| Regiment | Rank | Service No | Place of Birth | Date of Death | Age | Burial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st North Staffs | Private | 40098 | Coseley | 31 Aug 1918 | 20 | Vis-En-Artois Memorial, France |
Genealogical Data
Birth of Rowland Fellows registered March quarter 1898 at Dudley.
1901 Census
71 High Street, Princes End, Tipton, Staffs.
Edward Fellows (32, Carter at Sheet and Ironplate Works, born Coseley), his wife Hannah Florence (28, born Coseley), and their 3 children: Elias (7, born Coseley), Rowland (3, born Coseley), George Wilkes (1, born Coseley).
1911 Census
71 High Street, Princes End, Tipton, Staffs.
Edward Fellows (43, Carter, born Coseley), his wife Hannah Florence (40, born Coseley), and their 5 children: Elias (17, Clothier’s Errand Boy, born Coseley), Rowland (13, born Coseley), George Wilkes (11, born Coseley), Thomas Darby (5, born Coseley), and Edward (3 months, born Coseley).
Cause of Death
On 20th August 1918, the 1st North Staffs took over a front line sector about half a mile north of Lens in French Flanders. They remained here until relieved on 31st August. This was a relatively quiet tour of the front line, except for a trench raid planned on the 25th August and carried out on the 30th/31st August.
The Operation Order said that the raid on the German trenches (known as Cinnabar Trench) was to take place on 31st August at 00.15hrs. 2 platoons of ‘C’ Company, under the command of 2nd/Lieuts Crawford and Cowden, were to enter the German trenches. The objective was “to capture prisoners, secure identification, kill Germans, and destroy enemy dug-outs”.
The War Diary for the 30th records “Two platoons of ‘C’ Company raided the enemy trenches, no identification was obtained. 2nd/Lieuts Crawford and Cowden were in charge of the party. Our artillery barrage fell short and interfered with the enterprise. Casualties: 2 killed, 1 missing. 4 wounded”. No further mention was made of the raid in the War Diary.
It would seem that the raid was unsuccessful as no mention is made of prisoners, or destruction of dug-outs. It is possible that the North Staffs’ casualties were caused by our own artillery “our artillery barrage fell short”, but we cannot be certain. The 2 men killed and 1 man missing would appear to be the 3 men of the 1st North Staffs recorded as killed on 31st August. They are Privates Ainsworth, Clark and Woodsetton man Rowland Fellows. None of the 3 has a known grave, and they are commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois memorial.
Lest Woodsetton Forget 