Edward Henry Trotter
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Henry Trotter, DSO
(1 December 1872-8 July 1916), was a British Army
officer who commanded the 18th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
during the First World War
.
He was born in London
, the son of Major-General Sir Henry Trotter
and Lady Trotter, who maintained an estate at Mortonhall
, Midlothian
. Trotter was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
and served in the Sudan
Expedition and the Second Boer War
. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order while attached to the City of London Imperial Volunteers in South Africa
.
Trotter became the commanding officer of the 18th King's shortly after the battalion was formed by the 17th Earl of Derby
on 29 August 1914. The Earl's brother, Lieutenant-Colonel F.C. Stanley, secured Trotter's command of the 18th, one of four Liverpool "Pals" battalions
raised. The battalion was initially located at Hooton
racecourse, where they were supervised by NCOs
from the Grenadier Guards. The new commanding officer was enthusiastic about physical exercise. In spite of a weak knee as a result of a hunting accident, Trotter would often take part in his battalion's daily exercises. The 18th's prowess in inter-battalion competitions earned it the nickname "Trotter's Greyhounds".
After landing at Boulogne
, France in November 1915, Trotter's battalion was moved to the Somme
area. On 1 July 1916, on the first day of the Somme offensive
, the 18th King's advanced with their division towards Montauban
. Located on the left flank of the French, to the south of where the British Army sustained most of its casualties on the first day, the 30th Division
began its advance at 07:30. An effective French bombardment ensured the advance encountered mostly limited opposition. The 18th King's, however, was subject to relentless fire from German positions during their advance on the Glatz Redoubt. The division's objectives were nevertheless achieved, one of the few successes of 1 July. Trotter estimated the 18th had suffered about 500 casualties on the first-day.
Reduced to minimal strength, the 18th was withdrawn from the front and converted to a carrier battalion. When it was ordered to move forward on 8 July, Trotter decided to oversee the movement personally and arrived before the battalion. The troop movements prompted the Germans to bombard the area. A shell landed in the entrance to brigade headquarters, killing Trotter, a lieutenant, two other ranks
, and mortally wounding Lieutenant-Colonel William Smith of the 18th Manchesters
.
Trotter is buried at Péronne
Road Cemetery, Maricourt
. One of his brothers, Reginald, was killed on 9 May 1915 while serving with the Cameron Highlanders on the Western Front
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1 December 1872-8 July 1916), was a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer who commanded the 18th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
The King's Regiment (Liverpool)
The King's Regiment was one of the oldest infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th Regiment of Foot in 1751...
during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
He was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of Major-General Sir Henry Trotter
Henry Trotter (British Army officer)
Major-General Sir Henry Trotter GCVO DL was Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding the Home District.-Military career:Trotter was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards in 1862....
and Lady Trotter, who maintained an estate at Mortonhall
Mortonhall
Mortonhall is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the south edge of the city. It is perhaps best known for its crematorium, designed by Sir Basil Spence, which is considered to be an outstanding example of Scottish modern architecture. It is based on the same design as his work at Coventry...
, Midlothian
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
. Trotter was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
and served in the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
Expedition and the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order while attached to the City of London Imperial Volunteers in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Trotter became the commanding officer of the 18th King's shortly after the battalion was formed by the 17th Earl of Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
on 29 August 1914. The Earl's brother, Lieutenant-Colonel F.C. Stanley, secured Trotter's command of the 18th, one of four Liverpool "Pals" battalions
Pals battalion
The Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted units of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues , rather than being arbitrarily...
raised. The battalion was initially located at Hooton
Hooton Park
RAF Hooton Park, on the Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire, was a Royal Air Force station originally built for the Royal Flying Corps in 1917 as a training aerodrome for pilots in World War I. During the early/mid 1930s, it was one of the two airfields handling scheduled services for the Merseyside...
racecourse, where they were supervised by NCOs
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
from the Grenadier Guards. The new commanding officer was enthusiastic about physical exercise. In spite of a weak knee as a result of a hunting accident, Trotter would often take part in his battalion's daily exercises. The 18th's prowess in inter-battalion competitions earned it the nickname "Trotter's Greyhounds".
After landing at Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, France in November 1915, Trotter's battalion was moved to the Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
area. On 1 July 1916, on the first day of the Somme offensive
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
, the 18th King's advanced with their division towards Montauban
Montauban-de-Picardie
Montauban-de-Picardie is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D64 road, some northeast of Amiens.-First World War:...
. Located on the left flank of the French, to the south of where the British Army sustained most of its casualties on the first day, the 30th Division
British 30th Division
The British 30th Division was a New Army division that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the British War Office in August 1915 and moved to France in December...
began its advance at 07:30. An effective French bombardment ensured the advance encountered mostly limited opposition. The 18th King's, however, was subject to relentless fire from German positions during their advance on the Glatz Redoubt. The division's objectives were nevertheless achieved, one of the few successes of 1 July. Trotter estimated the 18th had suffered about 500 casualties on the first-day.
Reduced to minimal strength, the 18th was withdrawn from the front and converted to a carrier battalion. When it was ordered to move forward on 8 July, Trotter decided to oversee the movement personally and arrived before the battalion. The troop movements prompted the Germans to bombard the area. A shell landed in the entrance to brigade headquarters, killing Trotter, a lieutenant, two other ranks
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called ratings...
, and mortally wounding Lieutenant-Colonel William Smith of the 18th Manchesters
The Manchester Regiment
The Manchester Regiment was a regiment of the British army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 63rd Regiment of Foot and the 96th Regiment of Foot...
.
Trotter is buried at Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
Road Cemetery, Maricourt
Maricourt
Maricourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France. It is twinned with Brundall, Norfolk, England.-Geography:Maricourt is situated on the D938 road, some southeast of Amiens.-Population:-The Commonwealth Cemetery:...
. One of his brothers, Reginald, was killed on 9 May 1915 while serving with the Cameron Highlanders on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.