Current Information:

Born-Peckham

Preseau Communal Cemetery, France

During the first two days of November, 1918, the British Third and First Armies captured the town of Valenciennes on the River Schelde. The town was full of refugees and French inhabitants which ruled out an artillery bombardment and as the houses on the eastern bank of the Schelde were bristling with machine-guns, a frontal infantry assault was out of the question. Instead it was decided to turn the town from the south where the Third Army had already crossed the Schelde and at the same time First Army would encircle it from the north in a pincer movement. The plan succeeded and by 3rd November the Germans had evacuated the town and were falling back to the River Sambre.

At 5.30 am on 1st November on Third Army front, 4th Division attacked with the 1st Rifle Brigade and the 1st Hampshire battalions of 11 Brigade. Their objective was the village of Présau, a couple of miles to the south-east of Valenciennes. Advancing behind a strong artillery barrage they were soon across the River Rhonelle and before long 1st Rifle Brigade had taken Présau. But things did not continue so smoothly. The Germans brought up a fresh division and at 9.30 am they made a strong counter-attack which forced back the two battalions of 11 Brigade as well as the units on their flanks who had also been part of the advance. The enemy re-occupied Présau but were unable to regain any more lost ground. The line stabilised and at midnight 1st Rifle Brigade were relieved and moved back 1000 yards for a few hours. 12 Brigade renewed the attack the following day, 2nd November, and 1st Rifle Brigade moved up in support of them. That night they were relieved and moved back to Haspres. This operation had been their final act of the war and it cost them nearly three hundred casualties. One of these was James Collins who was killed in action on 1st November.