1st Bn. North Staffs 02/08/1917

[NeilEvans]

Another chap i'm researching

Rigby, Benjamin. Private, 28616, 1st Bn. North Staffordshire Regiment. Died of Wounds 02/08/1917.

Aged 28. Buried: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium. Grave: XVII. C. 16.

I'm after the location of the battalion and the possible action that resulted in Bejamins death.

Thanks in advance

Neil

[Ghost]

Niel.

From the History of the 1st & 2nd Battalions The North Staffordshire Regiment.

1st North Staffords, 5th Army, 2nd Corps, 24th Div, 72nd Brigade

On the night of 29th/30th July, 1917 the 1st North Staffords moved from Micmac Camp to the trenches just south of the Menin-Ypres railway, and remained there all next day.

31st July Third Battle of Ypres. 5th Army attacked straight to its front. "A" Coy was reserve in front of Mount Sorrel, "B" "C" and "D" assembly positions Mount Sorrel syatem.

First objective was Jehovah trench or the blue line. "B" company was to occupy Jehova trench.

Second objective was Jordan trenchs or the black line.

Both objectives reached, but with severe casualties, especially among the officers, by 5.30a.m on the first day (31st) all of the officers of the three attacking companies, except Lieut. Allen and 2nd Liut. Pierson, were out of action. Jordan trench was found to be merely a spitlocked line full of water. To entrench was an impossibility,as the Germans had evidently found out, and it was apparent that the whole plan for for the capture and consolidation of the second objective had been based on a missconception. The Battalion dug in, in advance of Jordan trench. Rain commenced to fall in the afternoon on the 31st and fell heavily during the night and throughout the next day. The rain added accutely to the discomforts inseperable fron the occupation of a newly captured position, which had not connected with the old trench system by communication trenches, and of course, lacked any drainage dug-outs. The rain flooded the trenches and made movement in them so difficult that everybody took to the open, but even there the ground rapidly became a morass and men sank in over the ankles at each step. The work of consolidation became almost impossible as the pulverised earth rapidly became liquid mud and refused to sta"stay put."

Under these conditions the weary troops had to spend the night after the battle and the following day, and the relief by the 9th East Surreys on the night of the the 1st/2nd August was no easy matter. Eventually the remnants of the battalion struggled back to Micmac camp, but exhausted stragglers continued to drift in throughout the following day and next night.

Alan

[NeilEvans]

Alan,

That's excellent thank you.

Neil