Railway reserve and battalion headquarters

[watchman]

Hi

Have just read the war diaries of 2/6th South staffordshires.

March 21st 1918 states

Heavy enemy shelling of back areas commenced between 2&3am also heavy bombardment by enemy of front land support line with HE and gas shells from 4am - 8am.

Enemy attacked in massed formation at 9am and succeeded in capturing the front line and also effected a flank move and got though to Railway reserve and battalion headquarters.

23 officers and about 600or are missing>>>>..........(lists missing oficers)

Has anybody got a map that would allow me to understand the positioning of the southstaffords either before or after this action?

Many thanks

[Robert Dunlop]

Watchman

This post explains your previous question about Bullecourt. The Battle of Bullecourt took place in 1917, which is what our book references were aimed at. What you were after relates to, as you described, 'the battle at Bullecourt' in 1918. This was part of the German Spring offensive known as Opertion Michael. Attached is a German map of the area the 2/6th South Staffs were based in. Two companies were in the village of Ecoust.

The best book for giving you a sense of what happened that day is Martin Middlebrooks' book 'The Kaisers Battle', which is available quite cheaply these days.

Robert

[CROONAERT]

Has anybody got a map that would allow me to understand the positioning of the southstaffords either before or after this action?

To see a trenchmap of this area from the end of January 1918 (pretty much unchanged before March 1918), click on the "Bullecourt , January 1918" extract on THIS WEBPAGE. You'll see Railway Reserve clearly marked.

Dave.

[watchman]

Thank you gents

[CROONAERT]

To see a trenchmap of this area from the end of January 1918 (pretty much unchanged before March 1918), click on the "Bullecourt , January 1918" extract on THIS WEBPAGE. You'll see Railway Reserve clearly marked.

Dave.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's a scan from the same map showing a wider area...