South Staffordshire's War Diaries

[Roy Evans]

I have just been fortunate enough to get copies of four more South Staffs war diaries. Should anyone want look-ups I now have the following in full;

1st, 2nd, 4th, 1/5th, 2/5th, 1/6th, 2/6th, 7th and 8th Battalions.

Roy

[Roy Evans]

Greenwoodman,

Your extracts are in the post.

Roy

[Guest swan63]

Do have the war diaries that would cover the South Staffs, not sure which battalion, that served in Gallipoli in August 1915. I'm trying to trace L/CPL 10838 Griffiths who I am lead to believe died onboard a ship off Gallipoli. He is listed as being killed in action 09/08/1915

Thanks

Mick

[Roy Evans]

Do have the war diaries that would cover the South Staffs, not sure which battalion, that served in Gallipoli in August 1915. I'm trying to trace L/CPL 10838 Griffiths who I am lead to believe died onboard a ship off Gallipoli. He is listed as being killed in action 09/08/1915

Thanks

Mick

Mick,

It was the 7th Battalion that served at Gallipoli but unfortunately their diary for that period of the war was lost at sea during the evacuation.

Roy

[Doug Lewis]

Mick

Charles Griffiths 7th Btn South Staffordshire Rgt Killed in Action 9/8/15 Gallipoli. Born Bilston,enlisted Wolverhampton resident Willenhall (commemorated on Portobello War memorial)

Following information taken from History of the Seventh South Staffordshire Regiment (Ashcroft)

9th August 1915

"At 0600 we reached Hill 70 and at once came under murderous shrapnel and rifle fire. Every single officer in A & D companies (firing line) and in B company (supporting line) were either killed or wounded in the first 10 minutes... At about 0800 support arrived from the 10th division,but even with there assistance no headway could be made. About 1000,our line began to give way owing to the fact the scrub had caught fire,the Turks aided by this were working around our left. This flanking movement was checked by reinforcementes of Dublins and Queens...

The battalion behaved magnificently but were overwhelmed by an enemy who had every position of advantage...On the 10th August,the losses in killed and wounded were computed to be well over 400.For three days, the Staffords and Borders held an old Turkish communication trench running on to Chocolate Hill, and were then relieved by the 32nd Brigade."

Hope this is of use.

Regards Doug

[Guest swan63]

Thanks Roy,

That a pity I've been given a few other avenues to try so hopefully will get something there.

Mick

[Guest swan63]

Doug,

Thats great. Its nice to see that there are people like yourselves who try to keep the memories of our relatives alive.

Thanks

Mick

[oderf]

Hello Roy

I would be very grateful for any information that you may be able to locate in the war diaries for a Albert Allen 2nd/6thBattalion, South Staffordshire Regiment.

Thanks

Bryan

[Roy Evans]

Hello Roy

I would be very grateful for any information that you may be able to locate in the war diaries for a Albert Allen 2nd/6thBattalion, South Staffordshire Regiment.

Thanks

Bryan

Bryan,

I will have a look this evening, can to give me anything else about him?

BTW are you going to be able to make the Black Country Night Out on 1st November?

Roy

[Roy Evans]

Bryan,

I've just looked through the Nominal Rolls for the 2/6th S. Staffs and can't find him but then I've not found the other two guys I've looked for either. Just a thought, but is Albert his actual name? Don't take offence but often people's known by names are not their official names if you know what I mean, (I have found an R. Allen and a D. Allen.)

Moving on to the War Diaries next but if he was an O.R. he is not likely to feature but watch this space.

Roy

[davidfegga]

Hi Roy

Could you possibly look up these dates for me?

1st/6th on 12/08/1915

1st/5th on 12/10/1918

1st/6th 0n 16/05/1918

2nd Bn on 12/12/1917

would be much appreciated

Dave

[Roy Evans]

Dave

1st/6th on 12/08/1915

[Roy Evans]

1st/5th on 12/10/1918

[Roy Evans]

1st/6th 0n 16/05/1918

[Roy Evans]

2nd Bn on 12/12/1917 (1 of 2)

[Roy Evans]

2nd Bn on 12/12/1917 (2 of 2)

[davidfegga]

many thanks Roy, that's great!

Dave

[Roy Evans]

many thanks Roy, that's great!

Dave

We aim to please .......

Roy

[davidfegga]

Interesting to note that the diary of the 1st/6th for 12/8/1915 reports "situation quiet", yet I had a relative killed that day. "All quiet on the Western Front"......

Dave

[Iain Sanders]

I have just been fortunate enough to get copies of four more South Staffs war diaries. Should anyone want look-ups I now have the following in full;

1st, 2nd, 4th, 1/5th, 2/5th, 1/6th, 2/6th, 7th and 8th Battalions.

Roy

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Roy, Just new to the forum and i noticed that you have diaries for the 1/5 Sth. Staffs., is it possible for you to check for any mention of my great grandfather, Sgt., John Sanders 8990 killed on the 27th April 1915, it is possible he may have been on mining activities as i see that men from his regiment who where miners where drafted into tunnelling companies,

Cheers Iain.

[Roy Evans]

Iain,

There is something strange going on here! There is no mention of him in the war diary as being killed although two people are noted as being wounded by rifle fire!!!!

He is however mentioned in the Nominal Roll for the 1/5th as being KIA that day. How odd.

Incidentally, he was in D company.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Roy

[enoch beard]

jeff elson index of the war diaries state that sgt j sanders is mentioned on 30/4/15. kia dbush 27/4/15 whatever that means!

enoch

[Graham Smith]

Iain, Roy and any other Staffs Rgt followers

You might like to visit this site.... Hell fire corner Link here;

http://www.hellfire-corner.demon.co.uk/wulver.htm

This site from 'our own' Andrew Thornton gives info about the North and South Staffs regt between April and June 1915, at Wulverghem. Very interesting read with letters home and accounts of soldiers lives in the field

It may add a bit of 'meat to the bones' of the war diaries,ie first medals won by the division were by soldiers involved in the rescue of 'miners' overcome by gas

Lifted from that site (hope this is half legal)

"For conspicuous courage and devotion to duty on 28th April 1915, near Kemmel, when he took his turn with a few others in entering a mine gallery to rescue comrades who had been overcome by gas. The rescuing party persevered till all had been saved."

Six of those decorated came from the Staffordshire Brigade Mining Section:

3889 Private George Bennett, 1/5th North Staffords

1301 Private Roland Hill, 1/6th North Staffords

2885 Private L. Landon, 1/5th North Staffords

2682 Private E. Langford, 1/6th South Staffords

1826 Private Arthur Storer, 1/6th North Staffords

2283 Private Albert Thomas Weston, 1/6th North Staffords

The award of the medals, the first decorations to men of the Staffordshire Brigade, was a source of pride for their fellow Territorials,

[Iain Sanders]

Thanks guys, would it be possible if he was on mining duties that he could have been attached or transferred to the Royal Engineers & mentioned in their war diaries.

I do know that he enlisted in Walsall before the war as the 1/5th was a TA btn.

Thanks again guys, will keep trying, pin him down one day.

[AndrewThornton]

Sergeant Sanders was killed at Dickebusch, but under what circumstances I have been unable to find out sadly. He was attached to the Royal Engineers for tunnelling duties, probably 172nd Tunnelling Company who were operating in the Wulverghem sector at the time. He is buried at DICKEBUSCH NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, Grave Reference D. 13.

British counter-mining operations had commenced shortly before the Staffordshire Brigade's arrival in the Wulverghem sector in April 1915, where the recently formed 172nd Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers were active near Kruisstraat Cabaret and Boyles Farm. The resources of the tunnellers were stretched and therefore reinforcements were urgently required, and a Brigade Mining Section was formed.

Potential recruits were not difficult to find, as many of the men serving with the Brigade had been miners in the coalfields of Staffordshire before the outbreak of war. For example, one officer and forty-two other ranks of the 1/5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment are known to have served either with the Brigade Mining Section or on the strength of Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers during the period between April and October 1915.

Members of the Brigade Mining Section also seem to have adopted the title “Sapper” in place of their normal infantry rank of Private to reflect their new role, often referring to themselves as such in several letters published in local newspapers during this period.

When the 46th Division moved to the Ypres Salient in July 1915, the Brigade Mining Section continued to support the Royal Engineers Tunnelling Companies working with 175th Tunnelling Company under Hill 60. The Brigade Mining Section was involved in defensive mining operations only, mainly exploding camoflets under German tunnels to cause them to collapse. These subterranean activities were particularly hazardous and as a result of their bravery during operations, eight members of the Brigade Mining Section were subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. In addition to the six men already mentioned, 350 Sergeant Frank Wallbank and 1206 Lance-Corporal J. Cronise, both of whom served with the 1/6th North Staffords, were also awarded the DCM. They were decorated for their efforts in trying to rescue tunnellers overcome by carbon-monoxide fumes in a gallery under Hill 60 on 10 September 1915. Sergeant Wallbank was later killed during the assault on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October, while Cronise was wounded in the same action.

I hope this helps.