Private Leslie Honeychurch Blake

Leslie Blake was born in Great Torrington in 1897. Any possible curiosity of “Honeychurch” as a middle name can be answered, as we’ve seen before, by the child having the middle name of their mother’s maiden name. In this case, his mother, Charlotte Honeychurch, married his father, Thomas Gent Blake. Both parents were born in Great Torrington, as was the marriage; however, we first find them in the 1891 census living in Lion Lane, Frensham, Surrey, with Thomas is working as a “leather grounder”. The household is completed with their boarder, Samuel Stafford, who is also in the leather trade as a warehouseman.

By 1901, the couple had returned to Devon and were living at 201 New Street, Great Torrington. Both of their children had been born by this time, Leslie and his sister, Emmeline, born in 1895. Leslie’s father continues to work in the leather trade as a “chamois grounder”, whilst his mother has a profession as a milliner, which is a maker of hats. Both children are pre-school age. It is not till 1905 that Leslie is enrolled in school at the Great Torrington Council School for boys. The 1911 census has little change in the family make-up. Thomas continues working as a leather grounder, but Charlotte no longer has an occupation listed. Leslie’s sister now works as a draper’s apprentice and Leslie is working as an errand boy. On leaving school, we also know that Leslie began employment with local trader Messrs Snow and Co. whom we have seen with previous soldiers’ pasts. It was at 18 years of age when Leslie was called up to join the forces through conscription.

Conscription

At the beginning of the War, as a result of a massively successful propaganda campaign, young men flocked to enlistment centres to sign up. Even at the early stages and by January 1915, the British Army could call upon over one million men at its disposal. However, as the casualty lists mounted and the war of attrition took its toll this number was severely reduced. Despite the universal ignorance of the press and the their subsequent positive messages portrayed on the back of the information passed to them from the Government, the ongoing reality of a near bloodbath, which would have been evident from letters home or the high casualty figures in the weekly lists publicised in local papers also, can’t have gone unnoticed by anyone thinking of enrolling. As a result, the initial recruitment surge tailed away as the war continued and the amount of men required to replace those killed or injured simply wasn’t enough.

Action was needed and the Government, who were deeply divided on the subject, felt there was no option other than to introduce conscription, which is effectively compulsory active service. The Military Service Act was passed in a number of stages. As of March 1916, there was imposed conscription on all single men between the ages of 19 to 41 years. There were exemptions, though; men who were considered medically unfit, those in the clergy and essential workers such as teachers and certain workers in industry were all excused from compulsory military service. Still recruits were not coming through fast enough and by May 1916 the Act went further by extending conscription to 18 year olds and married men as well. The additional requirement came toward the end of the war in 1918 where the age limit was extended to 51 years of age. Ireland was exempt from conscription following the 1916 Easter Rising, which caused a shockwave through the politics of the two countries.

It was possible to appeal against conscription and tribunals were set up across the country, there was one in Torrington. Appeals were generally heard on the grounds of either economic reasons, such as a man being the only ‘breadwinner’ in a family, or on the basis of essential worker, it was normal for the Torrington Tribunal to hear from agricultural workers claiming, for example, that food production was of critical importance. Although it was more common than not that for the man appealing to receive some form of dispensation, normally 3 to 4 months, be under illusion that the mandate of the officer presiding over the tribunal to be in favour of having a fighting man, rather than a working man. This can be summed up by a case reported in the Western Times, which saw 18 year old cattleman, John Rowe, claiming exemption for work on Higher House Farm; his employer, Mr Hookway, represented him at the tribunal. After supporting evidence was submitted the Chairman began his deliberations. Mr Hookway sought to agree with the difficult predicament of the Chairman by commenting “It is a hard case.” The curt response came in the response of “Shall I tell you a harder case? – the men in the trenches who cannot hold them because they are short of men. We have to win this war”. The application was refused [1].

A further example of the lengths that adjudicators were prepared to accept was in a case of June 1916, which saw Lord Clinton, represented by Mr Houlditch, apply for eight of his estate workers to be exempt from conscription. On the Chairman asking why wouldn’t the women on the farm pitch in, a member’s answer was a simple one, “They won’t do it.” The unimpressed Chairman replied, “milking was work women ought to do. It was a job they ought not to keep back men for.” All the men’s requests were refused, albeit with varying lengths of short term exemptions for Lord Clinton to make preparations for life without them. [2] The premise for the tribunals can largely be summed up with the case of 37 year old steam roller driver, Ernest Lake, whose employer was seeking exemption because of the existing difficulty of maintaining the roads. Tribunal member, Mr Turrall, remarked “it was more important to shoot the Germans than to keep the roads.” [3]

Despite the ‘press-ganging’ approach, it was widely viewed that conscription failed to deliver. Of all the men called up, less than 45,000 actually qualified. The courts were clogged with some 93,000 cases of men failing to attend their call ups.

Like so many other men at this time, Leslie Blake tried to opt out of on national service. On his behalf, his mother appeared at the tribunal seeking exemption. Mrs Blake to the unusual approach of requesting that the appeal be heard in private, the tribunal agreed. Although we do not know the content of the discussions, we do know he was granted 4 months exemption. [4]

Leslie was signed up to the Devonshire Regiment, initially with the 1st Royal Devon Yeomanry, service number 225304, before being embedded with the 2nd Battalion, service number 205169. Although on active service by this time, it would appear that the Private was permitted compassionate leave in June 1917 to attend his father’s funeral as he is listed in the chief mourners along with his mother and sister [5] Especially through 1918, the 2nd Devons would see some of the fiercest fighting of the war, not least at Bois des Buttes.

Last Stand of the 2nd Devons

On the 20th May 1918 the 2nd Devons were moved into reserve in the Aisne region to commence an intensive training programme to bring maintain their fighting capability. It had been a relatively quiet period in the area, although a few raids had been conducted by the Germans, but this was not unusual. Intelligence had not predicted any major developments. However, it would soon become apparent that a major clandestine operation was under way.

Concerns were raised significantly following the capture of two German soldiers on the 26th May. Following interrogation, it was revealed that a major assault was due to commence imminently by 35 divisions. As part of the hasty defence plans, the 2nd Devons were moved to the front occupying dugouts and trenches at Bois des Buttes, which was a lightly wooded hill. They arrived in failing light and shortly before the German bombardment commenced. The ferocity of the bombardment would have left the British in no doubt that a major operation was unfolding. The German bombing strategy had moved on from continuous shelling over a sustained period to accurate and intense efforts on specific targets aimed at causing mass disruption and maximising casualties, whilst at the same time weaken the effort to mount a substantial defensive response. These would only last a matter of hours. In the favour of the Devons were the deep dugouts, which gave good protection from the onslaught, although gas shells would have caused mild disruption.

The initial attacks, courtesy of the improved German tactics, were a success breaking the lines in a number of places. Although there was initial resistance, the flank to the left of the Devons collapsed leaving them as the only sizeable British force north of the River Aisne. At first light, at around 4am, the Devons emerged from their shelter and advanced to battle positions, the mist over the battlefield gave cover to both attackers and defenders.

The Keep Military Museum writes:

Almost immediately after the Devons deployed to their battle positions, B Company came under attack from the left by elements of the German 50th Division. The Germans had moved quickly through the British 50th Division's position and approached Bois des Buttes undercover of the mist. The Battalion was initially attacked by heavily armed sturmtruppen infantry. The first wave that appeared out of the mist, soldiers of the 158th German Infantry Regiment, took cover from the rapid fire of the riflemen and B Company's two Lewis guns. Out of the mist, over the heads of the first wave, came dozens of rifle grenades that caused heavy casualties to the men of B Company sheltering in the trenches. After a while the German riflemen who had taken cover about fifty metres away in dead ground and shell holes 'Jumped up and rushed us' while a second wave continued to give covering fire. 'The boys kept blasting away and this attack was beaten off'. Fire from the rifle grenades resumed causing even greater casualties to the Devons. A third wave of Germans charged through the mist 'hurling stick bombs into our trench' and they too were beaten off with heavy casualties. Following this, the artillery barrage resumed, further thinning the depleted ranks of the Devons. The Battalions deployment under fire and B Company's success in beating off a surprise attack from a powerful force were the first examples of the determined defence against great odds that was to characterise the Battle.[6]

As the hours passed and the day became warmer, the mist began to thin meaning cover was lost and potential targets became more obvious. Their determined resistance came at a cost as they were targeted by aircraft fire, tanks and artillery shelling. They were now outflanked, virtually encircled, outgunned, outnumbered and at risk of being overrun. Instead of retreating, the Devons made the Germans fight for every inch of land. They were gradually pushed back to the woods with a fighting retreat. The aim now was to make sure the Division south of the river had sufficient time to prepare for the coming storm. In the words of Lt Col Anderson-Morshead, “Your job for England, men, is to hold the blighters up as much as you can, to give our troops a chance on the other side of the River. There is no hope of relief we have to fight to the last”.[7]

The following extract from a letter by Pte Borne, who died of wounds aged 20, exemplifies the spirit of the Battalion. He wrote:

“I was with the Lewis gun team, and we were first in action. All my pals were speedy casualties Lads were falling right and left but I had a capital weapon in the Lewis gun, which I was firing steadily at the German hordes. I looked about, and I seemed to be all alone. Still, I kept on firing at them. Then, when the enemy waves were about 100 yards away, things got a bit too warm, so I picked up the gun, ran back about 100 yards, and had another go.”

Pte Borne fought on alone for some hours before being wounded. He died as a prisoner of war.[8]

About 9.30 a.m. the Colonel and Adjutant, with less than 50 men, all that remained of the battalion, charged forward down the hill and opened effective fire on some German artillery who were coming up the road from Juvincourt. The survivors were in two parties on either side of the road, and in directing the movement of his men across the road to join the Adjutant, Colonel Anderson-Morshead was hit and killed. Captain Burke, with the remainder of the two parties, who then numbered some 30, went half-way up the hill again, where they could get a better field of fire. For a little time they held out, having luckily found some boxes of ammunition but this soon ran out; Captain Burke was hit, and the stand ended with a gallant charge by the few survivors into the midst of the enemy. Very few indeed of the battalion escaped. Many had fallen at the Bois des Buttes; of those who endeavoured to cut their way out, the majority perished.[9]

The stand was over. The remaining troops made desperate efforts to escape across the River Aisne, some successfully but not without further acts of heroism to reach safety. Around forty soldiers would make it. During the six hour stand, over 550 soldiers from the 2nd Devons were killed or captured. It is widely accepted that the remarkable actions of these men stalled the German advance sufficiently for their wider Division to regroup and mount a response.

Such was the bravery of actions that day, the Devonshire Regiment was awarded the Croix de Guerre with palm leaf in December 1918 by the French Government. They were the first entire unit to be awarded the honour. The medal can still be seen housed in the National Army Museum in London. The ribbon of the medal was worn on the Devonshire Regiment uniform sleeve above the divisional insignia. Although the Devonshire Regiment has now been amalgamated with The Rifles, the Croix de Guerre arm badge is still worn. A memorial to the men of the 2nd Devons was unveiled in November 1921, it can be found at La Ville aux Bois des Pontavert in France. The inscription reads:

2ND BATTALION DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT ON THE 27TH MAY 1918 AT A TIME WHEN THE BRITISH TRENCHES WERE BEING SUBJECTED TO FIERCE ATTACKS, THE 2ND BDE. DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT REPELLED SUCCESSIVE ENEMY ASSAULTS WITH GALLANTRY AND DETERMINATION AND MAINTAINED AN UNBROKEN FRONT TILL A LATE HOUR. THE STAUNCHNESS OF THIS BATTALION PERMITTED DEFENCES SOUTH OF THE AISNE TO BE REORGANISED AND THEIR OCCUPATION BY REINFORCEMENTS TO BE COMPLETED. INSPIRED BY THE SANGFROID OF THEIR GALLANT COMMANDER LT. COL. R.H. ANDERSON-MORSHEAD D.S.O., IN THE FACE OF AN INTENSE BOMBARDMENT, THE FEW SURVIVORS OF THE BATTALION, THOUGH ISOLATED AND WITHOUT HOPE OF ASSISTANCE, HELD ON TO THEIR TRENCHES NORTH OF THE RIVER AND FOUGHT TO THE LAST WITH AN UNHESITATING OBEDIENCE TO ORDERS. THUS THE WHOLE BATTALION, COLONEL, 28 OFFICERS AND 552 NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN, RESPONDED WITH ONE ACCORD AND OFFERED THEIR LIVES IN UNGRUDGING SACRIFICE TO THE SACRED CAUSE OF THE ALLIES.

Private Leslie Blake was killed in the fighting that day. Notice of him being missing was released in the Western Times at the end of June 1918 [10] but it would almost be another year before his mother would receive official notification that he was killed in action in the stand made by the 2nd Devons [11]. Aged just 20 years when he was killed, the Private’s name can be found at the Soissons Memorial in the Aisne region of France. He has no gravestone; instead the memorial commemorates almost 4,000 British servicemen who died in the Battles of Aisne and Marne, whom have no known grave.

The Last Stand Of The 2nd Devons by William Barnes Wollen

[1] Western Times. May 15th 1916. ‘Farmers Would Have to Lay Down Beside Their Farms.’

[2] North Devon Journal. June 29th 1916. ‘Torrington Rural Tribunal.’

[3] North Devon Journal. May 11th 1916. ‘Torrington Borough Tribunal.’

[4] North Devon Journal. May 11th 1916. ‘Torrington Borough Tribunal.’

[5] North Devon Journal. June 7th 1917. ‘Torrington’.

[6] The Keep Military Museum. The Battle of Bois des Buttes

[7] The Keep Military Museum. The Battle of Bois des Buttes

[8] The Keep Military Museum. The Battle of Bois des Buttes

[9] Atkinson, C.T. (1926) The Devonshire Regiment, 1914-1918.

[10] Western Times. June 29th 1918. ‘West-Country Casualties in Recent Fighting.’

[11] Western Times. March 27th 1919. ‘Local and District News’.