Current Information:

Age-22

121, Brondesbury Road, Queen's Park

On 31st August, 1917, 17th West Yorkshire of 106 Brigade, 35th Division, were holding the front line around Gillemont Farm, midway between the villages of Lempire and Bony to the south of Cambrai, when at 4.50am the enemy opened up a heavy artillery barrage on the farm and on the Knoll, a small hill to the northeast of the farm. Following this bombardment the Germans then rushed the Knoll and entered the trenches on both of its flanks and in the resulting confusion, with communications severed, the Germans captured the Knoll. The British responded with their own barrage of the Knoll and at 9.20am a company of 17th West Yorkshire counter attacked. But by now the Germans were well ensconced and their effort failed. It had been a costly affair for 17th West Yorkshire who sustained over one hundred casualties on the day, one of whom was Cecil Lachlan.