Current Information:

Enlisted-Stratford

The Battle of the Aisne 13th September -28 September

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 13th September, 42 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, part of 3rd Division, moved forward towards the Aisne. At 8.30am they halted to the north of Braine when German shells began bursting on the road but within an hour were on the move again and continued on to Brenelle. Frederick Blyth was killed on this day, probably during this period of shelling but there is no mention of any casualties in the Brigade Diary.

The following information has been provided by William Blyth, his great nephew

Hi Frederick was my Great Uncle who died 2 miles north east of Brenelle, when a gun next to him or his own gun exploded 13th Sep 1915. He was first buried close to his gun position, with his comrades in a cave. Later they were exhumed and buried somewhere else, however the location of his new grave has been lost. However I believe he was buried at Brenelle Churchyard French Extension, which contained about 500 graves. It was reported that nine men of the R.G.A.( I believe that they meant RFA), were killed in September 1914, by the bursting of a gun were buried at Brenelle before again being moved to Vailly sur Aisne British Cemetery. I have been researching this for two years now. and hope to confirm his final resting place one day.