BORN: 03 Mar 1892, Woolhope, Herefordshire, England.
UNIT: 7th Battalion Tank Regiment.
DIED: 20 Nov 1918 in St. Pol Military Hospital, of pneumonia.
BURIED: St. Pol & Hesdin British Cemeteries, St Pol-Sur-Ternoise, Pas de Calais, France. Grave no. II.D.9.
LOCAL CONNECTIONS: Summerleaze Villa, Redwick.
Early life - from Herefordshire to Magor
Allan Hoogvliet BERROW was born in 03 Mar 1892 in Woolhope, Herefordshire. He was the second child of Thomas William BERROW and Florence Eveline (nee HOOGVLIET). Thomas was born in Allensmore, Herefordshire, but Florence was born in Holland. Sadly, Allan’s mother Florence died shortly after his birth (or possibly in childbirth).
Allan’s father Thomas then had another son, Eric Woodward BERROW, in 1898 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Eric’s mother was Ada Elizabeth WOODWARD.
Allan then moved with his family from Herefordshire to Summerleaze Villa, Magor. His father Thomas now worked as a Commercial Traveller in hardware. The 1901 census recorded Allan’s mother as Ada BERROW, wife of Thomas. (Making her Allan’s step-mother). However, Thomas and Ada were not actually married at this point. The couple travelled to London to wed in 1903. This was presumably prompted by Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Another son, Jeffrey, was born in Magor in April 1904.
Allan was not with his family in Summerleaze Villa in 1911. He was a boarder in Bloxwich, near Walsall, Staffordshire. Now aged 19, he worked as an ‘Improver. Ironmonger’.
Allan and WW1
Allan’s WW1 service record does not seem to have survived. Like most soldiers’ records they were probably destroyed following bomb and fire damage. However, his war gratuity indicates enlistment in the month from 21 March 1916. We know from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that he served with the 7th Battalion Tank Regiment.
What was it like inside a WW1 tank?
Tanks were first used at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on 15 September 1916. These early tanks could travel at 4 mph but in practice they moved much slower across battlefield conditions. Nevertheless, they alarmed the Germans.
A crew of 8 men faced appalling conditions inside a tank. They were cramped, hot, noisy, and filled with exhaust fumes. The men were shaken by the tank’s violent movements. Terrifyingly, molten metal flew about as bullets hit the outside. Consequently, a crew could only tolerate short journeys.
Watch a video showing a demonstration of a tank in 1916 (silent newsreel).
The 7th Battalion Tank Regiment
Over 2400 men from the Tank Corps lost their lives during WW1. Here are some of the key battles. More details about the battalion can be found via the links at the end of this page.
24 May 1917: ‘G’ Battalion embarked from Southampton to Le Havre. It then moved by rail to Wavrans, near St. Pol. On 11 Jul 1917 they were equipped with 36 much improved Mk. IV tanks.
31 Jul 1917: Third Battle of Ypres – became a ‘tank graveyard’ as they sank in the mud, got stuck in shell holes and were hit by enemy artillery.
20 Nov 1917: Battle of Cambrai – 378 tanks smash through the Hindenburg Line. The anniversary of the battle is still commemorated today.
08 Aug 1918: Allied attack on Amiens – 450 tanks played a key part in the Allied victories. However, they suffered heavy losses.
Sep 1918: Assault on the Hindeburg Line and Armistice.
Allan's death & burial
Tragically, Allan died 9 days AFTER the end of WW1. Peace was declared on 11 November 1918, but he died of pneumonia at the St. Pol. Hospital on 20 November 1918. He was 26 years old. He is listed in the Battalion’s War Diary as one of 11 men who died on Active Service (i.e. not of wounds or Killed in Action).
St. Pol Hospital... and a pandemic?
St. Pol was a British Base (Stationary) Hospital from June 1916 to June 1919. It was located on the racecourse near the town of St. Pol-sur-Ternoise, about 34 kilometers west of Arras. The town was also an administrative centre for the whole of the war.
A newspaper clipping from the Monmouthshire Warriors website says that Allan died of Pneumonia. It is possible that this developed from the Spanish Flu Pandemic that spread through Europe from early 1918. Over half the deaths in the pandemic’s second wave were in young adults. Typical influenza infections developed rapidly to lethal pneumonia. US military records quote over 45,000 deaths of servicemen from the disease.
His burial
Allan was buried at the St. Pol & Hesdin British Cemetery in grave II.D.9. His also commemorated on a plaque in St. Mary’s Church, Magor.
Medals and Pension
A War Gratuity of £17 5s 7d paid to his father Thomas W. on 27 May 1919. A further £12 was paid 16 Dec 1919.
Allan was awarded the British War and Victory campaign medals.
What happened to his family?
Fighting brothers
Allan’s half-brother Eric Woodward BERROW also served in WW1. He enlisted at Newport on 11 Sep 1916, aged 18. He was posted to the Machine Gun Corps in 1917. His service record includes a copy of a telegram that suggests he asked to join his brother, and this was approved. Eric survived the war was demobilized on 24 Oct 1919.
Eric married Lucy EDWARDS in St. Asaph, Denbighshire in 1926 and they had at least 2 children. The family moved to London where Eric died in 1989. He is buried in Hendon Cemetery.
Sister Gwen
Allan’s sister Gwendoline married Charles R. READ in Magor parish church in 1912. They lived at Pill Farm, about 0.5 miles away from Summerleaze Villa.
Other Siblings
Jeffrey Tom BERROW (1904-1975) – half-brother. He married Marcelle WHITTON and lived in Tennyson Road, Newport. He worked as a manager in an tailor’s shop.
Rosamond Yvonne BERROW (1911-2001) – half-sister. She married Eric BROWN. They lived in Pontypool in a house named ‘Allensmore’ after her father’s birthplace. She is buried in Mamhilad, Monmouthshire.
Isabel Joan BERROW (1912-1999) – half-sister. She married Thomas DAVID in 1961 and died in Glamorgan.
Links
The Tank Corps on The Long, Long Trail website.
The 7th Battalion Tank Regiment in WW1.
Video of the Battle of Cambrai.
Bovington Tank Museum website
