100 years since the day the men of
ON a shaded track just off the D1044 in France, between the villages of Bellicourt and Bellenglese, stand two adamantine lumps of concrete. Past these Great War German blockhouses is a brick pillar attached to which, until September 2018, was a commemorative metal plaque, commissioned 25 years ago by the Western Front Association. Beyond the pillar, stretched 60 feet above the barely-moving turquoise water of the St Quentin Canal is the “one-lane bridge” of Pont Riqueval, built in the time of Napoleon.
At the end of last month, there was an unveiling of a new WFA memorial (to replace the vandalised one) for what Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1918 described as, “the greatest chapter in British military history” – the storming of the St Quentin Canal and capture of the Riqueval Bridge by the ‘terriers’ of the South and North Staffordshire Regiment Battalions Territorial Force of the 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade.
WFA Wolverhampton Branch members Richard Pursehouse and Lee Dent along with two friends Alan Tranter and Stacey Plant on the morning of Saturday, 29 September, dashed from Cannock, across by ferry, for the ceremony. The journey was on, off, on, off then finally on again – there and back in a day!
On 29 September, 2018, a beautiful, crisp sunny afternoon 100 years to the day since the successful action across and over the canal, there was a dignified re-dedication of a replacement memorial, again organised by the WFA. Present were the WFA Trustees’ Chairman Colin Wagstaff, Honorary Vice-president of the WFA Professor Gary Sheffield from Wolverhampton University, staff from the Staffordshire Regiment Museum including Major Jim Massey, Sarah Elsom DL and Danielle Crozier the Museum Curator. Also present were Olivia Smith from the Commonwaelth War Graves Commission, the mayor of Bellenglese, and former Staffordshire Regiment Brigadier Jim Tanner, who earlier in the day had conducted a battlefield tour of Riqueval and Gommecourt on the Somme.
Unveiled
After Brigadier Jim Tanner was invited to explain the significance of the successful capture of the bridge, the new plaque was unveiled by Cathy Stephenson who had been present at the previous ceremony 25 years ago.
Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Western Front Association, two from the Canadian relatives of North Staffs officer Captain Humphrey Charlton (one by sea cadet Sam Charlton), the Royal British Legion, the Staffordshire Regiment Association, the Chase Project and Wolverhampton Western Front Association.
The next day (Sunday 30th), BBC TV national news featured Dr Spencer Jones, Wolverhampton University senior lecturer in War Studies and member/ speaker of the Wolverhampton WFA branch, who discussed the importance of the battle and also how crucial the capture of the bridge had been that day. A few hours later, there was another ceremony at the Riqueval Bridge where over 200 people attended.
The short ceremony over, those present milled about taking photographs and recounting memories of their relatives. Two grandsons of Lieutenant Barron chatted with Terry Leadbeater, the son of Private Frederick John Leadbeater from Rugeley, who had been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions that day. Terry was introduced by Danielle, Richard and Lee (who live about a mile from Terry) to the 11 Canadian relatives of Captain Charlton and the great nephew of Corporal Ernest James Tyrer (bar to his Military Medal that day), Lieutenant Colonel Mark Bailey RAMC, who is on the staff at Birmingham University. Terry Leadbeater was taken aback that Richard and Lee knew where his father had lived in Rugeley – and also that he had been presented with a gold watch by Rugeley Urban District Council, which he did not know about.
Danielle, Richard and Lee are appealing on behalf of Terry if readers of the Bugle can help trace his father’s medals and the watch.
Private Frederick John Leadbeater [Army number 241201] from Rugeley, in the 1/6th Battalion North Staffs, was awarded the DCM for his actions on one of the wooden footbridges below the Riqueval Bridge on the 29 September, 1918. Terry explained that having got over the wooden footbridge he joined up with Captain Charlton.
The Lichfield Mercury announced the award:
“Rugeley Soldier Wins DCM. Pte Frederick John Leadbeater, 48 Sheep Fair, Rugeley, has been awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his gallant conduct on September 29th last. The official report states:“near Bellenglise, during our advance over the St. Quentin Canal, on Sept. 29th, 1918, Private Leadbeater dashed over a foot bridge which he found on the canal, and was fired on from behind by a German, who came out of cover with the obvious intention of destroying the bridge. Private Leadbeater at once rushed and killed the enemy and remained on guard on the bridge until the others had crossed. His initiative and coolness set a high example throughout the advance.” newspaper
Volunteered
“Private Leadbeater volunteered on July 22nd 1915 at the age of 18 years, and joined the l/6th North Staffordshire Regiment, to which the Rugeley Territorials were attached. He went out to France in the October following, and has served continuously until last December, when he was demobilised to work in the mines. He is a son of Mr and Mrs John Leadbeater, of Sheep Fair, Rugeley, and previous to joining the Army was employed by the Earl of Shrewsbury’s Brereton Collieries Ltd. His father, who is an old soldier, served for 3 ½ years in this war until he was invalided home and discharged in August 1917. He also served in the South African War.”
The battle had not been easy. The day before, on the morning of 28 September, the Germans counterattacked the positions held by the 1/5th South Staffs, and D Company 1/6th North Staffs under the command of Captain F. John Newton MC [from Red House, Rugeley], which held firm while the other outpost company [of 1/5th South] was forced to withdraw. Second Lieutenant Arthur J. Musgrove of the 1/5th South Staffs, from 51 Eldon Street, Walsall, was later awarded the Military Cross for rallying troops during the German counter attack. As ammunition ran out the men resorted to using German rifles, and one German machine gun was brought into action by Private Bertie Mountford (a clerk from Victoria Terrace, Stafford). That night captured German prisoners stated the bridge was still intact but the defences were “impregnable”. However, nobody had thought to tell that to the men of Staffordshire.
The attack was launched the next morning by Brigadier General John ‘Tally Ho VC’ Campbell sounding his silver hunting horn, the haunting notes heard through the fog by the men of the three Staffordshire Territorial Force battalions.
As Acting Captain Arthur Humphrey Charlton neared the stone Riqueval bridge he was informed by one of his men that it was still intact and he led B Company of the 1/6th North Staffs to the canal cutting. Charlton attacked one machine gun with a party of nine men, capturing