Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Five: Lance-Corporal A. Lavender, Royal Sussex Regiment, who was killed during the attack on Wood Lane Trench near High Wood on 9 September 1916

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 2 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State (5805 Pte. A. Lavender. 1: R: Sussex Regt.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (5804 [sic] Pte. A. Lavender. Rl: Sussex Regt.); 1914-15 Star (G-4248 L. Cpl. A. Lavender. R. Sussex: R.); British War and Victory Medals (G.4248 Pte. A. Lavender. R. Suss. R.) light contact marks and edge bruises, nearly very fine or better (5) £280-£320

Asa Lavender was born in 1881 at Warbleton, Sussex. He attested for the Royal Sussex Regiment at Chichester on 29 November 1898 and served in South Africa with the 1st Battalion during the Boer War from 26 June 1900 until 1 March 1902. He saw subsequent service in India, Malta and Crete before his discharge to the Reserve on 6 March 1906.

After the outbreak of the Great War, Lavender attested again on 9 November 1914 and served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment on the Western Front from 4 January 1915. Appointed Lance Corporal, he was killed in action on 9 September 1916 during his Battalion’s attack on the Wood Lane Trench near High Wood on the Somme.

The day had started inauspiciously when the detonation of a huge mine on the eastern corner of the wood appeared to leave the Germans unaffected, one officer recalling ‘Huge clouds of debris shot into the sky as the artillery barrage rose to a shrieking crescendo. Suddenly it stopped and, though the ground still trembled, an eerie silence fell - broken by a skylark high above us, singing its heart out! We all looked up in wonder, but before we had time to take the little miracle in, a barrage from massed machine-guns began along the ridge behind us’ - the crater, 140 feet across and 35 feet deep, remains to this day, as a duck pond. The 2nd Royal Sussex started their attack nonetheless. Terry Norman’s ‘The Hell they called High Wood’ quotes Private Walter Glover of the 2nd Royal Sussex:
‘We could see High Wood on our left, all battered and shell-torn, and the barrage from our own artillery and that of the Germans on that afternoon was undescribable. The ground over which we attacked was swept by machine-gun and field gun fire - whizzbangs - with 5.9s for good measure. I did not know at the time what they were, having only been in France since the 18th August, but I soon learned. Seeing my friends shot down on each side of me gave me a feeling of dread. I wondered when it was going to be my turn.’

The War Diary’s description of the 2nd Battalion’s activities on that day completes the picture:
‘At 4.45pm, in conjunction with the 1st Northamptons on our left and the 2nd KR.R.C. on our right, the Battalion advanced to the attack our objective being a portion of the trench Wood Lane. In spite of very heavy artillery and Machine Gun fire, the attacking line which consisted of “C” and “D” Companies, advanced steadily and in splendid order, closely followed by “A” Company, which was to form an outpost line in front, and “B” Company which was to consolidate “D” Company secured the objective with few losses. “C” Company on the left was less fortunate, suffering rather heavily from Machine Gun fire from High Wood. It entered the enemy trench, however with little difficulty. “A” Company pushed through and advanced some distance in front of the captured line, accounting for several of the enemy who had run back. On our right the 60th Rifles gained their objective, but the Northamptons on our left were driven back by an intense fire. This left our flank exposed and a defensive flank was dug connecting the captured line with their original front line. By dark consolidation was well under way. Several prisoners were captured and one Maxim Gun which was secured by the Battalion Scout Sergeant.’

The attack had cost the Battalion 6 Officers and approximately 93 other ranks killed, and 150 wounded but its success contributed to the wider Battle for High Wood ending three days later, after 64 days of fighting, with the Wood in British possession. Despite being regularly shelled it was never recaptured by the Germans.

A letter written in 1916 to the recipient’s sister by Lavender’s Commanding Officer stated that he had been buried 100 yards in front of High Wood. He is now buried in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, France.