Current Information:

Born-Poplar

Dranouter Churchyard, Belgium

On 24th March, 1915, the 1st Welsh battalion of 84 Brigade, 28th Division moved into the trenches at Dranoutre in Belgium where they remained until relieved on 28th March. John Hayes was killed here on 27th March but the battalion diary provides no further information concerning his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.