Current Information:

SDGW-McKIRDY

1, Ingleside Grove, Blackheath

Knightsbridge Cemetery, Mesnil-Martinsart, Somme

The Somme trenches were no place to be during the winter of 1916-1917.  Constant rain, snow and cold winds made them a nightmare. Men who were able to make the comparison said that the mud of the Somme was worse than that at Passchendaele, later in 1917. Simply surviving in the shell battered trenches was arduous enough but by now the plans for a major offensive at Arras were well advanced and they included a need to keep the Germans fully occupied on the Somme front. Starting early in the year, the British launched a number of attacks on the Somme front, aimed at capturing strategic points in the German line and thereby undermining their overall defences.

On 7th February, 1917, 4th Bedfordshire of 190 Brigade, 63rd Division, moved into the front line in the Ancre sector of the Somme battlefield. A large attack here and in neighbouring sectors was being planned for 17th February and  on 11th February, in order to gain a more favourable position from which to launch this attack, 4th Bedfordshire were ordered to push forward their line of posts on the east side of Puisieux Wood. Two companies attacked behind an artillery barrage at 9 o’clock that evening and although the left hand company was held up for a while by the German wire and machine-gun fire, they eventually managed to achieve their objective. There were of course casualties for 4th Bedfordshire, one of whom was Gillies Mackirdy.