sent to reinforce “C”), to POMMIERS TRENCH

3pm. “B“ Company had now taken THE LOOP and both assaulting companies advanced to the MONTAUBAN ALLEY line, - the final objective of the Battalion.
Owing to machine gun firing from the line and from N.W of MONTAUBAN, “D“ company on the left suffered heavy casualties, and “C“ company, led by 2nd Lieut J H Attenborough made repeated attempts to get into MONTAUBAN ALLEY but did not succeed until a bombing party under 2nd Lieut. L.A Gundry-White gained an entrance by way of LOOP TRENCH on the left. Unfortunately, just before this had been affected, 2nd Lieutenant J H Attenborough with CSM J Coe had both been killed in the attempt to get into this trench.

5.45pm. The MONTAUBAN ALLEY line was taken and the battalion was in touch with the 7th Queens on our right and the 6th Royal Berks on our left.

6pm. The whole of “B” Company having been used to support “C” and “D” companies who were now reduced to, respectively, 70 and 80 other ranks and 1 Officer, the work of consolidating MONTAUBAN ALLEY was commenced at once and patrols were sent forward to reconnoitre along CATERPILLAR TRENCH and EAST TRENCH.
The Reserve Company who in the meanwhile had advanced and consolidated POMMIERS TRENCH and THE LOOP, were now brought up and sent forward to take up the advanced post known as the GREEN LINE.

The Green Line was taken up and strong points commenced at about 8pm and patrols were sent forward in the direction of CATERPILLAR WOOD.

8pm. From now onwards the enemy commenced a heavy and continuous bombardment with 5.9 and a few 77mm shells on the west end of MONTAUBAN ALLEY held by the Battalion, generally in the vicinity of the junction of LOOP TRENCH with MONTAUBAN ALLEY, a few shells falling in THE LOOP itself but practically none in the rear.

Our casualties for the days fighting were:-

Officers.Killed……………..2
Died of Wounds….1
Wounded…………8 including 2 at duty. These being 2nd Lieut S N Cozens-Hardy, (who was wounded just outside Battalion Headquarters which were at the S.W. end of THE LOOP where they had moved up to as soon as the MONTAUBAN ALLEY line had been reached) and 2nd Lieut. E. Maclean.
Other Ranks.

Killed………………………….102
Wounded………………………219
Missing………………………..13

Total Casualties. Officers…11 Other Ranks………….334

The 6th Battalion, Royal Berks went over the top alongside the 8th Norfolks on the first day of the Somme. The story of what happened to the two units can be read here,
www.6throyalberks.co.uk/1stJuly/default.html

Mildly photoshopped to minimise impact of damage present on the original image.

Taken on: January 13, 2017

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Burnham Sutton

Burnham Ulph

Norfolk

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Read all about it

Faces of the Somme 1916

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Norwich Mercury September 29 1917

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Harry Armiger

Henry Armiger

Henry James Sofley Armiger

Henry James Softley Armiger

8th Battalion Norfolk Regiment

01/07/1916

1st July 1916 « less

Sets appears in: • Dulce et Decorum Est..Pro Patria Mori • Read all about it more » • Faces of the Somme 1916 • Burnham Sutton « less

Groups appears in: • The Great War 1914 - 1918 • The Norfolk Dead more » • Your Faces of the First World War • REMEMBER THEM « less

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