Current Information:

Age-21

19, Barnardo Street, Stepney

The Battle of the Aisne 13th September -28 September, 1914

After the Germans were defeated on the Marne they fell back to the River Aisne, closely pursued by both the British and the French. The new German line was a very formidable defensive position. To attack it meant having to cross the Aisne and then climb up a 500 foot high ridge on top of which was the Chemin des Dames, a road that gave the Germans an easy way to move troops along the top of the hills. On 13th September the Aisne was crossed by both British and French troops but after that progress became slower, until there was no progress at all. Both sides dug in and the fighting settled down into trench warfare. The fighting on the Aisne continued for two weeks at the end of which both sides realised that frontal attacks on entrenched positions were both costly and non-productive, not that this deterred them from continuing with this tactic throughout the war.

On 15th  September, 1914, 14 Brigade of 5th Division advanced along the Chivres spur with the 1st Cornwall Light Infantry battalion supported by the 2nd Manchester battalion. However, their advance was stopped when they came up against stout German resistance from the end of the Chivres spur. William Marsh was a casualty of the fighting on this day.