Lionel Atkinson, MBE, MM (Part 1)

 Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Lionel Atkinson, MBE, MM (Part 1)

Lionel Atkinson, MBE was born on December 14, 1892 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England to Frederick Atkinson(1867-1945) and Mary Hannah Sewell (1871-1944).  He was the third child of nine born to this couple.  As a young boy, Lionel was a solo chorister at St. John’s Church, Grimsby.  Lionel was educated at St. John’s School, Grimsby, where he won a scholarship to Wintringham College, Grimsby. It was from there that he volunteered to serve in Kitchener’s Army on September 17, 1914, by joining up with the Grimsby Chums Battalion which later became the 10^th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. He served in the regiment from 1914 until 1920.  On January 10, 1916, the regiment was sent to France and by July 1, 1916, he was involved in the largest battle in the early stages of the Great War—The Battle of the Somme. Sergeant Lionel Atkinson survived the initial battle and on August 26, 1916, his heroics in battle earned him the Military Medal for gallantry.  By the time of his discharge at the end of WWI, he had received a field commission to the rank of Second Lieutenant.

He married Helen “Nellie” Walsh on February 2, 1920 and together they raised two boys, Byron and Colin.  As a civilian, between the world wars, Lionel was manager of the Hull Daily Mail office in Grimsby and wrote snooker and billiards notes for the Evening Telegraph under the pseudonym of The Marker. 

Captain Lionel Atkinson re-joined with the territorial reserve army at the outbreak of World War II and was transferred to the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and was promoted to the rank of Major upon posting to Mauritius in 1941.  In Mauritius, Major Atkinson ran training courses for troops engaged in the North African campaign.  In 1947 he was posted to Germany in charge of civilian labour forces at Bielefeld.  He retired with the rank of Major and was awarded the prestigious Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services in Mauritius.  In addition to this prestigious award, Lionel Atkinson was awarded the Military Medal for Gallantry in the Field, The British War Medal, The WWI Victory Medal, The Defence Medal, The War Medal 1939-1945, and The Territorial Efficiency Medal.

For many years he and his wife ran the Sea Lane Stores in North Sea Lane, Humberston.  Upon retirement, Lionel and Helen lived in Louth for six years until his death on February 5, 1978.

Genealogy

Lionel Atkinson, MBE (1892-1978) was the husband of Helen “Nellie” Walsh (1901-1993).  Helen Walsh’s brother, Maurice “Mossie” Patrick Walsh (1903-1968) was married to Helena “Eileen” Davis (1907-2000).  Helena’s uncle was John Davis (1884-1912) [John Davis was a baker who died in the sinking of the Titanic] who was married to Eliza Blanche Hunt (1892-1973).  Eliza Hunt married her fourth husband Frank Colverson, whose daughter Violet married Leslie George Adams. Lou Atkinson is the daughter of Colin Atkinson and the granddaughter of Lionel Atkinson.

  

1914 - Origins of Kitcheners Army, the Pals Battalions

At the outbreak of war, the British Army was 450,000 strong and required a large expansion of manpower to bring it up to the strength of the other European Armies. A Territorial Force of 250,000 men existed as a semi-trained reserve, but the newly appointed Secretary of War, Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, had the thought in his head of 1 million men in khaki. He appealed for his first 100,000 on August 7, 1914.

Grimsby and Cleethorpes were among the most vulnerable and exposed British towns in August 1914 when the Great War broke out. Situated on the North Sea and facing the German Baltic fleet, their vessels were to face the mines and the U-boat torpedoes as the war progressed. There were the great fish docks, run by the Great Central Railway and sometimes as many as eight daily express trains to London and other cities distributing the fish. Around the docks there were 587 steam trawlers and a number of sailing smacks, perhaps about 20. Grimsby provided about 8,000 men for the various military and naval units. For the most part these joined the 10th and 11th Lincolns raised by Lord Kitchener's appeal, the 5th, 2/5 5th and 3/5 5th Lincolns, the 1st North Midland Brigade Royal Field Artillery and the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. The shoreline was a priority, mainly for the gun batteries in place, and when the airship attacks began, the volunteers were the men to work with the guns and the searchlights.

Lord Kitchener’s idea was to organise the civilians that enlisted into an army of Service Battalions named after the areas they were raised. These were then to be attached to local regular units. The response was overwhelming. By August 9th, 3,000 men a day were enlisting. 30,000 men a day were enlisting before the month was out and by the end of the year Kitchener had his 1 million in uniform. Although a success, the rapid recruitment brought problems of shortages. Of uniforms, rifles, officers and drill instructors. Local dignitaries and magistrates were allowed to act in the name of Kitchener and organise, drill and feed the men until the chaos could be sorted out.

Kitchener agreed to the creation of Battalions formed from men of a common background. The men were of common occupations, professions, sporting associations or even youth groups such as the Boy's Brigade or Public Schools. The collective term for these Battalions became the 'Pals'. Of around 304 such Battalions, only one chose to become known as the 'Chums'. These were the 'Grimsby Chums'.

The Grimsby Chums

The Grimsby Chums was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire in 1914. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 10th (Service) Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment. It was the only 'pals battalion' to be called 'chums'.

When the call came from Lord Kitchener for volunteers, the headmaster of Wintringham Grammar School in Grimsby decided to raise a 250-strong company of former pupils which would be based at the armoury of the school's Officer Training Corps. The company was offered to the local Territorial Force unit, the 5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, but by then the battalion was full.  When other Grimsby men expressed a wish to join, the process was handed over to the town council which set about recruiting sufficient men to form an entire battalion for 'Kitchener's Army'.

Alderman John Herbert Tate, 50, received a telegram from the War Office to form a new Battalion. Posters went up around the town appealing for men to join up. As in many other towns, Grimsby men believed in England and the Empire and although not from military stock, knew their duty and enlisted.  'Grimsby Chum' Lionel Atkinson was an early volunteer for what would become the 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment. Alderman Tate appointed George Bennet, a local merchant and retired Capt. of 1st Lincolnshire R.G.A Volunteers, as temporary Commanding Officer. In turn, Bennet brought with him old colleagues Capt. T.Maudsley and Lieut W. Vignoles ( both local men ) to help. A permanent commander was needed though, and it was not long before the war Office would 'sort out' experienced officers (retired) to bring order to the new units. It was more for name rather than his actual experience of commanding men that George Heanage was appointed Commanding Officer of the Grimsby Chums.

The Men

In the early days, there were no uniforms or drill equipment except for the odd rifle from the OTC stores. Some of the men found soldiering restrictive and were required to be brought into line by Lieut. Vignoles. The ever-present anxiety among the men was that the war would be over before they were trained and ready, but things were gradually brought together through drilling, church parades and the focusing of minds as the first casualty lists of the war were published. More officers were appointed including J. Kennington, C. Branfoot and E. Cordeaux. Cordeaux had retired but was once commander of the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment.

The next requirement for the 1000 strong Battalion was to find a permanent camp to carry out training away from the distractions of the town. Alderman Tate approached Earl of Yarborough at Brocklesby, an estate about 10 miles outside Grimsby, to allow a camp in his grounds. Permission was granted and along with surplus post office uniforms the Battalion made itself at home. Winter 1914 through to the spring of 1915 was spent in training and sporting pursuits in preparation for the passing out parade. By May 1915 the Chums had uniforms, rifles and looked like a proper Battalion. Their passing out parade took them from Cleethorpes through the whole town to end up at People’s Park where a short service was held and the salute taken.

1915 - 34th Division

Now part of an army, the 10th Lincolns moved to Ripon for musketry training and more importantly to join up with other units to form their Brigade. It was here that they also absorbed 150 men from Wakefield who were volunteers looking for a unit.

Another move was made, this time to Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, where the whole 34th Division came together from the constituent Brigades. It was here that the Chums met their Divisional Commander Major General Ingouville Williams CB, DSO. Further training was undertaken, and it was here that a false alarm was raised that the Division was going to the Dardenelles. They didn't go, but were issued with tropical kit all the same. The 34th Division was an archetypal "New Army" unit. It comprised the Royal Scots, Northumberland Fusiliers and a Battalion of the Suffolks, all Kitchener’s men.

There is a lot online about the Grimsby Chums, including some interesting footage that was shot whilst the men were training in England. Of particular interest to me was the section of film which showed 10th Battalion sergeants. Lionel had the regimental number 7 and arrived overseas as a sergeant. He is almost certainly featured in this film and I wonder, actually, whether he is the tall man with his arm around his shorter colleague. What do you think? You can view the film reel here:

 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1639286476292083.

The Grimsby Chums joined the 101st Brigade of the 34th Division where they were joined by the two battalions of the Edinburgh City Pals. The division moved to France in January 1916 and first saw action in the Battle of the Somme.

1916 - France

The Chums embarked for France on January 4, 1916. They re-formed at Le Harvre and set off for rest camp before deployment in the Armentiers sector. It was standard practice to give new units a taste of the trenches in quiet areas. The duty of introducing them to the trench system fell to the regular unit currently there, old soldier to new soldier. The chums were also part of an inspection by Kitchener himself during February. These early months were a prelude to a much greater event to take place in July.

The Battle of the Somme

Like most of the rest of the British Army, the Chums got wind of a "big push". Their involvement in working parties increased, fetching supplies, gas and ammonal explosive up to the front lines. The Somme area had been chosen as the battleground for the push, and the softening up shelling of the enemy line began in earnest a week before zero hour. The Lincolns could hear the bombardment and could see the damage inflicted on the enemy trenches. They believed what they were told by the officers, that the enemy would not survive and that the attack would be over within hours.

The Battle of the Somme was to be the first use, in mass, of the New Kitchener Army and was designed to relieve pressure on Verdun where the French were locked in a fight to the death. Faith in the ability of the New Army was not high among the regular Staff Officers of the British Command. They did not believe an attack would be successful if it relied solely on an infantry attack. In order to help, a bombardment was which turned out to be one week long and up to that point the largest ever seen. The word was sent round that nothing would remain of the German front line at zero hour, 1st July, allowing the New Army to walk at a steady pace, in line, so chaos did not occur.

On 1 July 1916, the first day on the Somme, the Grimsby Chums were in the first wave attacking the fortified village of La Boisselle, just south of the Albert–Bapaume road.  Prior to attack, at 7.28 am a large mine was exploded beneath the German line, the Chums were then to attack at 7.30 am. Unknown to the Battalion, the mine fell short of the German positions and during the 2min gap between the explosion and the "whistle" the enemy had the chance to set the machine guns.  At 7.30 am, the Grimsby Chums rushed forward to occupy the crater. Here many were trapped for the rest of the day, harassed by both German and British artillery.

The Chums were drawn up with A Company on the right, B Company on the left and C Company, opposite the crater, in the centre. D Company were in reserve for phase two. They advanced in four straight lines with no hesitation. It was a matter of moments when the first men fell, as the German mortars and machine guns opened up. Officers and men alike dropped to the ground as if the move was planned in training, in fact they were killed or wounded. Only a few men reached the German trenches, bombing for all they were worth, but in too few numbers they had to retreat.

By 9am D Company were sent to attack led by Major Vignoles, who was soon hit in the hand. Again, the attack broke up and the 10th Lincolns were left powerless to attack, laying in shell holes in no man’s land in the baking sun. All were waiting for nightfall to be able to crawl back to their own lines for treatment. Several attempts to attack were made with the remnants of the Battalion on the 2nd and 3rd July, but as the roll was called when they were finally withdrawn it read 15 Officers and 487 men killed, missing or wounded.

A few of the Grimsby Chums made it into the German trenches. The only officer to make it was 2nd Lieutenant Harold P. Hendin who led five men to the German reserve trench (the third trench in the front-line system) and, gathering stragglers as the day progressed, he held off a series of German counter-attacks before having to retire.

The Grimsby Chums, Lionel Atkinson amongst them, went 'over the top' on 1st July 1916 and the unit sustained heavy casualties. The battalion war diary records that the battalion strength on the 1st July was 20 officers and 822 other ranks and that four officers killed, 10 wounded and one missing. In the other ranks, sixty-six men were killed, 259 wounded and 162 missing.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission presents a starker outcome: 168 officers and men killed on the 1st July, and a further 11 men dying in the week that followed, many of these from wounds sustained on the 1st. Of the 168 dead, 130 have no known grave and are commemorated on the memorial to the missing at Thiepval.

A memorial in St James' Church, Grimsby, was erected to the memory of the 810 members of the 10th (Service) Battalion who were killed in action or died on service.

 

 

Aftermath - Breaking the News

News travelled slowly in 1916 and it wasn't until the 10th July that the casualty lists began to trickle back to the town. Over the next few days, the size of the disaster was apparent. Letters from survivors, now in rest camps, spoke of the gallantry of their dead comrades. Letters were written by surviving Officers to the families of the dead. La Boiselle was eventually taken on July 6^th.  Lionel came through the 1st July and continued to serve with his battalion.

The War Diaries for the 10^th Service Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment for July 1916

BECOURT  1 July 1916  7:30 AM 

At this hour the 101^st Infantry Brigade, 34^th Division delivered an assault on the German position south of LA BOISELLE.  The 15^th Royal Scots—being the right assaulting battalion & the 10^th Lincolnshire Regt. The left assaulting battalion, the 16^th Royal Scots right supporting battalion, the 11^th Suffolks left supporting battalion.

The portion of the German front line trenches assaulted by the 10^th Lincolns was known as the BLOATER & lay between the LA BOISELLE salient & the redoubt known as HELIGOLAND.  The formation of the 10^th Lincolns was as follows:  A Coy [Company] on the right—B in the centre—C on the left.  D Coy, less 1 platoon, was employed as a carrying company & advanced in rear of the 103^rd Brigade which was in reserve.  Two minutes before the attack was timed to take place a mine was exploded near the S.W. corner of the LA BOISELLE salient forming an immense crater about 100 yds in diameter.

On leaving their trenches, the 10^th Lincolns who advanced in 4 waves on a 3 platoon frontage at a distance of 100 yds between the first & second waves & 150 yds between the others; with a platoon of D Coy as a clearing platoon 50 yds in rear of the 4^th wave & accompanied by 101/3 Trench Mortar Battery were immediately exposed to a heavy shell fire, shrapnel & HE [high-explosive artillery round] and the most intense enfilade machine gun fire from LA BOISELLE and HELIGOLAND Redoubt.  Advancing with the utmost steadiness & courage, not to be surpassed by any troops in the world, yet the distance they were away from the German trench, 800 yds, & the intensity of the machine gun fire did not allow of the possibility of reaching & penetrating the enemy’s line.  Some fear men were able to enter the German trench from the NEW CRATER & bombing their way also blocked it & helped to protect the right flank of the 102^nd Brigade which attacked on our left; others consolidated & held positions in the NEW CRATER with a like object. [objective] One officer, 2^nd Lt. HENDIN with three men mad his way on the right by way of the 21^st Divisional front & consolidating a strong point in the German trench helped to protect the left flank of the 21^st division. 

It is doubtful if troops have ever been subjected to a more intense machine gun fire than was experienced in this assault, a fire which made it absolutely impossible either to relieve or reinforce units during daylight.  The 34^th Division was relieved by the 19^th Division in the early hours of the morning of July 4^th, moving for the night to ALBERT & subsequently on the 5^th July to HENENCOURT.  The battalion went into action with a total of 20 officers (of whom 4 were killed 10 wounded and 1 missing) and 822 other ranks [consisting of non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers] of whom 66 were killed 259 wounded and 162 missing.  . . . .

The commanding officer of the battalion received the attached letter marked Appendix 1 from Brigadier General R C GORE CMG Commanding 101^st Infantry Brigade, the original of which is attached to this diary and a copy to the duplicate.

July 5, 1916

Dear Colonel Cordeaux

         Will you please express to your Battalion my admiration of their fearless conduct in the Battle on July 1^st.  Having to start further back than the two right Battalions they had to bear the brunt of the full force of the machine gun fire during their advance across the Sausage Valley.  They never waivered but pressed forward, their ranks were together, as their casualties show, to gain their final objective though they got well into the German lines and assisted in holding for two days the exposed left flank which became the pivot of the successful advance of the Divisions on our right.  No troops could have done better and it was no fault of theirs that they did not reach their allotted objective.

Yours Sincerely,

Th. C. Gore, Brig General

Comdg, 101^st Infantry Brigade

 

Owing to continuous machine gun & rifle fire great difficulty was experienced in recovering the wounded many of whom lay out in NO MAN’S LAND for over 30 hours but through the constant excursions of all ranks during the nights of 1^st & 2^nd and 2^nd & 3^rd July as far as could be ascertained all wounded belonging to the battalion have been brought in before leaving the fighting area.  Any attempts to do this during daylight was immediately met by heavy machine gun & rifle fire from the enemy’s trenches and all our wounded when seen to move were at once fired on by the German snipers.

BECOURT  4 July 1916 

The 101^st Brigade was relieved this day the 10^th LINCOLNS proceeding to billets in ALBERT for the night.

ALBERT  4 July 1916 

Moved to canvas camp at 8 AM in LONG YALLEY near ALBERT.

ALBERT  6 July 1916 

Moved to hutted camp in HENENCOURT WOOD.

HENENCOURT 7 July 1916 – 30^th July 1916

During this period the battalion received drafts of men from various units—Northampton Regt., North Staffs [Staffordshire], South Staffs, Middlesborough, Oxford L. F, Worcesters, Leicester and a few Lincolns.  A large proportion of these men were third line territorials & had in many cases only received about 3 months training.  Training was carried out on the manoeuvre area near BRESLE & the battalion was also exercised in wood fighting.  Specialist training was carried on during the whole of this period.

HENENCOURT 20th July 1916

Moved to BECOURT WOOD & bivouaced there.  Lt B.G. ANDERSON and 2^nd Lts J. H. JOLIN and HENDIN were awarded the military cross for services in the battle of 1^st July.

BECOURT 31^st July 1916

Moved to BAZENTIN LE PETIT & occupied line of trenches there.

E. Kyace Cordeaux, Lt. Col.

Comdg, 10^th Lincolnshire Regt.

 

For more information on the Battle of the Somme click on the link below:

​​​​​Battle of the Somme (WW1 Documentary) | History Documentary | Reel Truth History - YouTube