210338 Pte Richard Stopforth British Army 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire from:Liverpool (d.4 May 1916) In April 1916 the 10th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was given a rest. It moved out of the trenches at Hannescamps and moved into billets at Humbercamps where it was inspected by the GOC on April 1st 1916. On April 9th 1916 the battalion marched to Warluzel where it took billets and remained in Warluzel for the rest of the month.
On May 1st 1916 the battalion returned to the front, and after a three-hour march from Warluzel they arrived at billets in Pommier. On May 2nd 1916, they moved into the trenches in a line between Bienvillers, Hannescamps and Foncquevillers. Of the four battalions in the Brigade, the 10th Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was to go into reserve in Bienvillers. However, they were tasked with providing two companies of men to support the 6th Battalion Bedordshire Regiment who were to go forward and man strong-points on the Hannescamps-Mochy road and in the support line behind the Monchy salient. These were the positions much closer to the enemy where the opposing trenches were about 200 yards apart. "C" Company of the 10th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment was tasked to move in support of the Bedfordshire Regiment at the close-support trenches at Monchy Salient. On the morning, May 4th 1916, the enemy started a heavy artillery bombardment. The area of greatest threat to the enemy was the salient around Monchy where the two sides each had a bulge in the line facing the enemy's positions. The artillery concentrated on the Monchy salient and then lifted as the infantry attacked: one officer and one Other Rank killed. That one other rank was Richard Stopforth. The CWGC records that Richard Stopforth died on May 4th 1916. "Soldiers Died in the Great War" (HMSO 1921) recorded that he was killed in action on May 4th. It also showed that only two men of the 10th Battalion died on that date.
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