Cpl
Stanley Hale
Information about birth
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Year of birth: 1892 |
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Place of birth: Rotherham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Labourer |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 241498 |
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Units: — York & Lancaster Regiment, 1/5th Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 09/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Peter Pan, Passendale, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 25 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 125 |
Distinctions and medals 4
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Mentioned in Despatches Honourable mentioning — 07/11/1917 |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Stanley Hale, a former labourer, was born in 1892 in Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. He was the son of John and Sarah Ann Hale. Stanley enlisted prior to November 10, 1915. He served as a corporal in the 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment, part of the 148th Brigade of the 49th (West Riding) Division.
On October 7, 1917, the 148th Brigade issued an order to attack two days later. They would take over the line running from a point northeast of Fleet Cottage to a point northwest of Berlin Wood. The 148th Brigade planned to attack two objectives, namely Red and Blue Line. Red Line, the first objective, ran through the Tynecotstraat to the left bank of the Ravebeek. The second objective, Blue Line, ran along the Bornstraat to the Ravebeek, passing Snipe Hall. The 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment and the 1/5th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were ordered to attack on the left side of the 's Graventafelstraat. The latter would leapfrog over the 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs after the first objective was reached. The 1/4th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment would attack on the right side. The 1/4th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was placed in brigade reserve.
The Brigade moved to the front in the early morning of October 9, 1917, relieving the 1st New Zealand Brigade. Due to the adverse weather conditions, this move was delayed. The 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs reached the jump-off line at 2:40 a.m. Two companies of the 1/5th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I. and one company of the 1/4th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I. failed to arrive before Zero Hour.
At 5:20 a.m. on the morning of October 9, 1917, the 148th Brigade attacked. The Ravebeek proved to be a bigger obstacle than initially expected. This normally gentle creek was between 30 and 50 metres across and at some points water came waist high. The water and swampy ground held up all battalions, causing some wheel into the direction of the 's Graventafelstraat. The 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs were able to capture pillboxes near Fleet Cottage but came under machine gun fire of the from Wolf Copse on the left and Bellevue on the right, causing heavy casualties. At 6:00 a.m. the Red Line was captured. In absence of most of the 1/5th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I., the commanding officer of 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs ordered his battalion to continue the attack. An attack on a line of pillboxes near Bellevue was launched but failed. The Brigade decided to consolidate their meagre gains along the slope of the ridge. At nightfall on October 9, another attempt was made to capture the pillboxes near Bellevue, but this attack failed as well. The line was held until they were relieved by the 2nd New Zealand Division in the night between October 10 and 11, 1917. The war diary of the 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment notes 368 officers and men killed, wounded, or missing during the operations on October 9 and 10.
Stanley Hale, aged 25, was killed on October 9, 1917. Corporal Hale has no known grave and is remembered on panel 125 of the Tyne Cot Memorial. He was mentioned in the despatches of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, dated November 7, 1917.
On October 7, 1917, the 148th Brigade issued an order to attack two days later. They would take over the line running from a point northeast of Fleet Cottage to a point northwest of Berlin Wood. The 148th Brigade planned to attack two objectives, namely Red and Blue Line. Red Line, the first objective, ran through the Tynecotstraat to the left bank of the Ravebeek. The second objective, Blue Line, ran along the Bornstraat to the Ravebeek, passing Snipe Hall. The 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment and the 1/5th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were ordered to attack on the left side of the 's Graventafelstraat. The latter would leapfrog over the 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs after the first objective was reached. The 1/4th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment would attack on the right side. The 1/4th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was placed in brigade reserve.
The Brigade moved to the front in the early morning of October 9, 1917, relieving the 1st New Zealand Brigade. Due to the adverse weather conditions, this move was delayed. The 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs reached the jump-off line at 2:40 a.m. Two companies of the 1/5th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I. and one company of the 1/4th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I. failed to arrive before Zero Hour.
At 5:20 a.m. on the morning of October 9, 1917, the 148th Brigade attacked. The Ravebeek proved to be a bigger obstacle than initially expected. This normally gentle creek was between 30 and 50 metres across and at some points water came waist high. The water and swampy ground held up all battalions, causing some wheel into the direction of the 's Graventafelstraat. The 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs were able to capture pillboxes near Fleet Cottage but came under machine gun fire of the from Wolf Copse on the left and Bellevue on the right, causing heavy casualties. At 6:00 a.m. the Red Line was captured. In absence of most of the 1/5th Bn. K.O.Y.L.I., the commanding officer of 1/5th Bn. Yorks & Lancs ordered his battalion to continue the attack. An attack on a line of pillboxes near Bellevue was launched but failed. The Brigade decided to consolidate their meagre gains along the slope of the ridge. At nightfall on October 9, another attempt was made to capture the pillboxes near Bellevue, but this attack failed as well. The line was held until they were relieved by the 2nd New Zealand Division in the night between October 10 and 11, 1917. The war diary of the 1/5th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment notes 368 officers and men killed, wounded, or missing during the operations on October 9 and 10.
Stanley Hale, aged 25, was killed on October 9, 1917. Corporal Hale has no known grave and is remembered on panel 125 of the Tyne Cot Memorial. He was mentioned in the despatches of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, dated November 7, 1917.
Sources 4
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1/5 Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2805/2). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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148 Infantry Brigade: Headquarters (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 95/2804/1). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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McCarthy Chris, Passchendaele: The Day-By-Day Account (Londen, Arms & Armour, 2018), 122-123. Sources used |
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Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, MZ 05884 & MZ 05885. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/838018 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=40bed4a5-b0a3-480b-a899-1e2a83988b66 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/5340191 |