L/Cpl
Louis Stephen Stead
Informations sur naissance
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Année de naissance: 1889 |
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Lieu de naissance: Poppleton, Yorkshire, Angleterre, Royaume-Uni |
Informations générales
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Profession: Ouvrier |
Informations service militaire
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Pays: Angleterre, Royaume-Uni |
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Force armée: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rang: Lance Corporal |
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Numéro de service: 25425 |
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Unités: — West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own), 2nd Bn. (Dernière unité connue) |
Informations sur décès
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Date de décès: 16/08/1917 |
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Lieu de décès: Garter Point, Zonnebeke, Belgique |
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Cause du décès: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Âge: 28 |
Cimetière
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Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood Parcelle: XXV Rangée: C Tombe: 12 |
Distinctions et médailles 2
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British War Medal Médaille |
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Victory Medal Médaille |
Points d'intérêt 2
| #1 | Lieu de naissance | ||
| #2 | Lieu du décès (approximatif) |
Mon histoire
Lance Corporal Louis Stephen Stead served in the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own), part of the 23rd Brigade, of the 8th Division. He was killed in August 1917. Louis Stephen Stead was born in Poppleton, Yorkshire in 1889. He lived with his parents, Ruth and Stephen in York, where he worked as a labourer.
The 8th Division participated in the Battle of Langemarck on August 16, 1917. It attacked in the direction of Zonnebeke, between Polygon Wood and the Ypres-Roulers railroad, with the 23rd Brigade on the left and the 25th Brigade on the right. The attack of the 23rd Brigade was carried by the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment on the right and the 2nd Middlesex on the left; the 2nd Scottish Rifles were in support. The 2nd West Yorks advanced in two waves on a three company frontage. “A” company on the right, “B” in the centre and “C” on the left. “D” company supplied a platoon of moppers up, to clear pockets of resistance after the initial waves had passed. Their objective, the Green Line, was the Anzac Ridge, West of the ruins of Zonnebeke.
At zero hour, 4.45 a.m. a barrage was put down. It was immediately replied by the German artillery, which shelled the allied line. The men followed the creeping barrage without encountering serious resistance. The Battalion encountered two machine guns, still hot from firing, in Hanebeek Wood. Their crew, either killed or wounded, were lying about. Victims of the barrage. The advance was continued towards the Anzac Ridge. Louis’ battalion, reached their objective on the ridge, but the situation became dire. The line was very weak and no troops were seen on either flank of the battalion. The advance of the 2nd Middlesex had been checked, due to heavy machinegun fire from German positions on the railway embankment and from Potsdam, a German stronghold on the other side of the railroad.
The German machine gunners on the left started targeting the 2nd West Yorks and the battalion pulled back a bit. At 9.30 a.m. large numbers of Germans were seen coming down the ridge. This full scale counterattack forced the battalion back. Posts were formed up just East of Hanebeek Wood. S.O.S. flares were sent up from battalion headquarters, as the German counterattack threatened to break through the lines. No response what so ever took place for about 45 minutes, till a very ragged barrage was put down on the Anzac Ridge. This didn’t stop the Germans and at 3.30 a.m. the Germans launched a new counterattack on the battalion’s right. They threatened to encircle the posts at Hannebeek Wood and the posts were ordered to retire to the West bank of the Hanebeek. S.O.S. signals and pigeons were sent up and another feeble barrage was put down. It was followed by a heavy barrage all along the ridge, which halted the German counterattacks at 5 p.m.
The Battalion held the line and was relieved by the Scottish rifles at 11 p.m. The attack had been an utter failure. Although the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment had reached Anzac Ridge, they had been forced back to their jump-off line along with the rest of the 8th Division.
Lance Corporal Louis Stephen Stead was killed in action on the 16th of August 1917. He was buried at J.3.a.50.55 on the Anzac Ridge near Garter Point. After the war his remains were reinterred in Buttes New British Cemetery.
The 8th Division participated in the Battle of Langemarck on August 16, 1917. It attacked in the direction of Zonnebeke, between Polygon Wood and the Ypres-Roulers railroad, with the 23rd Brigade on the left and the 25th Brigade on the right. The attack of the 23rd Brigade was carried by the 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment on the right and the 2nd Middlesex on the left; the 2nd Scottish Rifles were in support. The 2nd West Yorks advanced in two waves on a three company frontage. “A” company on the right, “B” in the centre and “C” on the left. “D” company supplied a platoon of moppers up, to clear pockets of resistance after the initial waves had passed. Their objective, the Green Line, was the Anzac Ridge, West of the ruins of Zonnebeke.
At zero hour, 4.45 a.m. a barrage was put down. It was immediately replied by the German artillery, which shelled the allied line. The men followed the creeping barrage without encountering serious resistance. The Battalion encountered two machine guns, still hot from firing, in Hanebeek Wood. Their crew, either killed or wounded, were lying about. Victims of the barrage. The advance was continued towards the Anzac Ridge. Louis’ battalion, reached their objective on the ridge, but the situation became dire. The line was very weak and no troops were seen on either flank of the battalion. The advance of the 2nd Middlesex had been checked, due to heavy machinegun fire from German positions on the railway embankment and from Potsdam, a German stronghold on the other side of the railroad.
The German machine gunners on the left started targeting the 2nd West Yorks and the battalion pulled back a bit. At 9.30 a.m. large numbers of Germans were seen coming down the ridge. This full scale counterattack forced the battalion back. Posts were formed up just East of Hanebeek Wood. S.O.S. flares were sent up from battalion headquarters, as the German counterattack threatened to break through the lines. No response what so ever took place for about 45 minutes, till a very ragged barrage was put down on the Anzac Ridge. This didn’t stop the Germans and at 3.30 a.m. the Germans launched a new counterattack on the battalion’s right. They threatened to encircle the posts at Hannebeek Wood and the posts were ordered to retire to the West bank of the Hanebeek. S.O.S. signals and pigeons were sent up and another feeble barrage was put down. It was followed by a heavy barrage all along the ridge, which halted the German counterattacks at 5 p.m.
The Battalion held the line and was relieved by the Scottish rifles at 11 p.m. The attack had been an utter failure. Although the 2nd Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment had reached Anzac Ridge, they had been forced back to their jump-off line along with the rest of the 8th Division.
Lance Corporal Louis Stephen Stead was killed in action on the 16th of August 1917. He was buried at J.3.a.50.55 on the Anzac Ridge near Garter Point. After the war his remains were reinterred in Buttes New British Cemetery.
Sources 5
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Sources utilisées |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/480462/stead,-/ Sources utilisées |
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Mc Carthy C., Passchendaele Day-by-Day account, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, London, pp. 50-53. Sources utilisées |
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Naval and Military Archives http://www.nmarchive.com/ Sources utilisées |
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The Long Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources utilisées |