207872 Pte. Ernest Strode British Army 10th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers from:Loughop, Swansea, South Wales (d.29th Apr 1917) The 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers were in 76th Brigade of 3rd Division. They had been in action on the 9th April 1917 in the 1st Battle of the Scarpe, then relieved for a while but were back at the front on the 19th in the area east of Monchy-le-Bois in order to take part in the attack of the 3rd May. The divisional commander kept two of his brigades fresh for the attack whilst 76th held the line. It was constantly under bombardment and in the time between 24th April and 1st May when the two other brigades took over there were 464 casualties. My great uncle Ernest Strode, would have been one of them. The fact that he was killed in the British lines is why he has a grave, unlike so many who fell in April and May 1917. The war diary for the 10th for this time simply notes Fine (meaning the weather) Holding Line; two officer deaths the only other entries. Incidentally the CWGC has my great uncle's death as on the 28th, not the 29th. The War Diary printed by Lt.Col. F.N. Burton gives the rank and names of the 10th RWF casualties on a day by day basis and shows Pte 15178 E Strode Died of Wounds on Sunday 29th April. On 1st May it is endorsed 'This eight day tour of duty in the Monchy trenches was a costly one to the battalion, the casualties amounting to 3 Officers and 24 other ranks killed in action: and one officer and 85 other ranks wounded. Ernest is not shown on the wounded list for any of the previous days.
Ernest Strode was born Caldicot, Monmouthshire, enlisted in Wrexham and was resident Loughop, Glamorgan. He is at rest a Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras Additional Information: | Ernest was a resident at Panteg House, Castle Street, Loughor according to the 1911 Census. His younger brother, Alfred, was my Grandfather.Michael Szwediuk
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