IGS 1908 & 1914 Trio POW Sept 1914 Pte Jenkins 1st West Yorkshire Regt White Flag Tragedy

Indian General Service Medal clasp North West Frontier 1908 named in script 8209 PTE A JENKINS 1ST W Y REGT,

1914 Star named 8209 PTE F JENKINS 1/W YORK R & British War &Victory Medals named8209 PTE F JENKINS W YORK R. Please note initial different on IGS.

All confirmed on rolls and Red Cross Site plus newspaper cuttings that he is listed as missing and a POW in Oct 1914 so was for the action at the Battle of Aisne that started on 12th Sept 1914. The 1st West Yorkshires did a daring bayonet charge on the German lines on 20th Sept 1914 with over.

On 20th September 1914, the 1st Battalions of The West Yorkshire and The East Yorkshire Regiments took part in the actions on the Aisne Heights (a development of the First Battle of The Aisne). This three day engagement was an attempt to break newly established German line north of the River Aisne which had been established a week earlier after the German retreat from the Battle of the Marne. During heavy fighting at Bourg on the 20th September at Bourg, the 1st Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment lost 7 officers killed, two wounded and eight missing and in other ranks, 71 killed, 110 wounded and 436 missing. It seems that the majority, if not all the missing, were taken prisoner, when the Germans advanced under a white flag. Thinking that the Germans were surrendering, the West Yorks moved forward to meet them and were quickly surrounded and heavily fired upon. Many were killed. A few escaped, but most were captured.