Private 8982 John Stanley

Killed in Action on Monday, 21st May 1917, age 37.
Commemorated on Bay 6 of Arras Memorial, Pas De Calais, France.

2nd Bn., Worcestershire Regiment. 100th Brigade of 33rd Division.

Son of the late William and Ellen Stanley, of 34, Bernard St., West Bromwich.
Born: Wolstanton, Staffs, Enlisted: Dudley, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 5th November 1914.
Medal entitlement: 1914 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived, not yet transcribed.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1670931/

Genealogical Data

Birth of John Stanley registered June quarter 1879 in Wolstanton, Staffordshire.

1901 Census
71 High Street, Dudley, Worcs.
William Stanley (49, Licenced Victualer, born Nantwich), his wife Ellen (49, born Fenton), and their 4 children: William (24, Furniture Salesman, born Silverdale), John (21, Furniture Salesman, born Silverdale), Mary E. (18 Nantwich), and Frederick (16, Iron Moulder Nantwich).

1911 Census
Neptune Street, Tipton, Staffs.
Boarding with Edward Ford (23, Machinist, born Tipton), his wife Violet Lilian (23, born Dudley), and their 1 child: Marian (1, born West Bromwich), was John Stanley (32, French Polisher, born Silverdale).

Personal Data

John enlisted on 19th August 1914 at Dudley. He stated that he was 32 years and 93 days of age, this was understated by 3 years and he was in fact 35 years old. He was 5 feet 4½ inches tall, weighing 113½ pounds with a 35-inch chest measurement, his physical development was noted as ‘good’. He had blue eyes, light brown hair and a fresh complexion, and had scars on his right knee. John was employed as a French polisher and his religion was Church of England.

John had previously served 7 years as a Regular in the Worcestershire Regiment. This began in January 1904 when he enlisted for a period of 3 years with the Colours and 9 years in the Reserves. He was discharged to the Reserves in 1907, but in 1908 was allowed to return to complete 7 years’ service until January 1911. John’s first period of service was with the 3rd Battalion, and his second period with the 1st Battalion. Apart from the possibility of a short period in Ireland in 1904, all his service was in England.

After completing his 7 years’ service with the Colours in 1911, John was discharged to the Reserves. His service with the Reserves was terminated in November 1912 because of felony; he had been convicted in Tipton of stealing a watch, and imprisoned for 3 months with Hard Labour.

Because of his prior service, after a relatively short period of training at Fort Tregantle near Plymouth, he was posted to the 1st Battalion and landed in France on 5th November 1914. His next of kin was his father, William Stanley, of 27 Martin Road, Tipton.

In December 1914 John suffered a hernia. After initial treatment at No. 6 Clearing Hospital at Merville (Clearing Hospitals were renamed as Casualty Clearing Stations in January 1915), he was transferred by No. 10 Ambulance Train to the Hotel Astoria Hospital in Paris on 3rd December 1914. This hospital was situatd on the Champs Elysees, near the Arc De Triomphe, and was run by the Red Cross. After 3 weeks here, John was transferred back to England on the Hospital Ship ‘Asturias’.

After 9 months recovering, John was posted to the 9th Worcesters and went to Gallipoli on 23rd September 1915. Most of the fighting was done by this time, but conditions were still dreadful. John contacted Enteric Fever (typhoid), reporting sick at Suvla Bay on 15th November 1915. He was evacuated to Mudros, then transported back to Southampton on the ‘Aquitania’, during which voyage he developed pneumonia. He was a patient at the University War Hospital, Southampton, for 56 days from 4th December 1915 to 29th January 1916.

On 1st May 1916, John was posted to the 5th (Reserve) Battalion, Worcesters based in Devonport for training prior to re-joining his unit. This did not last long as John’s hernia re-occurred as he had an operation to repair this on 4th May in Devonport, remaining in hospital until 13th June.

It was 17th December 1916, a year after returning from Gallipoli, before he was sent abroad again, arriving at the 46th Infantry Base Depot in Rouen. Form here the was posted to the 1st Worcesters, and then finally to the 2nd Worcesters in February 1917.

After John’s death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £8/14/7d (8 pounds, 14 shillings and 7 pence); this was paid to his father and sole legatee, William, in April 1918. His War Gratuity was £13/0/0d (13 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his father in October 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that John had enlisted in approximately October 1914.

John’s father, William Stanley, was awarded a Dependant’s Pension of 12/6d (12 shillings and 6 pence) per week effective from 1st September 1917. His address was given as 34 Bernard Street, West Bromwich. The pension increased to 15/0d (15 shillings) per week from 7th June 1921, but William died very soon after then.

Action resulting in his death

The first few months of 1917 were relatively quiet for the 2nd Worcesters (2/WO), but still 51 men lost their lives before their first major action in that year, beginning on May 20th.

During April, the 2/WO had moved north from the Somme to the Arras sector. On April 14th, they took over a line of outposts facing the Hindenburg Line on the east bank of the River Sensée, north of Croisilles, 7.5 miles south-east of Arras. After a number of rotations in and out of the line, this would be the location for their action on May 20th/21st.

The attack was to be made by 2 Brigades of 33rd Division: 98th Brigade astride the River Sensée, and 100th Brigade to their right. This latter Brigade included 2/WO who were the right-most battalion, with their right flank touching the Croisilles - Hendecourt road.

The attack began at 5.15am in mist. The first wave found that the German first line was not strongly held and this was taken relatively easily. The first wave consolidated this line, and subsequent waves passed through and on to the German Support lines – this was where the attack faltered.

Smoke from artillery shells combined with the mist to form a dense fog, this caused the subsequent waves to lose direction. Additionally, German resistance stiffened and the attackers suffered from heavy rifle and machine gun fire.

The German Support lines were breached in a number of places after close-quarter fighting, but could not be held. Most had to fall back to the captured German front line, now in a state of defence. ‘C’ Company held on in a Sunken Lane between the German front and support lines (probably the Bullecourt - Fontaine road) all that day, but ultimately had to fall back.

All that night, and throughout the next day (21st), 2/WO held and re-organised their line, despite numerous bombing counter-attacks which were all firmly resisted. They were relieved from the newly-captured trench that night.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records that 86 men of 2/WO were killed (3 Officers and 83 Other Ranks); 4 on the 20th May and 82 on 21st May. This split of 4 / 82 is almost certainly incorrect with a much higher proportion being killed on the first day of the action.

John Stanley has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the Missing.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald July 7th 1917
CASUALTIES
Among recent casualty lists are as follows:-
Pte. J. Stanley, Worcesters, missing.