Current Information:

Age-20

SDGW-HASHER

107, Welham Road, Streatham

Born-Battersea

At he beginning of July, 1917,  18th Division moved north from Arras to the Ypres salient and on 6th July, 8th East Surrey of 55 Brigade, left Dickebusch Camp for reserve trenches at Chateau Segard, where they remained for the next ten days. Their routine here was to rest during the day and then provide working parties at night, for a number of different tasks from road making to trench digging under the supervision of the Royal Engineers but mostly for carrying supplies of all kinds forward to the front line. With the increase in artillery fire by both sides in the build up to the major offensive launched here by the British at the end of the month, this often proved to be dangerous work and 8th East Surrey sustained a number of casualties on most nights while engaged in this task. It was a particularly bad on 13th July when there were over twenty casualties including Harold Hascher who was killed.