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Please let's spare a thought today for all those soldiers who died exactly 100 years ago today. The media seemed to have largely forgotten this momentous day when Germany launched their spring offensive along many miles of the western front in France at 4am on 21st March 1918. Thousands of soldiers on both sides were lost.
 
My Grandfather Harold Aaron Priestley was serving with the 2nd 6th South Staffordshire Regiment. He was just to the east of the village of Bullecourt in France occupying a section of the Hindenburg Line having been moved there 2 days previously on the 19th March. The Germans had spent months planning a major attack with many battle hardened German soldiers who had been fighting on the Russian front joining their colleagues on the western front after Russia signed a peace agreement with Germany following the October Revolution.
 
The German attack began at 4am with very heavy shelling with both gas and high explosive shells continuing until 8am. The South Staffordshire Regimental war diary records that following the shelling the enemy advanced in mass formation exposing the flanks and capturing the front line. 23 officers and 600 (charmingly referred to as ) ordinary ranks were killed. Harold was one of the dead. Whether he was killed in the artillery bombardment, gassed or in the hand to hand fighting that ensued we will never know but he fell on that patch of French soil. His body was never recovered and there is no known grave. 
His many letters record his ongoing sadness and regret at being separated from his wife and infant son throughout the years he was away at war and his hope and prayers to be spared and return home safely. It's hard to imagine the fear and terror he must have endured in his final moments. The South Staffordshire regiment was pratically wiped out.
 
The Divisional Commander Sir J Aylmer Haldine K.C.B DSO later recorded his admiration and thanks for the very gallant stand made by the Division against overwhelming numbers of the enemy supported by tremendous artillery, his greif at the many casualties and satisfaction of knowing they did their duty in the most trying circumstances as can possibly happen in war.
 
It has long been my intention to be at the location where my grandfather fell on this day, the 100th anniversary of his death. Sadly for a number of practical reasons, health issues and the poor weather I cannot be there. I am overcome with feelings of guilt and regret that I haven't made it but I will visit later this year with my son and grandsons.
Today I will spend some time visiting my grandfathers former homes in Mapperley and Hyson Green where his beloved wife Eva spent the rest of her life a bitter and heart broken widow. I will also visit the church where his name is recorded with all those of the parish that served in that war to end all wars.
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12 hours ago, letsavagoo said:

Please let's spare a thought today for all those soldiers who died exactly 100 years ago today. The media seemed to have largely forgotten this momentous day when Germany launched their spring offensive along many miles of the western front in France at 4am on 21st March 1918. Thousands of soldiers on both sides were lost.

The Germans saw this offensive as their last chance for victory as they knew that before long the American forces would be in the line and when that happened it would be inevitable that the war would be lost.

What I find particularly poignant is that throughout the conflict the number of fallen of all participants who have "no known grave".

For loved ones this must have been traumatic, knowing that they could never visit their gravesite and the most they would ever see would be a name on a monument.

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A huge number of British soldiers were also taken prisoner during this period, including George Henry Ward, Jack's cousin who later lived in Garden Street. He had been on leave for 2 weeks and in late February 1918 had married Emily Phoebe Smith in Lambley parish church. Within days of returning to the front, he was a German POW. Fortunately, he came home safely and went on to be a much loved figure in my young life.

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5 hours ago, Oztalgian said:

The Germans saw this offensive as their last chance for victory as they knew that before long the American forces would be in the line and when that happened it would be inevitable that the war would be lost.

What I find particularly poignant is that throughout the conflict the number of fallen of all participants who have "no known grave".

For loved ones this must have been traumatic, knowing that they could never visit their gravesite and the most they would ever see would be a name on a monument.

Spot on Oztalgian. Gerry was trying to hurry before the yanks got their act together. 

The documents I have show that it was many months, almost a year in fact before my grandmother was officially informed her husband had been killed in action. She hoped he was a prisoner as a friends husband who had been missing for some time earlier in the war turned up as a prisoner. Harold is named on a memorial in Arras. My father visitted and I've been too. When I went the area was frequented by druggies and prostitutes but the Cemetary was well kept as they nearly all are. The letters written by my grandmother to Harold after he had been killed which were returned to her as location unknown are particularly heartbreaking. 

I visitted a German war cemetary while I was out there and found many Jewish German graves alongside their Christian comrades poignant. 

Harold is also named on the organ screen at St Stephens church, Bobbers Mill Road.

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