GREENLEAF, Clifford Abraham
Private G/6523
8th Battalion
QUEEN' S OWN (Royal West Kent Regiment)
72nd Brigade, 24th DIVISION
who died
Sunday, 26th NOVEMBER 1916. Aged 19
Clifford was one of four sons of Philip and Ann Greenleaf. Philip was a farm worker living at Langenhoe Lodge. He subsequently moved post war to Ham Farm Fingringhoe. Three of the sons, Clifford, Bert and Arthur joined up and served in World War 1. The fourth son, Edward was in a reserved occupation working at the Gas Works. In 1901 his grandparents are listed as John 64 and Sarah 63, John having been born in Langenhoe, while Sarah was born in Abberton. Clifford also had sisters all born in Langenhoe. Their ages in 1901 are Harriet 13, Hilda 1, and Lily 8. There is also a Jesse 19 listed. His father Philip was a stockman and both Jesse and Arthur were working on the farm at the turn of the Century.
These are left to right Clifford's brothers Arthur, Edward & Albert with their wives.
His mother & father are in the front.
Clifford enlisted at Colchester and was to die in Flanders.
Clifford joined the 8th Battalion of The Royal West Kent Regiment. This was one of four New Army Battalions raised by the Queen's Own Royal West Kents and was formed on 8th September 1914 at Shoreham in Kent, as a Unit of the 72nd Brigade in the 24th Division.
The Battalion remained in England training at Shoreham by Sea, Blackdown and Worthing. It had moved to Worthing in November 1914 and stayed until the end of March 1915. They then returned to Shoreham by Sea for a further two months.
The 24th Division then concentrated at Aldershot, at the end of June prior to transferring to France on 29th August 1915.
At this time, preparations were being made for the coming offensive by the 1st Army at Loos. The 24th Division was allocated to 11 Corps, which was to constitute the reserve for the attack. The Division and the 8th RWK, were therefore to be put straight into battle without any acclimatisation period.
The battle lasted from 25th September to 8th October with 8th RWK taking part from the beginning and suffering severe casualties. Of the 24 officers and 800 men, who had gone into action, one officer and 250 men remained effective. A terrible baptism of fire. Clifford himself arrived in France on the 1st October during this battle.
One of the outstanding incidents of heroism in the early days of the Somme advance was the stand made by a handful of Royal West Kents, almost surrounded by an overwhelming number of the enemy, in Trones Wood.
Following the battle, the Battalion were rapidly brought up to strength again and hurried off to the trenches south east of Ypres. Here again they had a bad time with many casualties. However, from the end of November to January 1916, they had a welcome and much needed rest near St. Omer. This was followed by a further three months in the Ypres salient. In March, they transferred to the Wulverghem sector, where they stayed for a further three months.
By the middle of July the 8th RWK was on its way south, bound for the Somme. They went into trenches east of Trones Wood and facing Guillemont. Here on 11th August they were subjected to strong attacks by the Germans. By 5th September, when the Battalion was relieved and taken back to a village near Abbeyville to rest, the 8th RWK had over 300 casualties including 2 officers and 91 other ranks killed.
Following its rest the Battalion was transferred to the 1st Army around Vimy Ridge and on 25th October 1916 it re-entered the line near Hulluch. Its front line was just west of the Lens to La Basse road. The 8th RWK spent nearly four months on this sector on the basis of six days in the line, usually followed by six in support and then six in reserve.
The Regimental History says that "casualties were kept astonishingly low" but it must have been in this period that Clifford was killed.
He died during the closing stages of the Battle of the Somme, which commenced on July 1st 1916 and had raged all autumn to peter out in the atrocious weather in mid November 1916. Overall the BEF had captured an area 6 miles deep by 20 miles wide in 5 months. Britain and the Dominions lost 419,654 casualties, the French 204,253 and the Germans between 450,000 and 680,000. (1)
He is commemorated at PHILOSOPHE BRITISH CEMETERY, MAZINGARBE, Pas de Calais . Grave reference II.D.5.
He is also listed on the Memorial at Colchester Town Hall and at Saint Stephens in Colchester.
Philosophe lies between Bethune and Lens. There are now nearly 2,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated at this site. The cemetery covers an area of 7,244 square metres and is enclosed by a brick wall with stone copping.
Clifford was awarded the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. He also earned the 1914-1915 Star effective 1st October 1915.
10/26/02 last updated
REFERENCES
Information obtained from The Commonwealth War Graves web site. www.
cwgc.org/The information on the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was kindly provided by the Regimental Museum of The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
(1) "Chronicles of The Great War - The Western Front 1914-1918" Peter Simkins
The picture of Trones Wood is from page 80 volume 8 of "The Great War - The Standard History of the all- Europe conflict"
The pictures of the medals were kindly provided by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd. His Service Record has not survived at the PRO
10/26/02 last updated
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These pages are dedicated to the memory of the Fallen from the two World Wars, who lived in Abberton & Langenhoe.. Prepared by Saint Andrew's Parochial Church Council. November 11th 2000