The well documented and interesting Great War Western Front Officer’s Ypres Salient and Battle of the Somme double casualty and German March Officer Company Commander’s Prisoner of War group awarded to Captain M.J. Hellier, 6th Service Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. From Christchurch, Hampshire, he was originally educated at Bournemouth Grammar School, and subsequently some of his letters home to his former schoolmaster, written during the war from the Western Front would later feature in the book ‘Tig’s Boys - Letters to Sir from the trenches’. Present out at the front from July 1915, he fought through the Battle of Loos only to be wounded in action at Laventie on 7 November 1915. ‘A bullet pierced one of his arms, then made a surface wound across his chest and emerged after damaging his other arm also.’ He returned to the front for the Battle of the Somme, and was again wounded during August 1916, suffering concussion from a shell. Hellier had command of “B” Company during its attack towards Marcoing on the opening day of the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1917 when going forward together with the tanks. He still held command of his company when nearly to a man, it was taken prisoner during the German March Offensive on the night of 22-23 March 1918 whilst in action at Aubigny. He was held a prisoner for the rest of the war. Hellier later became a County Planning Officer for Derbyshire, and in 1940 was awarded a Prize Medal by The Institute of Municipal and County Engineers. For his services he was appointed an Officer of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in June 1957.
Group of 3: 1914-1915 Star; (LIEUT. M.J. HELLIER. SHROPS.L.I.); British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CAPT. M.J. HELLIER.), together with remnants of named card boxes of issue for medals, and the original lengths of issued ribbon.
Condition: Extremely Fine.
Great War officer’s identity bracelet, unusual form in bone, inscribed: ‘CAPT. M.J. HELLIER. C OF E. 6TH: K.S.L.I.’, complete with leather strap.
The Institute of Municipal and County Engineers Prize Medal, bronze, reverse engraved as awarded to: ‘Maurice James Hellier / For His Paper Entitled / “Planning and / Control of Development / As Affecting Highways” 1940’. Housed in its fitted presentation case by the medallists, Thomas & Son of London.
The book ’The 6th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry 1914-19’ by A.J. Burgoyne, paperback, published 2000, 159 pages.
The book ’Tig’s Boys - Letters to Sir from the trenches’, as edited by David Hilliman and published as a book in 2011, paperback. 192 pages.
Maurice James Hellier was born on 10 May 1896 in Christchurch, Hampshire, the son of Walter Henry Hellier and Margaret Hellier. As of 1901 he was living in Axminster, Devon, in his grandfather’s home, he being John S. Hellier, the local High Bailiff to the County Court. By 1911 he was living in Bournemouth, with his father shown as working as a house estate agent and auctioneer. He was educated at Bournemouth Grammar School, and subsequently some of his letters home to his former schoolmaster, written during the war from the Western Front would later feature in the book ‘Tig’s Boys - Letters to Sir from the trenches’, as edited by David Hilliman and published as a book in 2011.
With the outbreak of the Great War, Hellier was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the British Army on 17 September 1914, and posted to the 6th Service Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. He was promoted to temporary Lieutenant in February 1915, and saw service out on the Western Front from 21 July 1915, where his battalion formed part of the 60th Brigade in the 20th (Light) Division.
In September 1915 the battalion was thrown into the Battle of Loos, and on the opening day of the battle, 25 September 1915, the 20th (Light) Division was tasked with making a diversionary attack on the German lines to the north of Loos. After four days of bombardment, with changes in the tempo of the shelling falsely indicating an imminent attack, and other demonstrations from the front line the attack was made on the morning of 25 September. Troops from the Indian Bareilly Brigade, and two battalions from the 60th Brigade (6th K.S.L.I. and 12th Rifle Brigade) managed to enter the German lines, but an attempt to drive a sap back towards the British lines was met with heavy enfilade fire and was halted. Unable to be supported the British were forced to retire around midday. The 60th Brigade had suffered 561 casualties in total. In the aftermath of this action, the three brigades of the 20th (Light) Division remained engaged in patrolling, mining, mortaring, sniping and demonstrating in order to prevent the Germans relieving parts of their line. They continued this duty through into November 1915. The 6th Shropshire’s spent two spells in the trenches during November 1915, and while out of the trenches they were in billets at Pont du Hem, finding numerous working parties, during which, on 7 November, Hellier was wounded for the first time.
‘A bullet pierced one of his arms, then made a surface wound across his chest and emerged after damaging his other arm also.’ He was evacuated home aboard the hospital ship Newhaven, and during passage home observed the hospital ship Anglia being sunk after she struck a mine on 17 November 1915. He wrote about it to his former headmaster about this, noting that he was recovering in the Royal Free Hospital (Military Section). Gray’s Inn Road, London.
During 1916 his division was still in the Ypres Salient, and fought in the Battle of Mount Sorrel from 2-13 June, before being moved South to join in for the Battle of the Somme from 29 July 1916. As part of the Somme Offensive, it was involved in the Battle of Guillemont on 3-6 September, the Battle of Morval on 25-28 September, the Battle of Le Transloy on 1-18 October, and was still in the area of Transloy for the New Year of 1917. Hellier had rejoined his battalion at some stage during the Somme Offensive, being apparently wounded for a second time during August 1916, and he suffering from shell concussion, but did not require to be evacuated, was treated out there and then rejoined his unit.
With the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line in late March 1917, the 20th (Light) Division followed them up, and was involved in numerous smaller actions through to mid June 1917 when it was moved back to the Ypres Salient.
In this period, whilst still a temporary Lieutenant, Hellier was appointed to the command of a company in the rank of Acting Captain from 15 April to 3 July 1917 and then again from 7 July 1917 onwards at the time of the Third Battle of Ypres. As gazetted on 27 September 1917, and back dated to 5 February 1917, Hellier was to be a temporary Captain, dated 19 June 1917. The 20th (Light) Division fought in the Battle of Langemarck from 16-18 August. Hellier had command of ‘B’ Company, and having then returned to the Somme area, he led his company during the opening day of the Battle of Cambrai on 20 November 1817. Advancing forward from positions at Station Quarry. ‘B’ Company advanced in the centre of the battalion attack when closely following the tanks, and took all of the objectives in an advance up to 400 yards from Marcoing.
The book ’The 6th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry 1914-19’ by A.J. Burgoyne takes up the story:
‘The creeping barrage opened up at zero hour, which was 6.20 a.m., along the whole front followed by the first wave of tanks and infantry. The Germans are terrified by the large numbers of tanks and either surrendered or turned and ran, except for a few machine gun nests which put up a brave fight. Most were killed at their guns. The German artillery did not open up for about 5-8 minutes but then put down a heavy barrage. The first objective had been taken by 9.25 a.m. on the 60th Brigade’s front. The second wave of tanks and infantry had started to advance at zero plus 1 hour 15 minutes. On the K.S.L.I.’s front, “A” Company was on the right, “B” Company in he centre, “C” Company on the left and “D” Company followed in reserve. Four men from each of the platoons following the tanks had to walk in front of them until the first objective was reached, to clear any wounded in front of them. Some of the tanks lost direction, bearing too much to the right. The leading platoons were supposed to follow their tanks but they abandoned them and followed the ones going in the correct direction through the wire to the Hindenburg Support. After passing through its first objective the Battalion started to meet resistance, with a party of Germans making a determined resistance opposite “C” Company, led by Lt. T.B. Sampson who was killed along with 2nd Lt. R. Turner before the crest of the ridge. On reaching the crest, the tanks came under intense fire from a battery of field guns about 600 yards away; firing over open sights they knocked out several tanks. The Regimental History records “B” Company reinforcing “C” Company at this time, which had lost all of its officers but this may be a mistake, as “D” Company was the reserve company. It became very unhealthy for the companies advancing down the reverse slope towards Marcoing, though the situation became easier when the Germans abandoned the above mentioned field battery before the advancing K.S.L.I. “A” Company met with strong opposition before its final position, when their C.O. Captain Lewis became a casualty. Captain Hellier of “B” Company ordered his men to cover “A” Company’s front from flanking fire enabling it to take up its final position. C.S.M. Barlow distinguished himself by taking several prisoners. The Battalion had taken its objectives by 11 a.m. Posts were pushed forward up to the sunken roads and the communication trench leading towards the Germans, to within 400 yards of Marcoing. It had captured many prisoners, two 77 mm guns, three 5.9” howitzers and a complete German battalion canteen, well stocked with all kinds of provisions. In one dugout where a German H.Q. had bene, the C.O.’s breakfast of ham and egg was discovered freshly cooked, the former occupants having left in a hurry.’
Hellier is next recorded in the battalion history as having been in action in support of the Guards Division during the fighting at Cambrai on 30 November. When the Guards Brigade advanced and captured Gouzeaucourt at midday, his company was able to assist them by firing into the flanks of the retiring Germans, and he gained touch with small parties of the Irish Guards. The German counter-attack began on this day, 30 November, and the Battle of Cambrai came to an end on 7 December 1917.
Hellier still had command of “B” Company on the occasion of the German March Offensive. Hellier was apparently one of only three original officers from the battalion still present for duty from those who had been out at the front since July 1915.
The Germans attacked on 21 March along the front of both the Third and Fifth Armies, and the 20th (Light) Division was then ordered to advance into the line to support the beleaguered troops. The 60th Brigade moved into a line from the Somme to Vaux and manned half-dug trenches between the Somme and Flesquieres. “B” Company was in the centre by Le Tordoir. During the morning of 22 March the Germans had crossed the canal near Artemps and having worked their way down the canal, were getting into the battalion’s right flank and in addition to getting round the left flank. The battalion however held its positions. As the three nearby divisions were ordered to withdraw, the 20th (Light) Division was tasked with covering them, before retiring itself. Verbal orders were then received within the battalion to withdraw, and the three front companies had started to withdraw whilst “A” Company maintained its position, as the company did not like to take a verbal order. Just at this time, 7.15 p.m., a German column was heard advancing down a sunken road from Happencourt, shouting for all their were worth, thinking the whole line had gone. “A” Company’s Lewis guns completely surprised them and they scattered for cover. The order to retire was continued and “A” Company got away aided by a thick mist. The Battalion had taken up new positions by 8.30 p.m. between Bray and Aubigny, with “C” Company behind Bray south of Mill Wood, “B” Company was in the centre, “D” Company on the left, and “A” Company was by the Windmill south west of Aubigny, where it dug in.
The 60th Brigade was then ordered to retire again at 11 p.m. But before it could start and at about midnight, the Germans, who had crept up close to the front line positions under cover of the mist, rushed parts of the lines, and separated companies. The Battalion commander of the 6th K.S.L.I.’s led a counter attack with the men of the Headquarters, but was beaten back by overwhelming numbers. Meanwhile the Germans had cut off “B” Company, taking practically the whole company prisoners, including Captain Hellier. The other companies just got away.
Hellier and the majority of “B” Company were taken prisoner at Aubigny on the night of 22/23 March 1918, and remained as prisoners for the rest of the war. He was repatriated at the end of the war.
Hellier relinquished his commission on ‘completion of service’ on 12 March 1919, and retained the rank of Captain. He claimed his medals in November 1921 whilst residing in Boscombe, Bournemouth.
Hellier became the County Planning Officer for Derbyshire, and in 1940 was awarded a Prize Medal by The Institute of Municipal and County Engineers for his paper entitled: “Planning and Control of Development as Affecting Highways”. For his services he was appointed an Officer of the Civil Division of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List as published in the London Gazette for 13 June 1957. Hellier latterly lived in Samford, near to Ipswich, Suffolk, and died on 29 March 1971.
