Private 37789 Ernest Stanford

Killed in Action on Thursday, 21st March 1918, age 19.
Commemorated on Bay 6 of Arras Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

2nd/6th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 176th Brigade of 59th Division.

Son of Mr Francis & Mrs Charlotte Stanford, of Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Tipton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, post 31st December 1915.
Medal entitlement: British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library, and St. Luke's memorials.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1670907/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
1 Court 1 House, Bridge Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Francis Stanford (38, General Carpenter, born Tipton), and his wife Charlotte (38, born Tipton), and their 6 children: Joseph (17, Assistant Moulder, born Tipton), Emma (13, born Tipton), Tom (11, born Tipton), Alice (8, born Tipton), Samuel (5, born Tipton), Earnest (2, born Tipton).

1911 Census
89 Aston Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Francis Stanford (48, Carpenter, born Tipton), and his wife Charlotte (48, born Tipton), and 5 of their 9 children: Emma (23, born Tipton), Tom (21, Blacksmith's Striker, born Tipton), Samuel (16, Iron Plater's Assistant, born Tipton), Earnest (12, born Tipton), and William (6, born Tipton).

Personal Data

After Ernest's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £8/13/3d (8 pounds, 13 shillings and 3 pence); this was paid to his father, Francis B., in July 1919. His War Gratuity was £5/0/0d (5 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his father in July 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Ernest had enlisted in November 1916.

Action resulting in his death

21st March 1918 was the first day of the German Spring Offensive, a major push all along the Western Front. The 2/6th South Staffs were in the Bullecourt sector, close to Ecoust-St-Main, when the Germans attacked out of the mist and overwhelmed them. The unit was wiped out except for 50 inexperienced men under Major Curtis, the second-in-command. They first held a position south of Ecoust and then fell back to Mory, where they gallantly held out for thirty hours. "The resistance of the battalion was only extinguished when the battalion was itself extinct."

The War Diary shows 106 Other Ranks being killed, this includes Ernest Stanford who, like most of his comrades, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

2nd/6th South Staffs War Diary, 21st March 1918
"Heavy enemy shelling of back areas commenced from 2-3 am also heavy bombardment by enemy of Front and Support Line with High Explosive and Gas Shells from 4 am -8 am.
Enemy attacked in massed formation at 9 am and succeeded in capturing the front line and also effected a flank move and got though railway reserve and Battalion HQ.
23 Officers and about 600 Other Ranks are 'Missing', including Lt. Col. J. Stuart-Wortley, Capt. Whitehouse (Adjutant), Capts. Adam, Jordan, Astbury and Lynes, (Company Commanders). Major Curtis proceeded to the line with details from the Transport Lines, a party of 2 Officers and 50 Other Ranks including Band and specialists under training and held a portion of the front line of the Third System of Defence, East of Mory, until relieved at 4.00 a.m. on the 22nd.
When the roll was called after the fighting just six officers and eighty other ranks, mainly Bandsmen, were all that remained of 2/6th South Staffords. Of the officers listed as missing, Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart-Wortley, Captain Astbury and 2nd Lts. Jones and Rigby were dead, as were 106 Other Ranks, the remainder having been taken as Prisoners of War.
At the end of the day all but a few of the 2/6th South Staffords were wiped out."

Newspaper Cuttings

None.