Current Information:

Born-King's Cross

Cambrin Churchyard, France

Originally part of 19 Brigade, 1st Middlesex joined 98 Brigade of 33rd Division in November 1915. For the first half of 1916, 33rd Division were holding the line around Loos and La Bassée in northern France before heading south to the Somme. On 8th May, 1916, 1st Middlesex moved into the front line trenches at the notorious brick stacks at Cuinchy where they stayed for five days. At 3.30am on 10th May, the enemy exploded a mine in the brick stacks on the immediate left of 1st Middlesex and later in the day the commander of a South African battalion was killed by a minenwerfer ( a large trench mortar) while being shown around the trenches. At some stage of the day Wallace Watts was killed, but when exactly, is not known.