Current Information:

Age-20

28 Lesley Street, Barnsbury

Lapugnoy Military Cemetery, France

The Battle of Loos

This battle, fought by the British Army from 25th September, 1915 through to 13th October, was conducted along a six-and-a-half-mile front running north from the mining village of Loos on the outskirts of Lens in Northern France. It was the largest offensive carried out by the British so far in the war. The opening day involved an attack by six divisions, with others entering the fray as it progressed and it was part of a much wider offensive with the French launching their own attacks in Champagne and at Vimy. It was the first time that the British used gas during the war, despite their condemnation of the Germans for doing the same in April 1915. There were some encouraging results on the first day but no major breakthrough was achieved and in the successive days the offensive became mired in trench warfare. By mid-October the battle had petered out with the British having suffered over 60,000 casualties during its course.

47th Division were involved in the attack on the village of Loos on the first day of the battle and on 27th September, 1915, whilst the Guards were attacking Hill 70, the bombers of 141 Brigade, 47th Division, including those of 19th London attacked Chalk Pit Copse and the German strongpoint, Stützpunkt 69 which lay astride the Lens-Bethune road. This attack was preceded by a devastating bombardment and the outcome was a complete success with both objectives being in British hands by the evening and with relatively few British casualties. Private Smith died of wounds on 28th September, 1915, and it is likely he was one of the many wounded during this period in the front line.