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5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment was a territorial unit based in Walsall serving with the Staffordshire Brigade in North Midland Division, when war broke out in August 1914. They were mobilised for war service on the 5th of August 1914. The Division concentrated in the Luton area by mid August, they moved to Bishops Stortford in November to prepare for service overseas. They proceeded to France, landing at Boulogne in late February being first complete Territorial Division to arrive in a theatre of war when they joined the BEF in the Ypres salient. They first saw action at Wulverghem in the Ypres Sector in April 1915. On the 12th of May the Division was retitled 46th (North Midland) Division. They were in action during The German liquid fire attack at Hooge and The attack at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October. On the 23rd of December the were ordered to proceed to Egypt via Marseilles leaving the DAC, Divisional Train and the Mobile Veterinary Section behind. All units had arrived by the 13th of January 1916 but they spent just a few days in Egypt, being ordered to return to France where the units left behind rejoined. On the 1st of July 1916 they took part in The diversionary attack at Gommecourt. In 1917 they were in action during the Operations on the Ancre, Occupation of the Gommecourt defences, The attack on Rettemoy Graben, The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The attack on Lievin and The Battle of Hill 70. In 1918 they saw action in The Battle of the St Quentin canal, including the passage of the canal at Bellenglise, The Battle of the Beaurevoir Line, The Battle of Cambrai, The Battle of the Selle and The Battle of Sambre. At the Armistice, the advance units of the Division were at Sains-du-Nord. The Division moved back to Landrecies on the 15th of November then to the Le Cateau area in early January 1919 where demobilisation began.
3rd Feb 1915 Exercise
4th Feb 1915 Exercise
12th Feb 1915 Conference
16th Feb 1915 Horses
19th Feb 1915 Inspection
24th Feb 1915 Instructions
3rd Mar 1915 South Staffords on the Move
18th Mar 1915 All in Good Health
21st Mar 1915 Near the Fighting Line
24th Mar 1915 Back in Billets
2nd Apr 1915 3rd Monmouths relieved by 5th Staffords Enemy action became much more intense over the last weeks of March and the number of heavy German guns increased and by the end of March the village and the church of Wulverghem was completely destroyed. The conditions of the line were extremely miserable, the least rainfall flooded the shelters in the trenches, and the close proximity of the enemy severely restricted movement. Fires could only be lit and tended with great care, as any sign of smoke would soon receive some enemy attention. After nearly a month of continuous fighting in the trenches the 3rd Mons Battalion's tour of duty was over in this area and on 2nd April, Good Friday, tired and weary Welshmen were relieved by the 5th South Staffords. Later that night they were withdrawn from the Wulvergham sector and moved out to Bailleul. The soldiers now had considerable knowledge of the conditions of war but they left behind many of their buddies, in the little Wulvergham cemeteries. A lot of credit had been gained for the manner in which they had conducted themselves in the trenches and with spirits still undaunted they were ready for rest in new billets.
3rd Apr 1915 Artful Dodgers
5th Apr 1915 Night Work
17th Apr 1915 A Little Hot
1st May 1915 Sniping
5th May 1915 Snipers Active
7th May 1915 Not much damage
12th May 1915 Risks of Rations
22nd May 1915 Hoping for Volunteers
22nd May 1915 Trench Work
26th May 1915 Under Fire
3rd Jun 1915 Shell Failed to Explode
17th Jun 1915 A True Englishman
30th Jun 1915 In the Trenches
22nd Jul 1915 Shell Failed to Explode
4th Sep 1915 Not a Pleasant Job
4th Sep 1915
7th Oct 1915 Planning 
12th Oct 1915 Preparing for the Attack
13th Oct 1915 In the Attack
13th Oct 1915 Accounts of the Fight
13th Oct 1915 Losses Suffered
20th Oct 1915 Boys Proved Themselves
29th Oct 1915 In the Trenches
13th Nov 1915 Story of the Attack
29th Nov 1915 Working Parties
4th Dec 1915 In the Mud
15th Jan 1916 Awards for Territorials
28th Feb 1916 Accident during Demonstration
2nd Apr 1916 Mine Explodes
20th Jun 1916 Honours for Walsall Territorials
3rd Jan 1917 Relief
7th Jan 1917 Reliefs Completed
11th Jan 1917 In Reserve
20th Jan 1917 Reliefs
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Pte. Isaac Charles 1st/5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.25th March 1918) Isaac Charles was killed in action on 25th March 1918.
Isaac lived at Pelsall, Staffordshire and had 12 brothers and sisters. I was lucky enough to visit the town and the South Staffs Regimental Museum in 2010 where there is a copy of the war diaries from March 1918. Isaac was mentioned in the diary by name.
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Pte. John Parkes Somerfield 1st/5th Bn. A Coy. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.26th June 1916) John Somerfield was killed in action on the 26th of June 1916, aged 20. He is buried in the Foncquevillers Military Cemetery in France.
He was the son of Amos and Mary Ann Somerfield, of 53 Croft St., Walsall, Staffs.
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A/RSM. Frank Howse DCM. 1/5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment Frank Howse was awarded the DCM while serving with the 1/5th South Staffordshire Regiment
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Pte. John Francis Price 5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.26th Jun 1916) Great uncle Frank Price's body was never found and his name is on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing.
His family didn't ever learn what happened to him.
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Pte. Edward Turner 5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment Edward Turner served with the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment.
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Pte William Dean 5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment Bill Dean served with 5th South Staffordshire Regiment and the Northumberland Fusiliers.
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Pte. George Price 5th Btn. A Coy. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.13th Oct 1915) George Price was my Grandfather Richard's older brother, they enlisted together. They both came from a large family who lived in Wall Heath Staffordshire.
I have my grandfather's three WWI service medals, a photo plus a moving letter he wrote to his parents on the 19th October 1915 which in a round about way breaks the news to his parents that George has been killed. My grandfather would have been about 17 years of age and George was 19. George was killed in action on 13th October 1915 at the Battle of Loos. He has no known grave.
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Horace Lloyd 2/5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment My father, Horace Lloyd, 2/5 South Staffs T.F., is listed as wounded on the War Office Weekly Casualty List, Aug. 14th 1917, but in France 4.9.1916-28.7.1917. A shell landed in his trench. Three other men sitting around a card table with him were killed - he was blown into no-man's land then invalided to UK. I would like to know where the 2/5 S. Staffs were fighting at that time. He later became Pte 39868 Worc. Regiment.
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Pte. Richard Frank Price 5th Btn. A Company, 4 Platoon South Staffordshire Regiment Richard Frank Price was my grandfather. Both he and his older brother George enlisted together. They both came from a large family who lived in Wall Heath Staffordshire. Their father's name was Reuben and I think his wife's name was Jessie.
I have my grandfather's three WWI service medals, a photo, plus a moving letter he wrote to his parents on the 19th October 1915 which in a round about way breaks the news to his parents that George has been killed. My grandfather would have been about 17 years of age and George was 19. George's number was Pte. 8648 George Price, A Company, 1st/5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 13th October 1915 Battle of Loos, he has no known grave.
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Pte. Arthur Hubert "Bertie" Hibbett 1/5th Btn. 'A' Coy, No 2 Platoon South Staffordshire Regiment Elizabeth F. Hibbett Webb
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A/Sjt. J. Williams MM 5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment I own the Military Medal for J. Williams. No other information is know.
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L/Cpl. Frederick Hawthorne 1/5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.11th Aug 1916) Frederick Hawthorne was executed for Cowardice 11th August 1916 age 22 and buried in Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery, Saulty, France.
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Pte. Ernest Percival Hughes 5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment I think Ernest Hughes was shot in the leg, later he got gassed.
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Cpl. Frank Maskell 5th Btn. South Staffordshire Regiment (d.11th Aug 1918) After my mother-in-law died we found a letter which she had kept from when she was 8 years old from a soldier. It is dated November 16th 1916 and was written from no.14 General Hospital, Victoria Hotel, Boulogne France, with the title of 564 Cpl F Maskell (or Marshall), 5 South Staffs and he signed his name as Frank. The letter reads as follows:
My dear Miss Gladys,
Just a few lines thanking you very much for your egg which I had for my tea and it was quite good too. Well I hope you wont be offended at such strange a letter, but I know it is so nice to hear where the eggs get to at times. Well I sincerely hope you are keeping all right and still sending eggs out to France as it is quite a nice change down here from up in the trenches. I am a little better myself today and I hope you certainly won't mind me answering the egg I received to day in such a common way. I must close now or I shall miss the post. Your sincere friend, Frank.
I would love to know if he survived and what his name was. I would like to find out if he had any relations who might like this letter.
Editor's note: The soldier was Frank C. Maskell of the 1/5th South Staffordshire Regiment. He recovered from his stint in hospital and and returned to the front line, he was promoted to Acting Sgt. but lost his life on the 11th of August 1918 and was laid to rest in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension Cemetery in France. Many of the men who are buried here were injured on the battlefield and succumbed to their injuries whilst being treated at the Field Ambulances which were based in the village of Fouquieres, which is near Bethune in Northern France.
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