No.G/50516, Private, Oliver Edmund COULSON,
Aged 19
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Born in Bury St.Edmunds in 1898 (4th qtr 4a:816) son of Edmund and Emma Eliza COULSON (née BARRELL)
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at 13 Tayfen Road, Bury St.Edmunds with his widowed grandmother Harriet BARRELL 56] born Ingham; his mother Emma E COULSON [24] born Bury St.Edmunds. His father was serving Royal Navy stoker having enlisted in 1898 at the age of 23 for 12 years.(not found in this census) 1911 census...Aged 13, a page, he was still at 13 Tayfen Road with his mother; brothers Hugh [9], Leonard [8] and Royston [13 days]; sister Hilda [5]. His father Edmund COULSON [39], born Milton, Cambs was a stoker with the Royal Navy at Sheerness. The records are then confusing as one says he was serving until 1917 when invalided with insanity, whereas a pension card has him dying on 27th June 1918, his guardian being his father James COULSON of the Green House, Milton (certainly the address of his father Edmund)and a pension issued in favour of a child Royston Leslie, born 21-3-1911 and Hilda born 4-10-1905. It is certainly the same man and the father of Oliver. The pension has his mother at 442 St.Ann's Road, Harringay. CWGC have her remarried as Emma LAWRENCE of Pontwell Lane Street, Coggeshall, Essex.She married Ernest W.LAWRENCE in Pancras in 1920 |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. Major AJ Coce MC report on 17th August 1917:- Assembly... The assembling on the tapes presented considerable difficulty, owing to the darkness and the very broken nature of the ground to be crossed. Our barrage...Our artillery creeping barrage appeared very satisfactory. Barrage referred to in summary marked A at 8:5 am lasted for approx. an hour and caused heavy losses in our ranks. Enemy barrage...His artillery barrage fell behind our assaulting troops and in no way impeded their progress. Obstacles...No serious obstacles were encountered - the HANNEBEEK requiring no bridge, these latter were used for crossing the dyke some 200 yards short of it. The ground, though wet, did not delay the advance. Our Left Flank... was throughout our chief trouble, as there is little doubt that very few troops, if any, passed east of POTSDAM on the north side of the railway; MG fire being very heavy from the high ground (GREEN LINE) just N of the railway Withdrawal...There appeared to be a certain amount of misapprehension, owing to the serious losses in Officers and NCOs as to the exact whereabouts of the line to be taken up, and consequently a certain number of men of all units appear to have gone too far back, viz. on to the WESTHOEK RIDGE, at abut 5:30 pm. There was no demoralization and they were quickly re-organised by my Adjutant and other officers who happened to be on the spot.
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