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2597 CORPORAL WILLIAM HARRIS, 1ST./6TH. SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT, KILLED IN ACTION 1 JULY 1916
1914-15 Star (2597 Pte. S.Staff.R.); British War Medal; Victory Medal 1914-19 (2597 Cpl. S.Staff.R.); Memorial Plaque : (WILLIAM HARRIS - Born around 1891 at Bilston, Staffordshire, a corporation tram driver, entered the War in France with 1/6th.Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, on 5 March 1915. The Battalion was sent to Egypt from 8 January 1916 but returned to France on 10 February 1916. On 1 July 1916 the Battalion was tasked with attacking the fortified German position at the Gommecourt Salient. The assault followed an intense artillery barrage but this had failed to cut the enemy barbed wire. At 14.00hrs. the leading Battalions, including 1/6th. South Staffords began their assault on the west face of the Gommecourt defences. The attack was largely repulsed, with heavy casualties, and although some men from 'D' Company 1/6th. did get into the German trenches they were forced to retreat because of the overwhelming power of enemy machine-gun fire. Other companies were not so successful and intense artillery fire plastered the attack, a shrapnel barrage being directed by enemy observers as it moved forward. Small parties were able to enter the enemy lines but could not obtain a permanent footing there. Most were held up by the enemy wire which to the greater extent had not been cut and were forced to retire, the ground penetrated could not be held and by evening the whole Battalion was back in the trenches it had left earlier in the day. The Battalion suffered extremely high casualties, with only 95 men from the approximately 850 answering the Roll Call the next day, only 25 of the survivors were unwounded. The recipient was among those killed, and is buried in the Gommecourt Wood New Cemetery, at Foncquevillers.) Sold with verification, copy CWGC. information, one of the recipient's original identity discs, a full length original photograph of the recipient in his tram company uniform and other related research. Plaque has been cleaned in the past and is a little polished, medals as issued on lengths of original silk ribbon EF - £1295