Current Information:

Born-Blackheath

Chocques Military Cemetery, France

Aubers Ridge

On 9th May 1915 the British attacked north at Arras as part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive. Their objective was the capture of Aubers Ridge but it turned into an unmitigated disaster. The German defences had been much improved since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March and the British artillery was in a parlous condition and failed to destroy the German defences during the short and insufficient 40 minute bombardment that preceded the attack. Extra artillery had been requested but further to the north, the Second Battle of Ypres was being fought on a ferocious scale and none was forthcoming. The few initial gains could not be held and by the evening of 9 May, all the British forces were back where they started, except of course the dead who littered the battlefield. There were 11,000 casualties for the British Army.

On 6th May, 1915 the 24th London battalion of 142 Brigade, 47th Division had left their billets and moved into trenches in the Dead Cow sector at Rue du Bois where they remained until relieved on 12th May. They were on the right of the attack by 1st and 8th Divisions on Aubers Ridge on 9th May and although they were not directly involved they co-operated with machine-gun and rifle fire and came under shrapnel fire suffering nearly 50 casualties. They remained in these forward positions until relieved on 12th May sustaining more casualties each day. Thomas Fraser died from wounds on 12th May but the exact date on which he was wounded is not known.