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21st (Service 6th City Pals) Battalion.

Started by Steve Zodiac, August 23, 2012, 12:42:35 AM

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Steve Zodiac

Hello,

My name is Brian and I am researching my family history. I'm trying to find out more information about one of my great-uncle who died in the Great War whilst serving with the 21st (Service 6th City Pals) Battalion. His details are as follows:

Name: Bellis.E
Rank:Private
Service No: 33891
Date of Death: 29/03/1917
Regiment/Service: Manchester Regiment 21st Bn.
Grave Reference: Sp. Mem. 6.
Cemetery: MORY STREET MILITARY CEMETERY, ST. LEGER

I wondered if anybody could provide any insights into how I can discover when he enlisted & how & where he died.
As the date of his death was 29th March 1917, I wondered is there a war diary entry for that date ?Any information you can provide to aid my enquiry would be most appreciated.

Thank you in anticipation.

tonyrod

#1
HI BRIAN, welcome to the forum, to start off you would need his army records to find when he went over, or his medal card, but the dates where not always used in 1916  on medal cards,  I cannot find him on the 21 battalion  photo's,  two sets of pension records on ancestry for a Edward Bellis  ,well worth looking at,

21st Service Battalion 6th City

Formed in Manchester on 13 November 1914 by the Lord Mayor and City. Moved to Morecambe in January 1915.
April 1915 : moved to Grantham and placed under command of 91st Brigade in 30th Division. Moved to Larkhill in September 1915.
Early November 1915 : landed at Boulogne.
20 December 1915 : Brigade transferred to 7th Division.
November 1917 : moved with Division to Italy.
13 September 1918 : left Division and returned to France. On arrival joined 7th Brigade in 25th Division.

http://www.1914-1918.net/7div.htm

91st Brigade   
Brigade transferred from 30th Division in exchange for 21st Brigade on 20 December 1915
21st Bn, the Manchester Regt   left September 1918
22nd Bn, the Manchester Regt   
1/4th Bn, the Cameron Highlanders   left January 1916
2nd Bn, the Queen's   joined December 1915
1st Bn, the South Staffordshire Regt   joined December 1915
91st Machine Gun Company   formed 14 March 1916
left to move into 7th MG Battalion 1 April 1918
91st Trench Mortar Battery   formed May 1916



Location Information
St Leger is is between Arras and Bapaume. The Cemetery is at the south end of the village on the road to Mory, the D36E.


Historical Information
Mory and St. Leger were occupied by Commonwealth troops in the middle of March 1917. They were lost after obstinate defence by the 40th and 34th Divisions a year after and recaptured towards the end of the following August, after severe fighting, by the 62nd (West Riding) and Guards Division.

The first Commonwealth burials were made in Mory Street Military Cemetery in 1917. The cemetery was once considerably larger, but 48 German and certain French graves were later removed.

The cemetery now contains 66 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. Five of the burials are unidentified and six graves graves destroyed by shell fire or removed after the Armistice are now represented by special memorials.

enjoy your stay, tonyrod

timberman

Hi Brian
Welcome to the forum

His entry in the soldiers that died

Name:    Edward Bellis
Birth Place:    Hanley, Staffs
Residence:    West Gorton, Lancs
Death Date:    29 Mar 1917
Death Location:    France & Flanders
Enlistment Location:    Manchester
Rank:    Private
Regiment:    Manchester Regiment
Battalion:    21st Battalion
Number:    33891
Type of Casualty:    Killed in action
Theatre of War:    Western European Theatre

He's listed in the roll of honour for the 21st Battalion.

Taken from the book The 21st Battalion The Manchester Regiment by Captain Robert Bonner

On the 27th the battalion marched back to Courcelles.
Arriving at about 2am on the 28th, the morning was spent in cleaning up, but
at 4pm sudden orders were given to return to the trenches and at 7pm
the battalion marched to St. Leger and took up a position by the Crucifix. There
was considerable enemy activity on the 29th and the position was heavily
shelled during the afternoon. The Battalion had further casualties
5 killed
4 wounded
7 missing
The 1st RWF relieved at midnight and the Manchester's marched back to
Courcelles.

Hope this helps

Timberman

mack

#3
33891 edward bellis
enlisted 31-1-16
aged 24
posted to 3rd manchesters 7-3-16
drafted to 21st manchesters in france 24-8-16
grocers assistant
born hanley,staffs
33 elizabeth st,west gorton,manchester
parents,thomas+ann
possibly killed by shell fire on 29-3-17

mack.
ps,his older brother thomas was pte 1604/214524 east lancs ASC,territorial force

mack ;D

mack

in a reply to a enquiry from his mother,the recording officer told her that a special cross bearing his name and regimental details has been erected but the exact location of his grave in the cemetery is unknown,a shell had destroyed his grave and those of his mates who were killed with him.

sgt 40574 stanley bates
cpl 40147 david little
pte reginald,william pugh[reggie]

the 5th man killed that day,was pte 37659 frank shaw,hes buried in st.leger cemetery

mack ;D