WW1 MM Group of 4 to JOHN PERREN - 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment

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SGT. JOHN PERREN - MM – Life Story

The following research information gives a brief life story for a John Perren of the 23rd Battalion Middlesex Regiment and the action at Messines Ridge (St. Eloi) where he was to earn his Military Medal. As is so often the unfortunate case … you run into a series of dead ends that do not result in the full life story being told. This is one of those cases. However, what I have found (so far) is highlighted below.

John Perren was born in mid-1894 in Southwark, Surrey, England the son of John Perren and his wife Jessie, Elizabeth Perren. John (Sr.) had married a Jessie Elizabeth (nee Draper) on 14 May 1893 at St Pauls Church, St Mary Newington.

Below John’s Birth Index:

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The 1901 Census shows John aged 7 living at 24 Portland Place, Lambeth, London, England with his parents and an older step-brother, Arthur William, and one younger brother, Isaac James and one younger sister, Jessie Mary Ellen.

Head – John Perren aged 32 – Cabman
Wife – Jessie Elizabeth aged 34
Stepson – Arthur William Drape aged 12
Son – John Perren aged 7
Son – Isaac James Perren aged 4
Daughter – Jessie Mary Ellen Perren aged 2

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Actual Census and closeup of entries:

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The 1911 Census now finds the Perren family living at 49 Aldred Road, Kennington SW, London, England. Henry’s parents have had another child, Ernest Cecil Perren. John, now age 17, is shown working as a Confectioner’s Assistant. There are three additional borders present as well.

Head – John Perren aged 42 – Cabman
Wife – Jessie Elizabeth aged 44
Stepson – Arthur William Drape aged 22
Son – John Perren aged 17
Son – Isaac James Perren aged 14
Daughter – Jessie Mary Ellen Perren aged 12
Son – Ernest Cecil Perren aged 7

Walter Russell Smith aged 43 – Saw Maker
Arthur Gregory aged 46
Mary Gregory aged 38

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Actual Census and closeup of entries;

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MILITARY SERVICE

WW1 starts in August 1914 and Henry enlists as a Private in the 23 Battalion Middlesex Regiment with the Regimental Number G-1942. As part of the 123 Infantry Brigade, 41st Division he embarks for the Western Front and arrives in France on 31 May 1915. Unfortunately his service records were destroyed in the Blitz so details from his Attesting cannot be reviewed.

During early June 1917 the 41st Division are shown in the Battle of Messines Ridge 7 June 1917 in the preliminary battles leading to the 3rd Battle of Ypres. John is subsequently awarded the MM for “Bravery in the Field” (London Gazette 21 August 1917).

Below is some back ground to the Battle for Messines Ridge in June 1917.

BATTLE OF MESSINES RIDGE – Background

The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an offensive conducted by the British Second Army, under the command of General Sir Herbert Plumer, on the Western Front near the village of Messines in Belgian West Flanders during the First World War. The Neville offensive in April and May had failed to achieve its more ambitious aims and this had resulted in the demoralization of French troops and the dislocation of the Anglo-French strategy for 1917. The offensive at Messines forced the German Army to move reserves to Flanders from the Arras and Aisne fronts, which relieved pressure on the French Army. The tactical objective of the attack at Messines was to capture the German defenses on the ridge, which ran from Ploegsteert ("Plugstreet") Wood in the south through Messines and Wytschaete to Mt. Sorrel, to deprive the German Fourth Army of the high ground south of Ypres. The ridge commanded the British defenses and back areas further north, from which the British intended to conduct the "Northern Operation", to advance to Passchendaele Ridge, then capture the Belgian coast up to the Dutch frontier.

The Second Army contained five corps, of which three conducted the attack and two remained on the northern flank, not engaged in the main operation; the XIV Corps was available in General Headquarters reserve ("GHQ reserve"). The German Fourth Army divisions of Gruppe Wijtschate ("Group Wytschaete") held the ridge, which were later reinforced by a division from Gruppe Ypern.

The battle began with the detonation of a series of mines beneath German lines, which created 19 large craters and devastated the German front line defenses. This was followed by a creeping barrage 700 yards (640 m) deep, covering the British troops as they secured the ridge, with support from tanks, cavalry patrols and aircraft. The effectiveness of the British mines, barrages and bombardments was improved by advances in artillery survey, flash-spotting and centralized control of artillery from the Second Army headquarters. British attacks from 8–14 June advanced the front line beyond the former German Sehnen (Oosttaverne) line. The Battle of Messines was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres campaign, the preliminary bombardment for which began on 11 July 1917.

Below are Maps showing the Battlefront and objectives. At the top of the page one can see where the 23 BN Middlesex Regiment was inline.

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THE BATTLE OF MESSINES – 7th June 1917

The first day of the battle of the Messines Ridge saw the simultaneous firing of nineteen enormous deep mines under German strongpoints. 25 mines were actually prepared and five remain unfired (One detonated in a thunderstorm in 1955). Below are photos of some of the craters remaining.

Various massive charges of Amatol (The most powerful explosive then available) were fired over a 20 second period at 3:10 am on the morning of 7th June 1917. As a result of over a year of careful planning by Plummer’s Second Army the battle was a complete success. All objectives were taken on the first day.

While German casualty figures are always difficult to establish the Official History reports them as about 23,000, including 10,000 missing, between 21st May and 10th June. Prisoners taken by the BEF amounted to 7,154, and it can reasonably claim that at least 10,000 Germans died in the attack.

BEF casualties were also high, at 20,940; 18,646 being from the 158 attacking infantry battalions. Approximately 7,000 British troops died, partly because of crowding on the Ridge itself after the assault, and partly due to difficulties in coordinating barrages owing to the use of two separate artillery organizations by the British.

A journey along the sites of the remaining mine craters is a good way to understand where the front lines on the right hand side of the Ypres salient lay in mid-1917.

Below are a few pages of relevant detail to the activities of the 23 Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment (from DIE HARDS in the Great War).

NOTE* The mention of the 23rd Battalion in front of the OASIS and OAR trenches (this is indicated on preceding map):

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Some awe inspiring current day photos from the many Craters still in existence today. It must have been a real experience seeing these devices blown at the start of offensive actions in WW1.

HILL 60 and the Caterpillar:

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St Eloi.

The 1916 craters are on private land. The 1917 crater (which destroyed craters 3 and 4 of 1916). At 96,500 lbs. of amatol the St Eloi mine of 1917 was the largest of all the Battle of Messines mines.

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Hollandschesshur (showing the location of the nearby Bayernwald and the location of the German front line in 1917.)

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Petite Bois.

The twin craters of this mine are on private land some way from the road. The attached Google Earth picture shows the craters. (Below). Each was of 30,000lbs.

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Maedelstede Farm.

94,000 lbs. fired at 217ft depth. (Below). The huge spoil banks remain and give a clear impression of the power of these mines. Wijtsheate church can be seen on the horizon.