Current Information:

Born-Bethnal Green

On 20th December The Indian Corps were subjected to a fierce attack on their positions on the southern part of the British line, near Festubert during which the village of Givenchy was stormed and taken. 1st Division was sent to reinforce them and in the afternoon of 21st December, the 1st Loyal North Lancashire battalion of 2 Brigade, arrived at Le Touret, 2  miles west of Richbourg-l’Avoue. They were at once ordered to recapture the left of the Indian line near the Orchard, about 1 mile north-east of Festubert, which had been lost that morning. That evening at 7.20pm their attack went in and in just over one hour the lost trenches had been retaken. But it came at a cost. 1st Loyal North Lancashire suffered over 400 casualties in this action which one of them being Mathew Carey who was killed. Although all this action took place on 21st December, the deaths were not recorded until 22nd December and this is the date shown on the records.