Battle of the Selle and the 2nd Welsh Regiment

[Guest osullivanbere]

Hello

I'm trying to find out about the circumstances in which ancestor, Francis Leo Clancy, died. From the Commonwealth War Graves website his death date is given as 23/10/1918 and he is buried at Highland Cemetery, Le Cateau, Nord-Pas-de-Calais. From his burial place, it would seem that he died at the Battle of the Selle.

He was from Swansea but did not serve in the 14th Welsh Battalion, for he'd joined the bantam 18th Welsh Battalion instead. He then transferred to the 2nd Welsh Battalion. (I already have details of his service records & medal card).

Although I have read what I can find, is there anyway I can determine the role the 2nd Welsh Regiment had in the Battle of the Selle, what was happening on Francis's death date, and whether the cause of his death as given on the Commonwealth War Graves site (i.e. that he voluntarily submitted to a blood transfusion) was the norm?

Many thanks

Liz

[sotonmate]

Liz

If he was 2 Welsh then they were with 3 Brigade of 1 Div (4th Army(Rawlinson), IX Corps) and were indeed at the Battle of the Selle. From a Google on the Battle it seems that Rawlinson had his several Corps concentrate the bulk of their attack action in a narrow section which pinched out the German strong point in Andigny Forest,winning the day because the Germans didn't expect the attack to come in foggy conditions ! They were defending the banks of the Selle near to Le Cateau.

The Bn War Diary is at Kew under WO95/1281 and might be worth a read.

The Battalion lost 22 on the attack of the 23rd,4 on the 24th,all buried in Highland Cemetery.

Sotonmate