Life History

Other facts

Notes

• George Edward Datlen - G/9046 - 2nd Royal Sussex Regiment
  
  Born: 1893
  Father: Charles George Datlen
  Mother: Jessie Ann Vane
  
  George Edward Datlen was born in Dover in 1893 the last of fivechildren of Charles George Datlen and Jessie Ann Vane. Charles, a fishdealer, died of dropsy in 1900 when George was only seven years old.Jessie married Albert John Blythe in August 1903 and they moved toWateringbury near Maidstone. On 19th February 1916 at the age of 23George enlisted at Maidstone into the Royal Sussex Regiment.  He hadpreviously served with the 3rd Battallion, Royal Sussex Regiment wherehe purchased his discharge for £3 in May 1912. The onset of warthough, forced his recall and this time he would pay with his life.
  
  His papers describe him as 5 foot 6 inches tall, weighing 140 lbs,with a 35 inch girth. He had one vaccination mark in his left arm andthree in his right arm all made in infancy. His vision was tested as6/6. His address was given as Pozen Well in Wateringbury, his tradewas recorded as general labourer and religion as Church of England.
  
  On the 1st March 1916 he was posted into the 3rd Battalion of theRoyal Sussex Regiment and half his purchase money, £1.10 was returnedto him. These first months he would have received intense training andon the 19th of March he was taken ill with influenza and was admittedto Newhaven Hospital for 10 days.
  
  On the 20th July George was sent to France as part of the BritishExpeditionary Forces and posted to the 7th Battalion at Étaples. Onthe 28th of July he was posted to 2nd battalion and on the 31st Julyhe was appointed to Lance Corporal. He would have travelled to thefront line with his unit by train and finally by marching. The 2ndBattalion were stationed at Henencourt, west of Albert. During thefirst two weeks of August they occupied themselves with Drill,training, musketry, physical exercises, regimental sports and nighttime operations, the distant noise of war must have been poundingthrough their heads, adrenalain pumping as the soldiers knew their daywas approaching. On the 9th August a regimental concert was held inHenencourt Wood and the next day they held boxing contests both eventswere successful in boosting morale.
  
  Early evening on the 13th of August the battalion left Henencourt andmarched via Albert to Becourt Wood where they camped for the night. Onthe 14th at 1pm the Battalion marched off from Becourt Wood andproceeded via Mametz Wood to High Wood. Here they relieved the 11thSuffolk in the firing line. The situation was then quiet.  I can onlyimagine the conditions that George would have had to ordeal there inthe trenches. The battle of High Wood had already lasted a month andwould continue for another month until finally being taken by the 47thDivision, III Corps on 15th September 1916. Apparently at the start ofthe attack on the 20th July, news came back that the woods were clearof any German presence.
  
  "Moving slowly and carefully, the officers reached the edge of HighWood. No enemy troops were seen; anxious to take full advantage, theseofficers lodged a request with XV Corps to push ahead.  Orders cameback that they were to wait until the cavalry arrived.  GeneralRawlinson and General Haig believed that cavalry was the key toconsolidating and further advance. Unfortunately, the Indian Cavalrydid not arrive until later in the evening, having had to negotiateseveral miles of shell-churned earth. By the time they had arrived,reports had begun to filter back that the area between Longurval andBezentin le Grand had been fully wrestled from German hands.  It wasdecided to hold the cavalry back and wait.
  
  Slowly, the Germans moved back into High Wood, amazed at their goodfortune.  In a day of confusion, the only orders that came were towait until the following day, after the cavalry had swept through thewood and the surrounding areas.  The Devon Horse and the DragoonGuards accompanied the infantry moving towards the northern corner ofHigh Wood, led the charge. The timing, however, was poor; it was sevenin the evening and the British were only now attacking twelve hoursafter their initial advance".
  
  The Germans held their ground until it was taken on 15th September,"almost two months after it had been sitting open and available.Perhaps if the 3rd and 7th division had been given permission to carryon their advance of 20 July, many thousands of lives might have beensaved".
  (The Somme Association, www.irishsoldier.org/sommetext.html)
  
  On Monday 14th August 1916, George Edward Datlen was waiting in thetrenches with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. On their leftwas the 1st Brigade and to their right was the 1st Middlesex (33rdDivision). At 11pm the Germans shelled their trenches in response toan earlier artillery bombardment. Several casualties were reportedthat night?.
  
  For most of the next day the batteries remained very active and theGerman guns replied with occasional shelling. At 9.50pm a Patrol wassent out to report on the western portion of the trench running southwest from High Wood. The patrol returned about midnight reporting thatthe line was not wired making attack feasible.  At 2.30am the plan wasinitiated with B Company moving out on the right and One CompanyNorthampton on the left. There was no artillery preparation and theenterprise was unsuccessful principally owing to loss of direction.Lieutenant Collins was killed with 30 other casualties.
  
  On Wednesday there was more occasional shelling throughout the day. Itwas decided that a further attack on the German lines would be madethat night with the Royal Sussex Regiment accompanying One CompanyNorthants. At 10pm George Datlen prepared to move out with the RoyalSussex. This time the raid was to be successful. Under intensebombardment the enemy trench was taken with few casualties. 12prisoners were captured. George survived and remained in the capturedtrench.
  
  On the morning of Thursday 17th August, the Germans made a determinedcounter attack. They came forward with a Flammenwerfer and handgrenades, considerable confusion ensued. 2nd Lieutenants Atkinson,Sainton and Jolmson were among the casualties. The sole officer 2ndLieutenant Wright was able to maintain himself along with a smallparty in the captured trench. The enemy bombarded all day and about8pm the Loyal North Lancs. began to relieve the Battalion which movedinto Brigade reserve in Mametz Wood.
  
  George Edward Datlen was killed that fateful day. His body was notrecovered. His remains lay buried in High Wood along with 8,000 othermen. He is forever remembered on the Thiepval memorial, France Pierand Face 7 C.
  
  In Memory of
  
  GEORGE EDWARD DATLEN
  
  Lance Corporal
  G/9046
  2nd Bn., Royal Sussex Regiment
  who died on
  Thursday, 17th August 1916. Age 22
  
  Son of Jessie Ann Denton (formerly Datlen), 02 2, Springdale Terrace,Nettlestead, Wateringbury, Kent.
  
  British War Medal
  British War Medal. In the case of Army personnel, it was issued tothose who had "entered a theatre of war on duty, or who left places ofresidence and rendered approved service overseas" (including India)between 5 Aug 1914 and 11 Nov 1918.
  
  Victory Medal
  Victory Medal. Nearly the same qualifications as for the British WarMedal, but slight differences in the small print. Since it was awardedto personnel "who actually served on the establishment of a unit in atheatre of war", and since India was not regarded as a theatre of war,service in India did not count.
  

Sources

• 1. 1901 British Census for Jessie Ann Datlen of Dover, Kent
  • Name: The National Archives; Date: 31 March 1901;