This site has been assembled in honour of A N Hutchinson, no 3199 and those men of B Coy 2″ Regt, South African Infantry Brigade that fought with him in Delville Wood in July 1916. It is comprised of 8 chapters, each of which seeks to illuminate a different aspect of his life and family/associates, especially over the years 1914 — 1916. These chapters are as listed below :
Background – Contains information on the Hutchinson’s, South Africa pre WW1, the Maud family in South Africa as well as the Somme battle.
Hutchinson Ancestry – Details the Hutchinson family tree and the various dwellings in London that they resided in before & after WW1.
The South African Period — relates the story of Aubrey on the farm Thorley, owned by A R Maud, the town of Dewetsdorp and Aubrey’s enlistment .
2″ Regiment B Coy – Contains some interesting facts about B Coy men, as well as a detailed summary of all 220 NCO’s and privates, as well as some photographs of no’s 7 and 8 platoons of B Coy.
Hampshire – A brief sketch of the South African Brigade’s sojourn in Bordon, Hampshire before shipping out to the Egyptian campaign at end 1915.
March To The Front – This chapter covers the exact march route taken by 2nd Regiment from assembly at Corbie to bivouac near Carnoy on 3 July.
Final Preparations — Here 2nd Regiment bivouacked in Talus Boise & prepared for battle 4 – 7 July.
Bernafay Wood— The route to and the battle of Bernafay 8 – 10 July.
Trones Wood— 2nd Regiment scouts join 4 Regiment companies & several British units in the bitter fighting for Trones Wood 9 – 10 July.
The Killing Ground— Montauban, Caterpillar valley and the attack on Delville Wood 15 July.
2nd Regiment from the air — The most probable deployment of 2nd Regiment on 15 July from 9 Div War diary & memoirs.
Last Combat — The final hours on 15 July.
Gotterdammerung — The End Game
The Dead and the Living — A tabulation of ALL 135 men of B Company 2 Regiment that survived WWI has been drawn up as well as what happened to them subsequently. It is my hope that the reader will gain some idea here of the cost of WWI in human terms.
Navigate to any chapter you desire by simply using the “Browse Chapters ” drop-down menu located at the top of the site . Alternatively, follow the chapter sequence through by using the ” Next Chapter ” button at the end of each chapter.
Update : the survivor listings of A and D Companies , 2 Regiment that fought in Delville Wood have been added to the chapter “ The Dead & The Living “.
Contact
You can contact the host privately if you require more info. Simply click ‘Message Host’ in the main menu with your enquiry .
BLH.