maricourt 1st june 1916
at 8.30am two sections of men,each consisting of one NCO and six men,were in practise trenches,ready to start bombing practise,pte harold moe of the leading section was handed a bomb,but he could not get the pin out,he was handed another,this also had a faulty pin,he was handed a third bomb,he pulled the pin,but had to throw it with his left hand,owing to him still having the second bomb in his right hand,he threw the bomb over the parapet,but it roll along the top and fell back into the trench about 5yds away,pte hodson shouted for everyone to take cover,then there was an explosion,followed by a second explosion,pte buckley who had been at that end of the trench,had heard the shout,and ran forward holding a bomb with its pin removed,which went off shortly after the first bomb,pte hodson shouted that some men had been wounded,at 8.50am Lt j,robertson hall of the 97th field ambulance RAMC was alerted and proceded to the spot,on arrival,he declared that L/cpl jolley was a hopeless case,he had suffered a compound fracture of the left side of the skull from which brain matter was oozing,pte buckley who was lying nearby,was pronounced dead,he had a suffered a wound behind his left lower chest behind the heart,pte kirkham was wounded in the left side of his left thigh,pte bottomley suffered wounds to both legs,sgt whitehead recieved a wound under his left eye,caused by the first bomb,all were sent to hospital,sgt whitehead was treated at the field ambulance by Lt hall.
bombing officer
Lt james,basil higgins,century buildings,199 deansgate,manchester
front section
L/cpl 11863 robert,roy jolley[B.coy] 61 queen st,hulme
pte 12413 augustus masters[D.coy]
pte 12466 joseph tinker[D.coy]
pte 12400 arthur lawson[D.coy]
pte law
pte 11758 john,henry britten[B.coy] 3 church lane harpurhey[DOW 15-12-17]
pte stuart
rear section
sgt 11713 frederick whitehead,16 green ave,swinton
pte 11751 joseph bottomley[B.coy]8 alfred st,lower broughton
pte 11870 herbert kirkham[B.coy]heather lea,shiphook rd,northwich
pte 12272 robert,lamb buckley[D.coy]41 sheldon st,clayton
pte 12010 tom bibby[C.coy]52 parrswood st,didsbury
pte 11606 harold moe[A.coy]"oakholme"wilbraham rd,manchester[later KIA 23-7-16]
pte 12356 william hodson[D.coy]
