William Spiers Connell

Killed in Action (leg wound) on the 22/03/1918 at the Battle of St. Quentin (phase of the 1st Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battalion arrived in France in May 1915 and were part of the 183rd Brigade, 61st (2nd South Midland) Division when William fell at the Battle of St. Quentin, This was a phase of the 1st Battles of the Somme, 21st March - 5th April 1918 : After transferring very large forces from the now-collapsed Eastern Front, the German Army commits to a series of large-scale offensives. The first, Operation Michael, strikes the British Fifth and Third Armies. A deep advance is made and inflicts large losses, although the second phase, Operation Mars, at Arras on 28th March, is soon held. In the crisis, the Allies decide at Doullens to appoint French General Foch as co-ordinator, and soon enough, as Generalissimo. Before enough French and British reserves are finally assembled to hold the German advance before it captures the critical railway junctions at Amiens. SEE PHOTOS x 7 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY FEBRUARY - MARCH 1918. The War Diary states Battalion casualties for the 22/03/1918 were - "Officers : 2 Wounded, 4 Missing. Other Ranks : 6 Killed, 37 Wounded, 13 Missing". See photos for a letter written by a German medical student who found William's body on the battlefield. The doctor wrote it in German on the back inside cover of William's British Expeditionary Force bible which he later translated into English. The letter along with William's bible and baton were later received by his mother Mary in Scotland. Many thanks to Audrey Henderson who provided this information and photos of William, his sisters Sarah and Annie and his brother Thomas and their father Robert's Death Certificate (see photos). The full photo of William and the photo and wreath laid at Pozieres Memorial also supplied by Audrey. See photos for William's Medal Index Card, his and his Parents names on the North Lanarkshire (Coatbridge) Electoral Register, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Pozieres Memorial, his name on the Pozieres Memorial Panel List and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge. Finally, see photos for Poppy placed by myself at Pozieres Memorial in July 2023 x 3, Pozieres Cemetery and Memorial taken by myself July in 2023 x 2, William's Pension Record and the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division Order of Battle x 12.