Edward Stanley Williams, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

Today’s photo is of a section of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. It looks like a few have battle flashes and at least one is wearing a Stretcher Bearer armband. The name on the back is to Stanley Williams.

With a little research, we can tentatively identify the officer in the centre as 2nd Lt. Edward Stanley Williams 3rd Bn. attd. 8th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. Edward was the son of John Charles and Margaret Williams, of Talana Lodge, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He was serving in the Southern Rifles of the South African military before being commissioned into the LNLR. His father applied for his war medals in 1920. He was killed in action on the 3rd of June 1917. He is remembered by the Commonwealth War Grave’s Commission at St. Quentin Cabaret Cemetery. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/444567/williams,-edward-stanley/

The War Diary of the 8th Loyals further explains the circumstances around Edward’s death. The 8th Loyals alongside the rest of the 25th Division we preparing to attack during the Battle of Messines Ridge. Raids to gather information and neutralize enemy strongpoints was the name of the game. Edward Stanley Williams fell trying to recover the body of a fellow officer during one of these actions.

TRENCHES WULVERGHEM SECTOR – JUNE 1

The battalion remained in trenches – our artillery very active.) Nothing else to record.

[June] 2

An enterprise was carried out in conjunction with the 3rd WORCESTER R. on the enemy trenches (NUTMEG TRENCH & NUTMEG RESERVE)

Object: to capture German prisoners and enter German positions in NUTMEG TRENCH and NUTMEG RESERVE

Party taking part in enterprise consisted of 100 men of D Coy. under Capt. S. RAMSAY D.S.O & 2 LT. WILLIAMS

The enterprise by WORCESTER R. consisted of a similar party; their position of assembly & objective being on our Right. This enterprise was successful.

The enterprise carried out by 8/L.N. LANCS did not succeed owing to the party getting into our own barrage & having to retire Capt. RAMSAY who was with the first wave being killed.

2 LT. WILLIAMS subsequently took out a strong patrol with the object of entering German First line & recovering the body of Capt. RAMSAY but the Germans were by this time on the alert & the party could not get far out, 2 LT WILLIAMS was killed on his way back to our lines.

It is very much to be regretted that 2 very valuable officers were thus lost to the Battalion. Total casualties for this operation were otherwise not heavy.[1]