2/6th south staffordshires

[watchman]

Hi

21st March 1918 at Ecoust st Main / Bullecourt saw the 2/6th Staffordshires all but wiped out.

I cant seem to find a memorial that has a bulk of south staffs considering over 600 men were killed.

Can you give me some leads please?

Thanks

Andrew

[Graham Hodgson]

Hi Andrew

Soldiers Died in the Great War gives only 368 dead for the whole War for 2/6th South Staffs. and only 32 killed or died of wounds on 21/03/18 (approximately another 70 in the next week). These figures are ordinary ranks. I did not check officers. Could your figure of 600 killed refer to total casualties including wounded, missing and pow?

As to possible memorials you could look on CWGC to see where the 32 are buried/commemorated.

Graham Hodgson

[Chris_Baker]

The battalion was holding Horseshoe Redoubt east of Bullecourt on 21 March, according to the "History of the Sixth Battalion". When a roll call was taken after the enemy attack, only 6 oficers and 80 OR were left. I don't know this as a fact, but I believe a large proportion of the battalion losses on 21 March was to men being taken prisoner.

[watchman]

Cris & Graham

I think you may be right, I have a copy of the 2/6th War Dairies and it states that over 600 men were missing.

I wrong assumed that for missing, read "dead". I make this assumtion from the Histroy of the South Staffords which explains that the 2/6th ceased to exsist after the battle.

I visted the Village of Ecoust St Main and Bullecourt yesterday, (wife and I decided to have a day out in france, as we only live an hour from Dover), just outside Ecoust St Main is a cemetery that contains a few headstone for the 2/6th South Staffordshires.

I also visited the cemetery in the village of Ecoust which seemed to have a lot of North Staffords and German graves.

I have photos of some of the headstones which I took to show my children just how sad the Great war was.

Should I post the pictures incase anybody can benefit or is that not the done thing?

How sad it was to see the number of unknown graves, and mass graves.

Alot of the headstones were becoming worn away by weather, do they get replaced??

Are the remains of men actually at rest under the grave stones or are the stones meant to be for rememberance purposes?

I traveled all around Ecoust and Bullecourt but could not seem to find the railway embankment????

Any ideas on what it looks like now????

So many questions I know.

Note- I write in complete ignorance and should any offence be taken by the above words or content I can assure all that I have full respect for the cemeteries.

[watchman]

Any ideas??