Description
Military Medal, GV, 1914 Star, 7883 Sergeant William Grundy, 1st & 2nd Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers, Wounded multiple times and Taken Prisoner during the German Spring Offensive, and then held in Germany.
MM officially impressed: “7883 L. Sgt. W. Grundy. 2/R. Sc: Fus:”
1914 Star officially impressed: “7883 Pte W. Grundy. 1/R. Sc: Fus.”
Military Medal announced in London Gazette 16th July 1918, at which time he was locked up in a POW Camp.
This gazette was part of the recommendations for the German Spring Offensive starting from the beginning on 21st March, where the 2nd Bn RSF were continually engaged leading up to his capture in their final hold leading to withdrawal on 28th March.
Entered in the following Casualty Lists, after almost every promotion a casualty followed:
Wounded as Private, 3rd November 1914
Wounded as Lance Corporal, 29th March 1915
Wounded as Corporal, 20th July 1916
Declared Missing in Action as Lance Sergeant, 18th May 1918, having been captured and taken POW in the launch of the German Spring Offensive on 28th March 1918.
Reported as Prisoner of War in lists received from the German Government, 13th November 1918.
William came from Oswaldthistle, Lancashire, and lived around Lancashire in Accrington or Pendleton, he was born on 12th November 1893.
Local baptism entries recall a William Grundy baptised at Great Lever, Lancashire on 15th November 1893, son of James Henry and Rose Hannah.
William entered into the war as early as possible, arriving for service in France on 14th August 1914, seeing action in the early stages of the war.
During the fighting early on in the war he received his first Wound in action, being entered on the Wound Lists dated 3rd November 1914, at this time the regiment was engaged in the First Battle of Ypres during October 1914.
Not long afterwards he was promoted to NCO, becoming Lance Corporal, when his name was again mentioned on the Wound Lists dated 29th March 1915.
Now a Corporal, he was again mentioned in Wound Lists dated 20th July 1916, at which time the regiment was fighting on the Somme, likely connected to the large attack launched by them a week earlier at Bazentin Ridge, during a dawn assault on the German second line, the men faced a devastating rain of machine gun fire from the Germans and were held up by uncut barbed wire, losing about 60 men on the slopes of Longueval Ridge.
According to German POW records, William was serving as a Sergeant in C Company, 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, when he was taken as a Prisoner at Ervillers on 28th March 1918.
The Red Cross reported that he been taken back to Germany, and held in the Stendal POW Camp.
On 28th March 1918, the village of Ervillers was engulfed in the opening phases of the 1st Battle of Arras, aka Operation Mars, as part of the German Spring Offensive a major assault was launched by the German 17th Army on this day around Arras.
The war diary for the day from the battle, part of on an ongoing defence lasting a week since the launch of the Kaiserslacht aka German Spring Offensive earlier on the 21st March 1918:
“28.3.1918, By 6am only 30 French had arrived (having been sent to relive the 2nd RSF), which they apparently considered as an outpost line, but it was decided to hang on strong attacks developed on La Folie (left) – Arvillers right by 10am and our front was pressed from 11am many casualties being caused by a field gun firing point blank at 800x.
Word was received from the 89th Brigade on our left that they were to consider themselves relieved and withdraw at once. Our right flank was turned, but a defensive flank was formed, and a strong rifle fire was brought to bear on the enemy until about 2pm.
S.A.A. Ammunition was practically exhausted, word was received that we were relieved and were to withdraw, but to minimise casualties, it was ordered to hang on until dusk.
Immediately afterward we found that the Bedfords and RSF were alone in the trenches, with the enemy far round on the right; and the order to withdraw was given.
During this, we suffered numerous casualties from Machine Gun and Field Gun fire and 2nd Lts A.R. Dougal and W. Templeton were missing, the Bn marched to Rovrel and remained there in billets all next day.”
During the withdrawal was the likely time Sergt Grundy was taken along with these mentioned Officers and other men.
