224961 Pioneer Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton, R.E.

Figure 1. Pioneer Herbert N.H. Appleton, R.E.
(Postcard photograph in the author’s collection)

1. INTRODUCTION

Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton was a teacher. He was a chemistry teacher. When he enlisted in the Army in 1915 it was his hope that he would be posted to the Royal Army Medical Corps. But this was not to be. Instead, he found himself with the military trade of “Chemist” serving in the Royal Engineers Special Brigade, the British Army’s gas warfare unit.

This story of Appleton’s life and military service was made possible as a result of his family tree being posted on Ancestry.com. His military service papers were included in his family tree as well as references to various census and other civil documents. Two books covering gas warfare on the Western Front in France also were used to flesh out the narrative of Appleton’s service.

Appleton had a half-brother who served in the infantry during the Great War of 1914-1918. Unfortunately he was killed in action in 1915. His story, as much as could be found, is also included in this narrative.

Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton was the son of Joseph Appleton (1861-1946) a grocer from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, and Alice Newton Appleton (1864-1889), née Harrison of Robin Hoods Bay, Yorkshire. Joseph and Alice had been married in 1886 and they had Herbert, their only child, in 1889. Alice died in 1889, perhaps in childbirth.[1] The family appears in the 1891 Census of England as shown in the table below.

This obviously had to be a sad time for Joseph Appleton. Losing his wife after only three years of marriage and then being left with a 1-year old boy to care for had to be difficult for him. Hiring a domestic servant to care for Herbert and to perform housekeeping chores may have put a strain on his economic situation, as he was only a Grocer’s Helper at this time in his life.

Joseph Appleton married Jane Garbutt (1862-1934) in Guisborough in the latter part of 1891. Joseph and Jane had three sons; Joseph (1892-?), Scrafton Stonehouse (1894-1915) and Henry (1895-?). By 1901 the Appleton family was composed as shown in the table below:

Figure 2. 26 Crescent Road in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

By 1901 Joseph Appleton was working as a Grocer “on his own account,” no longer being an assistant to a shop owner. By 1911 the family had moved to a new address in Middlesbrough and two of the sons were employed and adding to the family income; however, they were only three years away from the start of the Great War and drastic changes were to occur in the family.

Herbert must have been studying chemistry at this time, as his studies would affect his posting in the Royal Engineers and he would also take up teaching chemistry after he left the Army.

Joseph Appleton would have been 21 years old when the war started in 1914. A search of Medal Index Card (MIC) uncovered eight men with the name Joseph (NMI)[4] Appleton serving in the Army. One served in the Royal Garrison Artillery, two in the Royal Engineers, one in the Royal Scots Fusiliers/The Welsh Regiment, one in The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, one in the Manchester Regiment, one in the Prince of Wales Volunteers (South Lancashire) Regiment and one in the Army Veterinary Corps. If Joseph served during the war there was no positive way to determine if he was one of these men.

Scrafton Appleton enlisted in the Seaforth Highlanders and was serving in the 1/4^th Battalion of that regiment when the war started. More details regarding his service will be presented later in this narrative.

Henry Appleton would have been 18 years old in 1914 and eligible to serve. A search for Medal Index Cards uncovered five men by the name of Henry (NMI)[5] Appleton who served during the war. One served in the King’s Own Lancaster Regiment, one in the Machine Gun Corps, one in the Manchester Regiment and one in the Army Service Corps. The fifth man served in the Lancashire Fusiliers, but he had been killed in action. The Appleton family trees do not indicate that Henry died during the war, so he could not have been this fifth man. Again, there were too many men by the name of Henry Appleton who served and who could be identified as the son of Joseph and Jane Appleton.

Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton was born in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire on 20 October 1889. His mother’s maiden name was Alice Newton Harrison, so it appears that Herbert was given the middle names Newton Harrison to honor his mother’s family. He developed an interest in chemistry and in 1911 he was in a college or university studying it. Unfortunately the university that he attended is unknown; however, before the Great War started he had already graduated and was teaching chemistry, perhaps at a school in Durham.

Herbert’s half-brother Scrafton was serving with the 1/4^th (Ross Highland) Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders in the Territorial Force when the Great War began. Since they were only three years apart in age, one can assume that as children they may have become very close. When the war started on 4 August 1914, 2095 Private Scrafton S. Appleton was serving with his battalion at Dingwall, Scotland as part of the Seaforth & Cameron Brigade of the Highland Division. The battalion soon move to Bedford and on 4 November 1914 the battalion landed in Le Havre, France. Scrafton was killed in action on 11 March 1915. News of his death must surely have shocked and saddened his parents and brothers and may have given Herbert the incentive to join the Army.

Upon enlisting in the Army, Herbert Appleton was given a physical examination to determine his suitability to serve. The following was his physical description at that time:

As can be seen from the photograph in Figure 1, Herbert was slight of build. At 5 feet 6¾ inches in height and only 119 pounds, he would be considered to be a small man by today’s standards. The photograph also shows him wearing a pair of spectacles to correct his vision. His Medical History sheet indicates that his eyesight was 6/36 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye in accordance with the Snellen visual acuity scale. The 6/6 indicates that he could read the bottom or smallest line on the chart at a distance of 6 yards with his left eye. The 6/36 indicates that he had to be at 6 yards to read the second highest line on the chart using his right eye. His less than normal visual acuity was not considered serious enough to preclude him from military service.

Herbert Appleton was first recruited for service on 11 December 1915 in Sunderland, County Durham. At the time he was living at Elm Place in East Boldon and was employed as a schoolteacher. He indicated that he was not married, had no prior naval or military service, was willing to be vaccinated, and was willing to enlist for General Service with the initial R.A.M.C. written in next to this response. This was an indication that he preferred to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps. On the day following his recruitment Appleton was appointed to the Army Reserve to be called up for duty as needed.

Herbert Appleton was mobilized for service on 11 February 1916, probably on the General List. Upon mobilization it appears that he was sent off for recruit training at an unknown location. During this training period it appears that his academic status and his work skills were identified and found to be compatible with the newly forming Special Brigade of the Royal Engineers. On 6 March 1917 he was interviewed by a senior officer and was found to be available for enlistment in the Royal Engineers Chemical Section. He was ordered to report to the Officer Commanding, Special Brigade at Withoe Camp in Devonport.[6]

Figure 3. Major General C.H. Foulkes, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.
Officer Commanding, Special Brigade, Royal Engineers
(Image from “GAS!” The Story of the Special Brigade)

On 13 March 1917 Appleton was posted to and joined No. 2 Special Company, Special Brigade, 5^th Mortar Battalion. In the 5^th Battalion companies 1 through 4 were Stokes Mortar companies consisting of 6 officers, 26 non-commissioned officers and 307 other ranks for a total of 339 all ranks, broken down as follows:

Each mortar company would have 48 4-inch Stokes mortars. The mortar could be used with gas or high explosive bombs. It was possible for a well-trained crew to load the bombs into one mortar so rapidly that 15 of them could be counted in the air before the first one struck the target. As each contained two liters of liquid gas, the concentration of gas that could be placed on a target by means of rapid fire from a number of mortars was impressive and deadly.

In addition to the mortar companies, the 5^th Battalion had a fifth company, "Z" Company, which was the flame projector company having a total strength of 350+ all ranks.

On the day following his posting to No. 2 Special Company, Appleton was assigned the military trade of Chemist, Regimental Number 224961, and the rank of Pioneer.

On 15 Mar 1917 Appleton’s attestation was approved by a Major at the Special Brigade Depot and on this same day he was administered a TAB inoculation, a combined vaccine used to produce immunity against the diseases typhoid, paratyphoid A, and paratyphoid B.

Training for men to be assigned to the Special Brigade began with an examination before a board of officers to determine how much they knew about chemistry and in particular poisonous gases.[7] Appleton, as a chemistry teacher, would have had no problem with these questions and was confirmed as a member of the Special Brigade. Those who had attended the chemistry test believed that they would eventually go to some unit associated with gas warfare. It appeared that the men involved with the training were all Corporals, however after assignment to their Special Brigade units in preparation for departure for France they all became Pioneers. Some had been Non-Commissioned Officers and at least one in Appleton’s group had been a Warrant Officer, but on transfer to the Special Brigade all became Pioneers with a pay of 1 shilling and 8 pence per day.[8]

Prior to his departure for France he was fitted out with a full field uniform and kit, but not with a rifle, bayonet, or entrenching tool. He was issued a revolver, a Smith & Wesson, and 12 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. His training as a soldier, per se, was very brief.[9]

Figure 5. Men of the Special Brigade on the Pistol Range.
(Image from “GAS!” The Story of the Special Brigade)

NOTE: In the photograph above, the men are practicing with Smith & Wesson revolvers and not with Webley revolvers, the pistols normally issued to officers at the time.

On 22 March 1917 Pioneer Appleton received a smallpox vaccination in preparation for his deployment to France. He remained at Withoe for just over a month, when on 27 April 1917 he was shipped to France where he was posted to the Special Brigade Depot there. He spent almost two months at the brigade depot before he joined No. 2 Special Company in the vicinity of Messines on 23 June. At the time of his arrival at the company, the unit was under the control of the British Second Army. It had just finished participation in the Battle of Messines during the period 7 to 14 June.

After a significant period out of the front line, No. 2 Special Company took part in a number of major actions during 1918. These are summarized in the table below.

By June of 1918 No. 2 Special Company also was capable of carrying out cylinder and projector operations as well as 4-inch mortar bombardments. Cylinders were essentially gas-filled cylinders with valves which, when properly placed and spaced along the front line trenches, could be opened when the wind conditions were favorable to send clouds of gas towards the enemy’s position. Projectors were essentially pipes that could be buried partially in the ground and electrically fired to hurl a liquid gas filled drum at the enemy’s positions.

On 23 June 1918 No. 2 Company fired 480 projector drums as well as 1,200 4-inch mortar bombs from 38 mortars near Merris on the Second Army front. On 19 July they fired 850 more drums, and on 23 June, 240. On 20 September 1918 the company fired 1,000 drums and on 24 September an additional 600. On 27 September the company fired 200 smoke drums in connection with an infantry operation. The company also had 2,000 cylinders installed in position for a cloud attack, although these were not discharged.[10]

The logistics problems involved in supplying such enormous numbers of bombs, cylinders and projectors must have been daunting. The numbers quoted above were just for one company of the Special Brigade. The brigade consisted of 21 companies, all of which had to be supplied with these weapons. Surely Labour Corps or infantry work parties were needed to maintain the supply lines.

Pioneer Appleton was wounded on 19 August 1917, but he remained on duty with his company. He must have been wounded when his company was in the vicinity of Messines. It is likely that he was wounded by enemy artillery fire as he probably did not get too close to the front line when his company was employing mortar bombs or projectors. However, when the company employed cylinders the men of the company were required to be in the front line trenches to release the gases. In any case, his wound must have been a slight one, as he stayed with the company to continue with his duties.

On 8 March 1918 Appleton was granted leave in the U.K. He rejoined his unit on 23 March, stayed with the company through the Armistice and departed France for home on 11 January 1919. On 21 January he underwent a medical examination at Ripon in North Yorkshire pending his discharge from the Army. When he was discharged he indicated that his intended place of residence would be the family home at 194 Newport Road in Middlesbrough. His total service is as shown in the table below.

For his service in the Great War Pioneer Appleton was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal as shown on his Medal Index Card.

Station	From:	To:	Years & Days
Army Reserve	11 December 1915	10 February 1916	62 days
Withoe Camp	11 February 1916	26 April 1917	1 year, 2 months and 16 days
France and Flanders	27 April 1917	10 January 1919	1 year, 8 months and 15 days
Ripon	11 January 1919	21 January 1919	10 days
Total Service:	3 years, 1 month and 11 days

Figure 8. Medal Index Card of 224961 Pioneer Herbert Appleton, R.E.
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

NOTE: Although his middle initials are not shown on the MIC, the Regimental Number on the card matches the number and rank found in the service records of 224961 Pioneer Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton. The Theatre of War and his date of entry therein are not shown on the card. This information also was obtained from his service papers.

The medals that he was awarded are shown below. He acknowledged receipt of these two medals in a document dated 17 April 1921.

Figure 9. The British War Medal and Victory Medal.
(Image from the author’s collection)

NOTE: The medals shown above are not Appleton’s medals. The image is presented here for illustrative purposes only.

As previously indicated, Herbert Appleton probably attended a university to obtain a degree in chemistry. Details of his education are not known to the author.

His education was instrumental in his assignment to the Royal Engineers Special Brigade during the war. It also was instrumental in his follow-on career as a chemistry teacher.

8. MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND PERSONAL INFORMATION

Herbert’s father, Joseph Appleton died in 1946 in Linthorpe, Yorkshire at the age of 85.

His mother, Alice Newton Harrison Appleton died in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1889 at the age of 25, perhaps as a result of giving birth to Herbert.

Herbert’s stepmother, Jane Garbutt Appleton died in Linthorpe, Yorkshire in 1934 at the age of 72.

Herbert Appleton married Elizabeth Dennison (1887-1959) in Auckland, County Durham in September of 1927. The Appleton family trees do not indicate that Herbert and Elizabeth had any children. The 1939 Register of England indicates that the couple were living at 90 Redworth Road in Shildon, County Durham. Herbert was an elementary school teacher. A woman by the name of Mary J. Dennison, single, a retired milliner also was living with the Appletons. She may have been Elizabeth’s mother or perhaps her sister.

Joseph Appleton was born in about 1892 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. As previously discussed, he could have served in the Great War, but definitive information is not available to prove that he did. According to existing family trees, details of his life and his date of death are not known.

Henry Appleton was born about 1895 in Middlesbrough. The information above regarding Joseph also applies to Henry.

Scrafton Stonehouse Appleton was born in 1894 in Middlesbrough. The first thought that comes to mind regarding him is how did he get that name? His two brothers were named simply Joseph and Henry with no middle names or initials. Scrafton Stonehouse is certainly a significant departure from common given names. His name notwithstanding, Scrafton was the unfortunate one of the brothers. He landed at Le Havre, France on 7 November 1914 as a Private in 1/4^th (Ross Highlanders) Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders as part of the 152^nd Brigade in the 51^st (Highland) Division. He may have looked like the young soldier in the photograph below.

Figure 10. A Private in the 1/4^th (Ross Highlanders) Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

After landing at Le Havre, Private Appleton and his battalion were transferred from the 51^st (Highland) Division to the 7^th (Meerut) Division of the Indian Army on 18 December 1914.

In the early morning hours of 10 March 1915 the battalion was located in the area of Vielles Chapell in northern France, ten kilometers northeast of Bethune. At noon the battalion moved into redoubts and at 1400 hours a shell burst over one of the redoubts causing 17 casualties, including Major William John Robertson who was mortally wounded.

At 1620 hours the battalion received orders to advance to Neuve Chapelle to support the 2^nd and 9^th Gurkhas in an attack on Bois de Biez. The right half of the battalion was to support the 9^th Gurkhas on the right and the left half of the battalion the 2^nd Gurkhas on the left. The progress of the attack was extremely slow due to congestion on roads caused by parties carrying the wounded and ammunition. At 1900 hours, acting under orders, the battalion withdrew and the men dug in.

At 0600 hours on 11 March new orders were received by the battalion to renew the attack at 0730 hours in a similar manner as on the previous day. At the start of the attack the battalion commander was wounded. This was reported to a Major Cuthbert by the battalion Adjutant and Cuthbert assumed command. The battalion received very heavy fire from the German position and with little artillery support and no infantry support on its left flank, progress was very difficult. The Officer Commanding the 9^th Gurkhas returned to the headquarters of the 1/4^th Seaforths to report the situation. Orders were received from brigade HQ to stand fast until the 24^th Brigade came up on the battalion’s left flank. The orders were for the attack to push on.

From 1000 hours to 1400 hours the battalion received heavy rifle, machine gun and artillery fire and was ordered to dig in. At 1415 hours a verbal message was received to commence the attack. The officers commanding the half battalions were advised to look to the front and advance at their own discretion. Observation to the front was extremely difficult owing to the lie of the ground.

At 1430 hours the leading company advanced reinforcing the Gurkhas. Casualties during the early part of the advance were heavy, with two officers killed and four wounded. 34 Other Ranks were killed and 106 were wounded.[11] Private Scranton S. Appleton was one of the men killed in this action. His death is commemorated on the Le Touret Memorial, Panel 38 and 39.[12] The full list of casualties of the battalion on the day that Scranton Appleton was killed can be found in Annex A to this narrative.

After leaving the Army, Herbert Appleton and his wife Elizabeth took up residence at 194 Newport Road in Middlesbrough and Herbert became an elementary school teacher. In 1939 they were living at 90 Redworth Road in Shildon, County Durham and Herbert was still teaching, perhaps specializing in chemistry.

Figure 11. 90 Redworth Road in Shildon, County Durham.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

Elizabeth Appleton died on 1 June 1959 in Durham at the age of 71. Probate of her will took place in Durham on 15 July 1959. Her effects were left to her husband who at the time was a retired School Master. Elizabeth’s effects amounted to £2,722, 11 shilling and 11 pence (approximately $93,400 US in 2022 currency.[13]

Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton died on 6 November 1977 at his 90 Redworth Road residence on 6 November 1977. Probate of his will took place at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 30 January 1978 with his effects amounting to £39,922 (about $341,300 US in 2022 currency.[14]

ANNEX A.
1/4^th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders Killed in Action on 11 March 1915[15]

A Pioneer in Picardy. “Stand To” magazine. Western Front Association, No. 77, September 2006.

Service Papers (of Herbert Newton Harrison Appleton unless otherwise stated)

[1] Family tree from Ancestry.com by malcolm1585.

[2] This address no longer exists in Middlesbrough.

[3] There is no longer a residential structure at this address.

[4] No middle initial or middle name.

[5] No middle initial or middle name.

[7] A Pioneer in Picardy.

[8] The original War Establishment for the first two companies of the Special Brigade were to be Engineer Corporals instead of Sappers when they enlisted, with special rates of pay, as it was originally thought by the War Office that they would be university graduates or students. That is how this unusual state of affairs came about.

[11] War Diary, 1/4^th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders.

[12] Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

[13] 1959 Probate Calendar.

[14] 1978 Probate Calendar.

[15] Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Address: 67 Church Street, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.[2]
Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
Joseph Appleton	Head	Widower	29	Grocer’s Assistant	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Herbert N.H. Appleton	Son		1		Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Betsy Harland	Domestic Servant		44	Housekeeper	West Ashby, Lincolnshire

Address: 26 Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire.
Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
Joseph Appleton	Head	Married	39	Grocer	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Jane Appleton	Wife	Married	38		West Hartlepool, Durham
Herbert N.H. Appleton	Son		11		Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Joseph Appleton	Son		8		Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Scrafton S. Appleton	Son		6		Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Henry Appleton	Son		5		Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Lily Hara	Servant		20	General Domestic Servant	New Marske, Yorkshire

Address: 194 Newport Road, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire[3]
Name and Surname	Relation	Marital Status	Age	Profession or Occupation	Birthplace
Joseph Appleton	Head	Married	49	Grocer	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Jane Appleton	Wife	Married	48		West Hartlepool, Durham
Herbert N.H. Appleton	Son	Single	21	College Student	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Joseph Appleton	Son	Single	18	Timber Merchant’s Clerk	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Scrafton S. Appleton	Son		16	Draper’s Apprentice	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire
Henry Appleton	Son		15	At School	Middlesbrough, Yorkshire

Declared age:	26 years and 9 months
Height:	5 feet 6¾ inches
Weight:	119 pounds
Chest fully expanded:	33½ inches
Range of expansion:	2 inches
Vaccinations:	4 in right arm
Medical category:	B-1 (Able to march 5 miles, see to shoot with glasses, and hear well)
Religion:	Nonconformist

Controlling Headquarters	Battle or Location	Dates
British IX Corps	Messines	10-11 April 1918
British IX Corps	Bailleul	13-15 April 1918
British IX Corps	Kemmel	17-19 April 1918
British Second Army	Merris	23 June – 19 July 1918
Canadian Corps	Amiens	8-11 August 1918
Canadian Corps	Pursuit to Mons	28 September – 11 November 1918

Surname	Given Names	Initials	Age	Rank	Number
SUTHERLAND	DONALD	D	32	Serjeant	1739
FINDLAY	ROBERT DE CARDONNEL	R D C	46	Captain
FULLER	COLIN MELVILLE	C M	20	Private	2271
DENNIS	GEORGE J.	G J		Serjeant	2430
KEMP	JAMES	J		Private	1581
JACK	DUNCAN	D	18	Private	1640
MACDONALD	JOHN FORSYTH	J F	19	Private	1618
GRAHAM	WILLIAM	W		Private	1296
MACINTOSH	ALEXANDER	A		Private	1225
HUMBERSTONE	WILLIAM	W	20	Private	2270
FORTH	WILLIAM H.	W H	26	Private	2137
FRIEND	PHILIP	P	21	Private	2129
CAMPBELL	COLIN	C	24	Private	2461
CAMPBELL	DONALD	D		Private	1051
MACLENNAN	JOHN M.	J M	20	Private	1207
MacKENZIE	ALEXANDER	A	27	Corporal	967
McKENZIE	HUGH	H		Private	1508
McLENNAN	HECTOR	H		Private	1211
MacKENZIE	DONALD	D	20	Private	1179
MacKENZIE	KENNETH	K	23	Lance Serjeant 693
BIERMANN	FREDERICK	F		Private	1853
APPLETON	SCRAFTON STONEHOUSE	S S	20	Private	2095
ALLAN	JOHN	J		Serjeant	240
MacKENZIE		J	21	Lance Corporal 1444
ROSS	HUGH	H		Corporal	597
SMITH	WILLIAM	W		Private	2265
McINARLIN		A	19	Private	S/2288
WOLFE	ARTHUR J.	A J		Private	2211
SEWELL	WILLIAM FANE	W F	18	Private	2053
ROSS	WILLIAM	W	26	Private	1587
PLAYER	JAMES R.	J R	27	Private	2127
STRACHAN	ARCHIBALD SLOAN	A S	20	Corporal	1463
SPEED	JAMES	J	19	Private	1494
URQUHART	SIMON	S	26	Private	1790