Current Information:

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.

On 25th September, 1915, 47th (2nd London) Division  attacked on the right of the British line with French troops holding a passive front in front of Lens on their right. They held a 2500 yard front and had as their objectives the great dumps of Fosse 11 and Fosse 12, the Double Crassier and the Loos Crassier.  These were taken but after that progress was held up. 17th London (Poplar & Stepney Rifles) were the support battalion of 141 Brigade and sent one company and their machine-guns to reinforce 20th London whilst the rest of the battalion  moved up to a German communication trench to link 20th London with 18th London.

The battalion diary of 17th London records that at 5pm on 26th September, 1915, due to a retirement of troops on their left, there was a retirement by 141 Brigade back to the German second line but that almost immediately they moved forward again, re-occupied these positions and held them successfully through that night. On this section of the battlefield the fighting was not as intense as the previous day, but nevertheless 17th London suffered a number of casualties, including eight killed. The diary also records that Lieutenant Piercy was killed whilst steadying and rallying the men during the retirement.