Geoffrey Morgan's Story.
Geoffrey Morgan Hoyle was the youngest son of Edward Hoyle and was baptised in Knutsford on 8th August 1894. He entered Rugby School in 1908 and after leaving in 1913 studied languages in Berlin. He returned to Britain on 29th July 1914 immediately before the outbreak of war. He obtained a Commission with the Sherwood Foresters and went to France in March 1915. He was gazetted Lieutenant early in July. Shortly before the action in which he was killed he had been recommended for promotion to Captain. On 9th August 1915 he was leading a small party to attack a German trench when they were held up by a machine gun. According to the words of one of his men, "He deliberately risked his life to find out the position of this gun; he stepped to the top of our trench and immediately fell back, shot through the head. We lost one of the best officers we had". His body was never recovered after the war and he is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.
The war dairy for the day explains what happened to the battalion.
Sanctuary Wood
Hooge 9 August 1915.
At 1.45am the battalion was clear of Maple Copse and by 2.30am was in position in Sanctuary Wood as follows. 2 Coys. in G1 to B8. 1 Coy. In trench originally occupied by the DLI as their fire trench, ½ Coy. In DLI original support trench and ½ Coy. Hold off as wiring and carrying parties distributed at 3 dumps at south ends of G1 S2 and S1 under charge of 2nd Lt. Ridley.
Our orders were to closely support the DLI in the frontal assault especially providing for the protection of their right flank by occupying and holding G1, G2, G3 up to and including the Menin Road. Also, to open and improve communications by S1 and S2.
At 2.45am our guns commenced their bombardment and 5 minutes afterwards the German guns commenced to retaliate shell dropping in and the DLIs original fire trench G1 and B8. At 3.10am the battalion started to advance, B and C Coys. Under Captains Chatteris and Towers respectively proceeded up G1 and G2 headed by a strong bombing party under Lt. Gleave. The first opposition was met 50 yards east of the junction of G1 and G2 which was quickly overcome by our bombers. At the same time 2 platoons of A Coy. Pushed up S2 and S1 but the latter was found to be practically useless as a communication trench, it affording very little cover and being half full of water and dead men.
By this time the Germans were shelling the trenches very heavily and their fire was wonderfully accurate. At 3.45am a report came in that the DLI had captured the trenches they were to take and shortly B Coy. reported that they had gained touch with the DLI right. By this time the rear of C. Coy. was well up G1 so 3 platoons of the support Coy. D under Lt. Roberts were sent up G1 to fill the gap between C. Coy. and the 8th Sherwood Foresters. A machine gun was sent to establish itself at the junction of G1 and G2 one being already in position in the sap and 2 in reserve.
By 5am the German guns had fully opened up, the trenches men were in especially G3 and G2 were getting blown in everywhere cutting communications between B & C Coys. Rifles and machine gun fire from Fort 13 fired across the gaps made the German guns and made it almost impossible to cross them. At 5.30am A. Coy. had to reinforce the DLI and some of that Coy. had established themselves in G. Officer casualties in G3 were heavy at this time and as the DLI had also lost a great many one subaltern from B Coy., Lt. Taylor was sent to assist them at the crater.
The whole day the Germans poured a hail of shells into G6, G3-2-1 and S2 and the way all ranks went through this trying ordeal is worthy of greatest admiration. By 12 noon the trenches were only held in isolated area where they had been blown in and communications was very difficult. O.C. Coys. Were ordered to hold all trenches as lightly as possible to avoid shell casualties but G2 and G3 and most of G6 appeared to have been completely flattened out.
At 3pm it was found impossible to send reinforcements up by the way of G2 and as the DLI had already reported S2 impossible it was decided not to send any more men forward and to hold G1 lightly. At 4pm G1 was found to be rather crowded so 2 platoons were sent to hold the DLI original fire trench with 2 platoons of the Queens Westminster’s, and G1 was organised for defence from a point 50 yards north of the sap with a machine gun in the sap which could enfilade from G1. The Germans made no attempt to counterattack us and after dark about 30 men and Captain Crosby re-joined the battalion from G6 and G3. These were the only survivors of the original garrison. A patrol of the Westminster’s reported no signs of the Germans in G3 but said that all the trenches were flattened out.
The battalion was relieved at 9.30pm by the Queens Westminster’s and we proceeded to dugouts in the Ypres Ramparts. The following were casualties. Killed Lieuts. T.B. Chatteris, G.P. Walsh, 2nd Lt. W.H. Cooke, H. Ridley, G.A. Kay, M.V. Molloy. Missing believed killed Lt. G.M. Hoyle, J.W.C. Taylor.
Other Ranks Killed 15, Wounded 202, missing believed killed 120.
Soldiers Died shows that 96 men were killed and 7 officers.
Geoffrey's brother John Baldwin Hoyle was killed in action on the 1st July 1916.