1st/6th Battalion War Diary
October 13th - Wednesday - Vermelles: The 46th (North Midland) Division having been ordered to capture Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse No. 8, the 137th Brigade carrying out the right attack. The Battalion [1/6th South Staffs Regt] was formed as follows: A & C Companies in the front line of assembly trenches, and with two companies of the 1/6th North Staffs Regt forming the 3rd line, and were ordered to follow the 2nd line at 200 paces distance and carry R.E. materials, the other two companies B & D with 1/6th North Staffs Regt forming the fourth line and ordered to at once follow the third line and occupy Dump Trench on the frontage allotted to the Brigade.
The attack was covered by a two hour artillery bombardment commencing at 12 noon, gas was used at 1pm, also smoke shells which at times completely hid the points of attack.
Enemy machine guns were heard ranging on our assembly trenches at 1.30pm & 1.45pm which was notified to Brigade Headquarters.
Having received no message that our front line had not been able to advance, and not being able to see their position for smoke, the two companies forming the third line followed the second line and suffered very heavy casualties.
The fourth line then advanced and also suffered from Machine Gun fire from the direction of South Face. All that remained of the 3rd line reached our fire trench between point 87 & 89 to assist the 5th South Staffs Regt to hold that position until this battalion was ordered to retire at noon on the 14th. END
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour
BEAUFORT, OSTCLIFFE HAROLD, 2nd Lieutenant, 1/6th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment (T.F.), 2nd son of John William Beaufort, Managing Director of Messrs. Elliott & Fry, Ltd., of 55-56, Baker Street, W., by his wife, Lucy Anne, daughter of John Ostcliffe; b. Birmingham, 20 Oct. 1893; educated Wellington College, Salop, and Birmingham University where he was for several years a member of the O.T.C.; gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant to the 1/6th Staffords, 26 Aug. 1914, went to the front Feb. 1915, was wounded in Aug. 1915, and afterwards appointed Brigade Grenade Officer, and was killed in the fighting for the Hohenzollern Redoubt, 13 Oct. 1915; unmarried.
Writing to his brother on the previous day, he said: "We attack to-morrow afternoon, hold the new trenches all night and get relieved the next night. If I see these three days through all will be well, and leave will be granted."
His Colonel wrote: "He was a very good and reliable officer, never sparing himself, and doing everything to the best of his ability"; and his Major: "He came to the Regiment a stranger, but very soon endeared himself to everyone. He was a most efficient officer, and any duty given him was done in a most satisfactory manner."
A brother officer, writing to his father, gave the following interesting account of the fighting that day: "He, Beaufort, was killed in the trenches 2-1/2 miles N.E. of Bethune, 6 miles south of La Bassée. As you know, he was Brigade Grenade Officer, and he was in charge of the bombing party, whose job it was to turn the Germans out of a trench known as 'Big Willie,' which runs south from the Hohenzollern Redoubt. He and his party were in part of 'Big Willie,' which our division held, and he commenced bombing it simultaneously with the charge. They made good headway, but the attack was driven back.
Harold commenced to go back along a communication trench to issue further orders to the N.C.Os. in charge of the Brigade Store, when a high explosive shrapnel shell burst close beside him. The brass nose cap and time fuse, a piece of metal about the size of a cricket ball, hit him in the right breast and came out of the left shoulder blade, killing him instantaneously. He was buried in the rear of the trenches, along with four other brave officers who fell. The time was about 2.20 p.m. on Wednesday, 13 Oct. 1915.
The arrangement for the supply of bombs and grenades was excellent, but Harold had not reckoned with the attack failing. His orders were for the Brigade Store to be transferred to 'Big Willie' when the German front line was taken. It was not taken, and Harold was afraid that all the bombs would be brought up, as in the excitement is was very difficult for everyone to know what had happened, and probably his storekeeper would imagine that we had succeeded. If the bombs had been sent up it is very likely that a German grenade would have dropped on them and detonated the lot. To save this loss, which could not have been replaced under at least an hour, Harold went back and met his death. He had done a very good work; he was in front of his men, throwing bombs and encouraging the others, and without a doubt was the means of keeping the bombers together.
Only three of his party got out safely, and they cannot say anything good enough about him; they say he was marvellous. Enclosed is a rough map of the trenches. Harold was at A bombing to the left. The battalion were in the trench marked B, and they charged across the open to 'Big Willie.' I was at C with the machine guns covering Harold's party. We two were isolated from the battalion during the attack, so I don't think there is another officer who could tell you more than I can, except N. C. Joseph, who was the battalion bombing officer, and he lies now at the Bournbrook Hospital with a broken jaw and a bullet in each leg. We have heard from him, and he writes it will be about ten weeks before he is able to speak, but he could write you and give fuller particulars, as he was with Harold all the time. By 4 p.m. Thursday, 14 Oct. the Hohenzollern Redoubt and 'Big Willie' were entirely in our hands, at the cost of about 170 officers and 4,000 men."
