Squire James Baugh

Squire James Baugh was born in 1883 he was the son of William Baugh a colliery weight checker and Jane Ellen Baugh née Morris of 13 Bishop Street, Sutton in Ashfield. William was born in 1858 at Shifnal, Shropshire, Jane Ellen Morris was born in 1859 Madeley, Shropshire, they were married on 5th February 1877 in Staffordshire, they went on to have 13 children, sadly 4 were to die in infancy or early childhood. In 1911 his parents and siblings were living at 13 Bishop Street, Sutton in Ashfield, William 53 yrs a colliery weight checker is living with his wife Jane Ellen 52 yrs and 7 of their children. Squire James married Mary Ellen Johnson (born 8th October 1885) on 22nd December 1906 at Mansfield, they had 2 children, Clifford Edward born 17th December 1909 and James Willam born 21st March 1913,. In 1911 they lived at 6 Bishop Street Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire, Squire 27 yrs is a coal miner hewer, he is living with his wife Mary 25 yrs and their son Clifford 1 year of age. Commencing 2nd April 1919 his widow was awarded a pension of 22 shillings and 11 pence a week.

He was a coal miner at New Hucknall Colliery, Nottinghamshire.

Private Squire James Baugh enlisted at Mansfield whilst living at Sutton in Ashfield he landed in France on 27th August 1915. He was killed attacking Ovillers on the first day of the Somme. Battalions attacking Ovillers on 1st July 1916 had to cross 'Mash Valley' one of the widest expanses of No Man's Land (750 yards) along the entire Somme front. Today, looking from Ovillers Cemetery (German front line) towards distant houses (British front line) across open fields offering little cover, the magnitude of their task is still evident. 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters' War Diary recorded: 'Casualties along the whole line were very heavy and a general attempt was made to crawl forward under intense machine gun and shrapnel fire, any available cover being made use of.... Lt Colonel Watson, walking diagonally across the front collecting men as he went gave fresh impetus to the advance by his personal example... A third attempt, led by Captain C E Hudson*, to reach the German trenches by the sunken road on the right flank was made but... was brought to a standstill by heavy frontal and flank fire as they came over the brow of the hill in the last 80 yards. The casualties sustained by the battalion during the day amounted to 21 officers and 508 men. The strength of the battalion on entering the trenches on 26th June was 27 officers and 710 men.' 11th Bn Sherwood Foresters War Diary TNA WO95/21871(3). 125 men from 11th Battalion Sherwood Foresters were killed during the attack on Ovillers (CWGC Debt of Honour Register). *John Cotterill adds 'The man who brought the 11th Foresters out of action on 1 July and, one of the 6 unwounded officers, was Capt Edward Hudson who would go on to get a VC as CO of 11th Foresters on Asiago Plateau in Italy in 1918'. 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment suffered 264 fatalities during the same advance. Concerns of their CO Lieutenant Colonel Edward Thomas Falkiner Sandys DSO, a brave and well respected officer, that his battalion would be badly mauled crossing such an expanse of open ground with uncut wire an added hazard, did not impress his superiors. Sandys was wounded during the attack and evacuated to the UK. Depressed at the fate of so many men who had trusted him, Sandys shot himself in a London hotel room and died a few days later. 8th Division's Official History records a total of 5,121 casualties on 1st July 1916. Military Research by David Nunn

His brother Private Albert Edward Baugh, was killed during the same engagement.