Current Information:

Born-Mile End

The Battle of the Aisne  13-28 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.

At dawn on 20th September, the Germans attacked 2nd Division’s line immediately east of the Oise and Aisne Canal and came to within 80 yards of the British positions. They followed this up at 9 am with another attack and this time brought up two machine guns to the western slope of the Beaulne Spur.In order to clear these machine guns platoons of 2nd Highland Light Infantry and 2nd Worcestershire, both 5 Brigade counter attacked through a wood. It was heavy going through the thick undergrowth but they got through, charged, and carried a German trench.  Proceeding further they fell into an ambush and were enfiladed on their left by machine gun fire.  With all their officers fallen they fell back in disorder on a company of 1st Liverpool (Kings) of 6 Brigade, some of whom retreated further with them whilst others stood firm.  The situation was serious as 2nd Connaught Rangers on the ridge further east had been driven from their trenches by a heavy bombardment which exposed the right flank of 1st Liverpool.  The battalion’s right company of quickly threw back its right and reformed and their accurate fire then forced the Germans back leaving 70 dead or wounded behind. Albert Chambers was killed at some stage of the proceedings.