Current Information:

Age-22

49, Princes Square, Cable Street

SDGW-DORER

For most of the winter of 1916-1917, 40th Division were holding the line at Bouchavesnes on the southern part of the Somme battlefield. It was a bleak winter here marked by snow, ice, sleet and of course mud. When not in the trenches they were accommodated in nearby billets or in camps such as Asquith Flats Camp, near Bray-sur-Somme, which was a cheerless place. The huts had no doors and there was scarcity of blankets. All in all a miserable winter.

On 31st December, 1916, 20th Middlesex of 121 Brigade, moved into the front line trenches here, where they remained until relieved on 4th January, 1917. On this day there was a considerable amount of enemy artillery action, specially against the support line and three men were killed. One of these was Harry Dorrer.