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Age-22

65, Granville Park, Blackheath

The Battle of Arras was a series of offensives by the British Army between 9th April 1917 and 16th May 1917. It had been planned in conjunction with the French who would attack in Artois and between them the Allies would force the Germans out of the large salient they had held since the line of trenches was first established. But the Germans had spoiled this plan by falling back to the new and very strong Hindenburg Line in January 1917 and the salient no longer existed.  For the want of an alternative plan the attack went ahead anyway. It all started well for the British who made substantial gains on the first two days but then the offensive ground to a halt and by the end their losses amounted to over 150,000.

The Second Battle of the Scarpe (23-24 April, 1917)

The British offensive at Arras was resumed on 23rd April, 1917, when they attacked eastwards along an nine mile front from Croisilles to Gavrelle on both sides of the  River Scarpe in what some came to consider was the hardest fighting of the war so far.

On 23rd April, 1917, 63rd Division attacked the Oppy Line at Gavrelle, six miles north-east of Arras. 189 Brigade were on the right of the divisional line and the Drake battalion were able to advance through gaps in the wire and secure their first objective. To their left the 4th Bedfordshire and 7th Royal Fusiliers battalions of 190 Brigade also managed to secure their first objective but then, 7th Royal Fusiliers, whose task was made more difficult by an open flank on their left, were held up by uncut wire and determined enemy resistance. The other battalions forced their way into Gavrelle but by now 4th Bedfordshire also had to contend with an open flank and they could get no further than the railway line. The supporting troops which included the Hood and Nelson battalions from 189 Brigade and the 1st Honourable Artillery Company battalion of 190 Brigade now moved up and things became somewhat congested in the village centre but once reorganised they pushed forward once again, fighting from house to house to clear the village of the enemy. However their attempts to proceed beyond Gavrelle were stopped firmly in their tracks, 300 yards short of their final objective, by concentrated machine-gun fire,. Here they consolidated their positions. One of the casualties sustained by the 1st Honourable Artillery Company was Reginald Cranefield.