Captain: John Coghlan
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Pte. K.I.A: Henry Hiscox 200931
Driver: George Thornton
Pte.: Unknown
Pte.: Unknown
Pte.: Unknown
Remembering the first of two D Company crewmen who were killed at Poelcapelle on 9 Oct 1917.
32209 Cpl Dudley Nevill White was born at Coventry on 6 Dec 1896; his father was a works manager. By 1901, the family had moved to nearby Kenilworth. At the age of 15, Dudley was woring as a clerk at an oil cake mill.
Dudley's father managed a cycle factory. When he was attested at Kenilworth, Dudley was working at Eykyns Motor Garage. He joined the MMGS through the Motor Cycle recruiting section in early Apr 1916 and was appointed lance corporal within a fortnight.
Dudley was the NCO in tank crew D22 at High Wood on 15 Sep 1916, his skipper was Eric Robinson, and probably saw action at Courcelette on 26 Sep. He may well have been In Robinson's crew on 14 Nov 1916 when their tank was knocked out by artillery fire as they deployed for the attack on the Hamel Redoubt.
After the first action, he continued to serve with D Battalion, with No. 11 Company and almost certainly fought at the first battle of Bullecourt (11 April 16). He was the tank NCO in male tank 2380 named Damon II, which was destroyed as it fought its way into Poelcapelle on 9 Oct 1917. He was just 20 years old.
After he was killed, his skipper Lt John Coghlan wrote to the family: “I am very sorry to inform you that your son, finest and bravest boy I have ever met, was Killed in Action on the 9th on this month. He was in my crew and went into action at dawn on the morning against some strong points at Poelcapelle. From the start we were shelled heavily and about 8.30am a shell struck the tank killing your son at his gun, he never uttered a word. He is buried beside his tank and rests in Belgian soil.”
Dudley's body was buried near the tank but later the grave was lost. He is therefore commemorated on the Tyne Cott memrorial to the missing. Dudley is also remembered at the Kenilworth War Memorial and on a brass plate in the Church Of St Nicholas.
2512 Pte Edward George “Eddie” Williams, a schoolteacher from Ferndale in Glamorgan
White D ,Hiscox H and Williams E . where buried by the side of the tank Damon II
"Gnr Thornton - probably Pte George Thornton who enlisted 12 Dec 1915. Later renumbered 200895, he served in 11 Coy (Watsons) and therefore may have fought at the 1st Battle of Bullecourt. He was a member of the crew of Damon II (skipper - Lt John Coghlan) and was injured on 9th Oct 1917 during an attack IN Poelcapelle. Coghlan wrote an article after the war which says that Thornton lost his arm when the tank was hit by an enemy shell. (Close to the site of the new Tank Memorial at Poelkapelle - Dudley White, Henry Hiscott/Hiscox and Edward Williams were KIA in the same action). Coghlan's daughter Mary told Vince McGarry that George Thornton retrained as a technician after being invalided out of the Army (discharged as a Pte on 25 Mar 1919 and awarded a Silver War Badge) - and that he made a 10” model of Damon II and gave it to John Coghlan at some point after the war" Thornton died on 5 Apr 1971 (correct dob) at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham – cause of death bronchopneumonia , registered by his only daughter Elizabeth Rosemary born 8 Oct 1930 and died 9 Feb 1996 George had previously been employed as a stores keeper for a distillers company – his home address was 56 Westbourne Ave - Sculcoates in Hull
Sources: Great War Forum, Johan Vanbeselaere