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- 8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment



   8th (Service) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment was raised Lichfield on the 18th of September 1914 as part of Kitchener's Second New Army and joined 57th Brigade in 19th (Western) Division. They trained on Salisbury Plain, spending the winter in billets in Bristol from December 1914. In February 1915 they moved to Weston-super-Mare, then in April they moved to Tidworth for final training. They proceeded to France on the 18th of July 1915, the division concentrating near St Omer. Their first action was at Pietre, in a diversionary action supporting the Battle of Loos. In 1916 They were in action during the Battle of the Somme, capturing La Boisselle and being involved in The attacks on High Wood, The Battles of Pozieres Ridge, the Ancre Heights and the Ancre. In 1917 they were in action in The Battle of Messines and the Third Battles of Ypres. On the 7th of February 1918 they transferred to 56th Brigade, still with 19th Division. In 1918 They fought on The Somme during The Battle of St Quentin and The Battle of Bapaume and in the Battles of the Lys at Messines, Bailleul and The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge. They fought in The Battle of the Aisne and during the Final Advance in Picardly they were in action in The Battle of the Selle, The Battle of the Sambre and the passage of the Grand Honelle. At the Armitice were were in billets near Bavay. Demobilisation began in December 1918 and the final cadres returned to England on the 27th of June 1919.

2nd of September 1915 Combined Fire Attack

7th of September 1915 On the March

10th of September 1915  Trench Improvements  location map

5th of November 1915 Relief Completed

15th of December 1915 Moving Up  location map

23rd December 1915 Preparing to Move  location map

8th of January 1916 Visits and A Relief

11th of January 1916 A Feint Attack

17th of January 1916 In the Front Line

2nd Apr 1917 Heavy Snow

2nd Jul 1916 Attack and Counter Attack

8th Jul 1916 Line Advanced  location map

1st Oct 1916 Orders

2nd Oct 1916 Brigades Training

3rd Oct 1916 Reliefs

4th Oct 1916 On the Move

6th Oct 1916 Orders  location map

8th Oct 1916 Orders Issued  location map

12th Oct 1916 Shelling  location map

14th Oct 1916 Orders  location map

15th Oct 1916 Orders  location map

2nd Nov 1916 Reliefs  location map

5th Nov 1916 On the Move

1st of December 1916 A Route March

1st Dec 1916 Training

2nd Dec 1916 Training

12th of December 1916  Snow and Football

15th Dec 1916 Inspection

18th Dec 1916 Inspections

21st Dec 1916 Sports Medals

22nd Dec 1916 Company Training

31st of December 1916 Baths and Football

31st Dec 1916 Training

16th of January 1917 German POWs  location map

7th of February 1917 Relieved

11th of February 1917 Back to Trenches

15th of February 1917 Relieved

26th Feb 1917 Advance Made  location map

26th of February 1917 An Attack  location map

27th of February 1917 Pushing Forward  location map

27th of March 1917 On Relief

1st Apr 1917 Artillery Registration  location map

3rd Apr 1917 Blizzard  location map

4th Apr 1917 Artillery Active  location map

5th Apr 1917 Some Shelling  location map

6th Apr 1917 Artilery in Support  location map

7th Apr 1917 Shelling  location map

8th Apr 1917 Artillery Registration

9th Apr 1917 Hail Stones  location map

7th of May 1917 Retaliatory Shelling

25th of May 1917 Relieved

7th of June 1917  A Big Offensive  location map

7th of July 1917 German TMs Fire  location map

8th of July 1917 Trench Improvements  location map

10th of July 1917 Relieved  location map

5th of August 1917 In Support  location map

21st of September 1917 Relief

1st of October 1917 Reliefs Complete

17th of October 1917 On Relief  location map

3rd of November 1917 Training

7th of November 1917 On Relief  location map

3rd of January 1918 Patrols Out  location map

12th of January 1918 On the March

23rd of January 1918 Fairly Quiet Day

27th of January 1918 On the Move

31st of January 1918 Relieved

16th of February 1918  New Draft Drilled

17th of February 1918 Church Parade

23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Fighting

24th Mar 1918 Fighting Withdrawal

1st Apr 1918 Spirit maintained under Stress

10th of April 1918 Under Attack  location map

10th of April 1918 Into Battle  location map

11th of April 1918 Quiet...and then...  location map

12th of April 1918 Enemy Advances  location map

1st Aug 1918 Training

2nd Aug 1918 Training

3rd Aug 1918 Training

4th Aug 1918 Orders Received

5th August 1918 A report having been received that the enemy had evacuated posts on our left

5th Aug 1918 Training

6th August 1918 Battalion was relieved tonight

6th Aug 1918 On the Move

7th Aug 1918 Reliefs Complete  location map

8th Aug 1918 Farm Captured  location map

9th Aug 1918 Possible Booby Traps  location map

30th Sep 1918 Attack Made  location map

6th of November 1918 Into Front Line

23rd of November 1918 Salvaging

21st of December 1918 Battalion Drill

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment?


There are:5321 items tagged 8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Allgood Frank. (d.16th April 1918)
  • Barker Jeremiah Jerry. L/Sgt (d.13 October 1915)
  • Bee Frank Sydney. L/Cpl. (d.4th January 1918)
  • Blakemore Denis Jetson. Pte. (d.9th Jul 1917)
  • Boatman Thomas James. Pte. (d.19th Apr 1918)
  • Brocklehurst Samuel Needham. Sgt. (d.12th March 1918)
  • Bullock Eli. Pte.
  • Butroid Ernest. Pte. (d.4th Nov 1918)
  • Cassidy Felix. Cpl. (d.19th Apr 1918)
  • Colley Ernest. Pte. (d.9th August 1916)
  • Dale Thomas James. Pte. (d.20th April 1919)
  • Dance Sam. L/Cpl.
  • Darlow Arnold Harvey. Pte. (d.12th April 1918)
  • Davies Fred. Pte. (d.22nd Sep 1917)
  • Deakin William. Pte. (d.19th April 1918)
  • Dean Jesse. Lance Corporal (d.7th Jun 1917)
  • Ellis Vincent Frederick. Pte. (d.20th Sep 1917)
  • Gater Thomas. Pte. (d.19th Nov 1916)
  • Gough DSO. Horace Fredrick. 2nd Lt. (d.21st Sept 1917)
  • Harrison James. Pte. (d.6th Jul 1916)
  • Hewkin Walter. Pte. (d.10th June 1917)
  • Hinxman Albert William. Pte. (d.29th April 1918)
  • Jones Henry. L/Cpl. (d.19th Nov 1916)
  • Jones William. Pte. (d.20th Sep 1917)
  • Lane Thomas Joseph. Pte. (d.18th April 1918)
  • Lunn Matthew Henry. Pte
  • Meen Arthur Porcher. Pte. (d.20th September 1917)
  • Millington Herbert. Pte. (d.18th Nov 1916)
  • Oakes William. Pte. (d.3rd June 1918)
  • Peace Job. Pte. (d.10th Apr 1918)
  • Redsell Walter Edward. Pte. (d.30th May 1918)
  • Ross George Anderson. Pte. (d.4th June 1918)
  • Sanders Alfred. Sgt.
  • Selfe Hugh Ronald. Cptn. (d.9th July 1917)
  • Stainthorpe Sidney. Pte. (d.13th May 1918)
  • Tate Lionel Percy. 2nd Lt. (d.4th Nov 1918)
  • Taylor MM. Frederick. QMSgt. (d.6th May 1918)
  • Telfer J.. Pte. (d.10th Jun 1917)
  • Whitham William. Pte (d.5th Oct 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment from other sources.


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  Pte. Ernest Butroid 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.4th Nov 1918)

Ernest Butroid enlisted eith the the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was killed in action aged 23.







  Pte. Herbert Millington 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.18th Nov 1916)

Herbert Millington served with the 8th North Staffordshire Regiment.

Clive Salt






  Pte. Arnold Harvey Darlow 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.12th April 1918)

I have visited the Messines Ridge Cemetery, south of Ypres, Belgium, a few times over the last years and noticed this single Staffs Regiment grave, of Arnold Darlow among the many New Zealand graves. Last Thursday, 16 November 2018 I visited the grave specifically to put two British legion poppies there, to honour and commemorate this man who fought in my county regiment

David Evans






  Pte. James Harrison 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.6th Jul 1916)

After researching my family tree, I have learnt my 2nd great grandad, James Harrison fought and died in the Battle of The Somme.

Aaron Ecclestone






  Pte. Job Peace 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.10th Apr 1918)

Job Peace served with the 8th North Staffordshire Regiment and died on the 10th of April 1918. This is the only information I have about my Grandfather, and we don't have any pictures of him either. If anyone knows anything about him, or where he was killed (he has no known grave,) I would appreciate it. Before the war he worked in the local textile mills, and he was a keen runner. I believe he ran a race against Jimmy Holdsworth, a local hero, and lost, and someone wrote a poem entitled Lines on Jimmy Holdsworth.

Karen Ramsden






  Pte. Arthur Porcher Meen 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment (d.20th September 1917)

Arthur Meen enlisted on the 2nd of July 1917 aged 29,he was previously a cattle lad on a farm. He was killed in action in Flanders, just 2 months after enlisting. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial and Long Stratton War Memorial.







  Pte. Thomas Gater 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.19th Nov 1916)

Thomas Gater of the 8th North Stafffordshire Regiment lost his life in Flanders.

<p>

Craig Bourne






  L/Cpl. Sam Dance 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment

Sam Dance served with the 8th North Staffordshire Regiment.

Gary Rogers






  L/Cpl. Frank Sydney Bee 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment (d.4th January 1918)

Frank Bee was my great-great grandfather. I currently don't know a lot about his service, but I know he served with the 8th Battalion North Staffs from around 1915 onwards. I believe he is buried at a small war grave in northern France. Given the centenary approaching, I've been trying to find out more about him and the 8th Battalion to see where he may have fought and in what battle he may have died.

Christopher Jackson






  Pte William Whitham 8th Battalion North Staffordshire (d.5th Oct 1917)

I know very little about William Whitham or what he did in the First World War. I do have a postcard sent from him to his mother (Possibly in 1916)

<p>Myself at William's grave in 2008

Ross Ashton






   Frank Allgood 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment (d.16th April 1918)

Frank Allgood was my great great uncle. Son of James and Margaret. They were farm tenants in Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire.

His brother Alexander Thomas Allgood fell also.

Dean Allgood






  Pte. William Oakes 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment (d.3rd June 1918)

William Oakes joined up in late August 1916, aged 32. A bricklayer by trade, as detailed in his joining papers, his record shows that he qualified as a bomber. He died of wounds and is buried at the cemetery near Signy-Signet.

Mike Waring






  Cpl. Felix Cassidy 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.19th Apr 1918)

Felix Cassidy was my Great uncle. He served with the 8th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment.

Fred Hurley






  Sgt. Samuel Needham Brocklehurst 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.12th March 1918)

Sam Brocklehurst was a farmer. He served with the 8th, 2nd, 3rd and 12th Battalions, North Staffordshire Regiment. He left behind his wife Flo and their six children aged 12 to 3. He has no known grave but his name appears on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.

Joan Fleet






  Pte. Ernest Colley 8th Btn. North Staffs Regiment (d.9th August 1916)

Ernest Colley has no known grave and I am still trying to find out where and how he went missing and in which action. Ernest was the son of John and Alice Colley of Longton.

David Young






  L/Cpl. Henry Jones 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.19th Nov 1916)

Henry Jones was a telegraphist in the North Staffs Regiment. He died whilst serving on the frontline between Thiepval and Bouquet Farm. Specifically he was killed in the battalion attack at 06.10 hours on 18th November from Regina trench to Desire trench. 17 officers and 317 other ranks became casualties and the attack completely failed. Henry Jones's body was never identified and he is listed as missing.

Ian Price






  Sgt. Alfred Sanders 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment

The Sentinel newspaper spelt his name as Saunders, when in actual fact it was Sanders.

My relative was Alfred Sanders. He was born in 1895 in Longton, Stoke on Trent. He joined the colours in 1914 and the census records states he lived in Heaths Passage. He joined the 8th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment. On July 3rd he went over the top under the command of Major Cecil Wedgwood. Wedgwood and many others died. Alfred survived the Somme Campaign then on the last day, 18th November, took part in an attack against Grandcourt. There was a blizzard and bitter fighting took place. 173 men from Stoke were killed. Alfred was presumed dead. Then in March 1917, he appeared in the archives as being a prisoner of war in German hands. I have found the German records stating which camps he was in and his medal index card shows he returned home in 1919. He died in 1951 and is buried in Longton Cemetery.

His older cousin born in 1892 was my great great grandad and also called Alfred Sanders. He served with the 7th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment in Gallipoli and was wounded in July 1916. He went on to the 1st South Staffs Regiment and served at Ypres in 1917 when he was discharged for being wounded in October 1917.

Callan Chevin






  Pte. William Deakin 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Rgt. (d.19th April 1918)

William Deakin was my great grandfather. He was the father of my father's mother. He came from Mossley in Lancashire near Ashton Under Lyne. To date, I know very little about him apart from the fact he was killed in action on 19th April 1918 and is buried at Tyne Cot military Cemetery, Belgium.

Laurence Elliott






  Pte Matthew Henry Lunn 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment

Mathew Lunn was born on 25 Aug. 1897 at Meltham. He was mobilised 6th November 1916 and sent to France on 5th Mar 1917, initially with 1st N. Staffs, but he transferred to 8th Btn on 26 March 1917. Messines was probably his Baptism of fire! Later on 11 August received a Blighty - a bullet/bayonet wound to right thigh - and was invalided back to UK. He was eventually discharged "No longer fit for Military Service" in November 1917. He received Silver wound badge & King's Certificate.

Mathew Henry Lunn died at Meltham 18 Jan 1931 of tuberculosis. A short life but he did his bit!

P.C. Potter






  2nd Lt. Lionel Percy Tate 8th Btn. North Staffordshire Regiment (d.4th Nov 1918)

Lionel Tate was known by his middle name, Percy. He was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, on 17th April 1892, the eldest child of Robert William Tate and his wife Emma (nee Stainsby). He attended Chillingham Road school and Skerry’s college in Newcastle and was working as an accounts clerk when he enlisted in the 1st/1st Northumberland Hussars (Territorial Army) on 17th February 1913. His was the first territorial regiment to be sent overseas, they arrived at Zeebrugge on 5th October 1914.

Percy spent almost the whole war in France, with only a handful of days on leave in England each year. He survived many terrible battles in France, including Ypres and the Somme and rose to the rank of corporal before returning to England to cadet school in December 1917.

He was appointed to a commission in the North Staffordshire Regiment in May 1918 and returned to serve with them in France. He was killed in action on 4th November 1918 and is buried in the churchyard of Wargnies Le Grand. After surviving so much, serving throughout the war, it is so sad that he died within only a few days of the armistice. This was also a tragedy for his fiancée, Cissy Dryden, who always kept a photo of Percy and never married. Later, she worked in a sweet shop.

Percy’s brother Lance Corporal Norman Tate, 2nd Btn. Northumberland Fusiliers, was killed in action on 6th October 1918, commemorated at Vis-En-Artois memorial, Pas de Calais, France.

Jenny Cowling






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