2/Lt Conrad Stark from Somerset

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Commissioned into the 2/6th Battalion and was captured on the 21st March 1918 during the first day of the ‘Kaiserschlacht’ – the German Spring Offensive – and he provides one of the best personal accounts of the ‘last stand’ of the 2/6th Battalion

Many thanks to Conrad’s Grandson Jonathan for sending the transcript of his diary and the photographs

Conrad (centre front row) with fellow Officers in Graudenz Officers POW Camp 1918

Conrad was born in October 1886 in Wellington, Somerset. By 1911 he was living in Kensington and was a Clerk for the Excel Company Ltd, which at that time was a textile wholesaler.

Conrad enlisted into the London Regiment in November 1915 and arrived in France in October 1916 and was posted to the 1/12th (County of London) Battalion (The Rangers). He was later transferred to the 13th Royal Irish Rifles in December 1916. Conrad was subsequently granted a Commission in August 1917 and was attached to the 2/6th Battalion Sherwood Foresters.

Medal Index Card and Medal Role showing Conrad’s entitlement to the British War and Victory Medals; interestingly his service with the 2/6th Battalion is not recored on the medal roll.

The Kaiserschlacht – March 1918

Deployment of the 178th Brigade and locations of the only men whose bodies were recovered after the War

March 19th 1918

“Returned from leave and after walking most of the day eventually reached our transport lines, since leaving same two weeks before, they had moved, hence my trouble in finding same. Had some tea and about five set off for the line, our battalion at the time holding the front line. Had a very stiff job to find same refusing a guide. Walked through several piles of mud & it was raining all the time.”

“Arrived at CHQ [Letter C Company] about 9:30 pm wet hungry and tired, was lucky enough to find Peter (our cook) in good form and soon had a nice meal in front of me, was given no duty that night so managed a decent night’s sleep. Stood to at 0500 & later took a tour of the line, can truthfully say that never had I been in such an impossible or dangerous piece of line to have to hold, the map was useless and we seemed to have posts covering each other.”

“Anyhow as we hoped to be relieved on the Friday I minded very little, still got a pretty good idea of the line during Wednesday March 20th and did two spells of duty, my late one luckily being from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m; during that time heard some weird noises in the enemy’s line, whilst posting a listening post in “No Man’s Land”, reported same to my O.C. on returning; we thought possibly owing to the amount of rain the enemy was repairing his trenches, (next day we knew different). Was informed by O.C. that they had seen movement in enemy lines, also our planes reported guns in the open, still was not much impressed by that as the general impression seemed that they were dummies to draw our fire. Was relieved at 11p.m. and after a cup of coffee turned in; was awakened at 5.10 a.m. to hear the sound of guns going. “Stood to” and soon realised the enemy was shelling our back area very heavily. About 0550 we smelt gas and had orders to give the warning to the men, by this time the shells began to fall occasionally near our own line. It is a beastly feeling being shelled with a gas helmet on.”

“At 06:30 our line was being heavily shelled especially with trench mortars; could stand my gas helmet on no longer. Could not somehow or other get the impression that the enemy was likely to come over. Breakfast was by this time nearly ready but felt precious little need for same.”

“Received orders about 7:30 a.m. to visit Mr. Nuttall’s post [2/Lt Harry Nuttall from Walsall; repatriated in November 1918]. The trench was much knocked about; in places nearly level. Found no men on duty (4 buried) and the entrance to the dugout almost closed, managed to call through to Nuttall and found him alright. Ordered him to post another sentry although I could see the folly of same. Was buried twice on my return journey to CHQ and began to feel a trifle windy; later was ordered to visit the post again; found the sentry again missing, spoke to Nuttall and agreed on the silliness of posting another man; told my O.C. so on returning. It was now nearly 8:30 a.m. and all the time the enemy’s barrage was terrific and “No Man’s Land” was covered with smoke. Could not see 60 yards in front of you. Our trenches by now were quite leveled and the artillery fire was still as intense as ever. At 9.05 a.m. reported the enemy coming over on the 2/5 front [positioned to the rear of the 2/6th Battalion and in reserve near Noreuil]. They were on our right; sent up the SOS signal and knew our own time was coming. About five minutes passed then the enemy advanced on our front.”

“Response to our signals was not great except machine gun fire which was pretty heavy.” 

“Collected my platoon and put up as good a show as possible, the mist and dust making accurate shooting impossible. We were very quickly surrounded and our lines became too hot to hold from crossfire. Retired to our support line; shall never know how I reached same untouched, was walking through our own and the enemy’s barrage. Had a great number of casualties whilst crossing. On reaching support managed to put up a show there but was surrounded about 9:40 a.m. and taken prisoner about 45 minutes after the enemy left his front line.”

“Precious little notice was taken of me as I crossed our old line and thence into his lines. The sights on the way were very trying. Casualties were very heavy with the enemy advancing and our troops going back as prisoners. I walked to Cagnicourt and reached the first cage there about 15:30. Had previously spent over 2 hours in a German dug out and was given two cigarettes and some black bread I was quite unable to touch (nearly lost my trench coat here). God spare me such sights again.”

Conrad’s fellow Officers of the 2/6th Battalion that were killed in action, wounded or made prisoners of war

Staged photograph of the German assault

Red Cross enquiry by Conrad’s wife May (who he married in August 1917) with a reference to Conrad’s mother Louisa and a telegraph confirming Conrad’s internment in Graudenz POW camp

Internment in Graudenz Officers POW Camp 1918

Conrad was interned in Graudenz POW Camp for Officers – see here for more pictures.

Conrad with a group of fellow Officers in Graudenz POW Camp

A drawing by Conrad in June 1918 showing the barracks that he was housed in – note the similarity of the beds with the previous photograph

Repatriation in December 1918

Railway Warrant for Conrad’s journey to Sunderland authorised by the Officer I/c of the POW Reception Centre in Ripon

Following his repatriation from imprisonment and a Court of Enquiry, Conrad wrote the following for a War Ministry Confidential report of 1/9/1919

2nd Lieutenant Conrad Stark C Company 2/6 Sherwood Foresters, 178 Brigade, 59th Division.

Captured at Riencourt, near Bullecourt.

I joined the above unit at place mentioned on returning from leave, 20th March 1918. My company was holding front line position. The enemy attacked on the morning of 21st March 2018 after heavily bombarding our line. My orders were to hold on to same, which I did with my platoon, until enemy entered our trench and took prisoners, myself and what few men remained alive. No other officers were actually taken with me but several arrived at our first stopping place later in the day.

Conrad’s two running medals from Regimental Sports held in 1916 (LRB vs QVR) when he was a Rifleman and before Officer selection in 1917. Before the war he was a well known athlete in London and regularly competed at Crystal Palace

20951 Pte Herbert Seagrave, a 31 year old cola miner from Bulwell in Nottinghamshire

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Served (December 1914 – July 1917) with the 4th, 2nd and 1st Battalions and was wounded on the Somme in July 1916

Enlisted into the Sherwood Foresters in December 1914

Herbert was born in 1884 in Basford the son of Isaac and Mary Seagrave. By 1901 he had married Mary and in 1911 they were living at 90 Merchant Street with their four children; Florry, John, Harold and Mable. Herbert was a coal miner hewer.

On the 19th December Herbert enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters at Nottingham aged 31. He was given the Regimental number 20941 and was posted initially to the Depot and then the 4th Battalion based in Sunderland as part of the Tyne Garrison.

France: August 1915 – January 1916

Following training Herbert arrived in France on the 17th August 1915 and was posted to the 2nd Battalion. He returned home on 13th January 1916 suffering from myalgia, which he had contracted in November 1915 due to ‘cold and exposure’ in the trenches.

France: April 1916 – July 1916

In April 1916 Herbert returned to France and was posted to the 1st Battalion. He suffered a gun shot wound to the back on the 6th July during the attack on Ovillers-la-Boisselle and returned to Hospital in England on 8th July 1916.

Herbert was discharged in July 1917 after spending time recovering in Nottingham’s Military Hospital. He received a pension for 12 months.

Medals and Awards

Herbert was entitled to the 1914-15 Trio and a Silver War Badge.

After the War Herbert returned to Bulwell and worked as a coal miner stall hand, with his eldest son John, at Bestwood Colliery. Herbert died in 1962.

Bestwood Colliery was a historically significant Nottinghamshire mine, becoming the first in the world to produce 1 million tons of coal in a single year. Operating from the 19th century until its closure, the site was crucial for industrial and domestic supply, and it was integrated with the Bestwood Coal and Iron Company

43939 Pte Charles Thomas Lamming, a farm labourer from Brinbrook in Lincolnshire

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Served with the 20th (Labour) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters and later with the 166th Labour Company

Charles was born on 20th October 1890 in Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire, the son of George and Kate Lamming. In the 1911 census he was married to Martha with one son James and was a farm labourer. Charles and Martha lived in Binbrook, which is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire.

Service with the 20th (Labour) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters

Charles was posted to the 20th Battalion in April 1916 and given the regimental number 43939. He was one of many men from the Lincolnshire Regiment that were transferred between April and May 1916.

Unfortunately, there is very little information available about the 20th Battalion, but they formed in Derby in May 1916 and landed in France in June 1916 joining the 5th Army. They entrained at Bailleul for Acheux on the 4th August and worked in the Albert, Contay, Senlis areas.

Between 1st July 1916 and 11th March 1917 they suffered 11 men kill or died of wounds, many of whom were from Lincolnshire.

Service with the Labour Corps

In April 1917 the 20th Battalion were transferred to the Labour Corps as the 28th and 29th Labour Companies, which were original companies formed under Army Council Instruction 611 of 1917.

[Info from Soldiers Died in the Great War and The Long, Long Trail and also here]

Charle’s new regimental number of 17055 indicates that he first served with the 29th Labour Company.

At some point Charles was transferred to the 166th Coy Labour Corps and was wounded on 28th September 1918 (cont. knee R).

Post war

In the 1921 Census Charles is living with Martha in Binbrook with their 9 year old son George Walter.

Charles died in Louth in the spring of 1970.

Final thoughts

Without a trip to the National Archives in t’smoke I’ve found very little about the 20th (Labour) Battalion. For example, what Brigade and Division were they attached to and if a War Diary Exists. The Labour Corps Companies were not required to keep a War Diary so that information is missing and the Medal Rolls do not recored the specific Battalion that the men were transfered from. Therefore, there are few records of men that served with the 20th Battalion, those that exist are records of men that died while serving with the 20th Battalion or were awarded a Silver War Badge.

When Charles was wounded/injured in 1918 for some obscure reason it was recorded that he had served with the 20/N&D – I therefore think that this makes this BWM/VM Pair quite an interesting and perhaps rare collectable.

I was going to sell them on, but not anymore.

241695 Pte Frank Isaac Shimwell, a farm worker from Birchover

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Enlisted in January 1916; served with the 2/6th Battalion in Ireland and France; Transferred to the London Regiment in August 1918; Served as a stretcher bearer and was wounded in 1918.

Many thanks to Belinda (Frank’s grand daughter) for kindly sending the photographs and her family memories.

1916-1918

Frank attested in January 1916 into the 3/6th Battalion – most likely through the Derby Scheme. He was transferred to the 2/6th Battalion and served during the Easter Rising.

Frank arrived in France with 2/6th Battalion (178th Bde/59th Division) in February 1917 and would have fought through all the major battles, including 3rd Ypres (Passchendale) in September 1917, Cambria in December 1917 and the Kaiserschlacht on the 21st March 1918.

In August 1918 he was transferred to the 1/24th (County of London) Battalion (The Queen’s) when the 2/6th Battalion were reduced to Cadre.

Frank was wounded in late summer 1918 near Bapaume on the Somme, which was reported in the 19th October issue of the Derbyshire Times. It would therefore seem plausible that he was wounded in September/early October. The 1/24th (County of London) Battalion (The Queen’s) were heavily engaged on the 8th – 10th September at Bouchavesnes in the Somme District and suffered numerous casualties- it is likely that Frank was wounded at this time.

Post war and numerous citations for bravery

After the War Frank served in the Derbyshire Police rising to the rank of Inspector and won numerous awards for bravery.

1971 in York

1973 Belgium Day Parade in London

“Grandpa did receive medals for commendations – he saved a woman from her burning house then went back in and saved her dog who was hiding under the kitchen table.  As he was with the police in rural Derbyshire he also rescued sheep for farmers from a river and from down an old mine shaft – so he had a range of medals”

“He left a note of the Key to his Medal Ribbons which I had transcribed and have attached – he also volunteered with the St John Ambulance Brigade for many years”

“Amongst mum’s things I found the attached newspaper cutting and photo – I presume they go together?  And the cutting gives an all round summary of his achievements – his daughter ‘Jane’ who is mentioned was my mother”

5853/242090 Pte Arthur Frank Shepherd – a market butcher from Bethnal Green

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Attested in December 1915; One of the Derby Scheme ‘London Men’; Served inmates Ireland; Survived the War and was discharged in November 1918; Died in Summer of 1968.

Photograph taken at Curragh Camp towards the end of 1916

Pre-War

Arthur lived with his wife Mary Ann at 29 Strahan Road in Bethnal Green

Attestation and Service in Ireland

Frank attested in December 1915 and was mobilised in October 1916. It’s likely that he was one of the Derby Scheme ‘London Men’ that were posted to the 2/6th – see here.

He served for a few weeks in Ireland before the Battalion moved to Fovant in early 1917.

Active Service in France from early 1917

Very little is known about Arthur’s service in France. It is possible that at some point he was wounded and transferred to the 2nd Battalion after recovery.

Arthur was discharged on the 11th November 1918 due to ‘sickness’ and was awarded a Silver War Badge along with his British War and Victory Medal.