Current Information:

Age-32

104, Ilbert Streey, Queen's Park

Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, France

After having been on the defensive since March 1918, by August of that year the Allies were ready to move to the attack and on 8th August, The Battle of Amiensbegan, a battle that marked the beginning of what came to be known as the Hundred Day Offensive that culminated in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked on a wide front that stretched about eighteen miles from Morlancourt, north of the River Somme to the Amiens-Roye road while the French launched their own offensive to the south in the Battle of Montdidier. At 4.20am  on 8th August, aided by early morning mist and backed by 900 guns, 600 tanks and 2000 aircraft the assault was unleashed on the unsuspecting Germans many of whom surrendered straight away. Their resistance stiffened as the day progressed but despite this the Allied forces advanced about 7 miles by nightfall and further, but far less spectacular, gains were made over the next three days until the battle ended on 11th August. Losses had been enormous on both sides. British, Australian and Canadian casualties amounted to 19,000 but the Germans lost 26,000, including 12,000 taken prisoner, an awful blow that prompted Ludendorff, the German supremo, to call it the ‘Black Day’ of the German Army.

III Corps, north of the Somme had the task of protecting the flank of the Australians, keeping pace with their advance and securing the high ground overlooking the passages of the Somme. They attacked from right to left with 58th, 18th and 12th Divisionsbut despite having a more modest role than the Australians and Canadians they were unable to achieve the same measure of progress as them and on the opening day of the battle only managed to reach their first objective. This was due to the difficulty of the ground over which they attacked and the fact that they had all been heavily involved in the earlier battles of 1918 which meant that not only was there a shortage of officers and NCOs but that their ranks were filled with young, inexperienced recruits. To add to their problems, on the night of 7/8th August, before the attack began, this area, north of the Somme was subjected to heavy enemy shelling, including many gas shells, which not only caused casualties but hindered their progress to their starting lines as well.

The main attack in III Corps sector on 8th August was made by 58th and 18th Divisions and for the reasons stated above was only partially successful. The first objective was captured but all efforts to reach the second objective resulted in failure. To the north of it a subsidiary attack was made by 35 Brigade of 12th Division at 6.20am, two hours after the main attack and this achieved all that was asked of it, advancing nearly 1,000 yards. On the following day, 9th August, the attack by 12th Division was renewed by 37 Brigade at 5.30pm when the 6th East Kent (Buffs), 6th Royal West Surrey (Queens) and 6th Royal West Kent battalions advanced either side of the village of Morlancourt. On the right, 6th Buffs and 6th Queens met considerable opposition, mainly in the form of machine-gun fire, and although they made contact with troops from 58th Division on their right, they did not quite reach their objective, the old Amiens Outer Defence Line. On the left however, 6th Royal West Kent did managed to establish themselves on this objective. A considerable number of prisoners and guns were captured during this advance but there were casualties for 37 Brigade as well, one of whom was William Harris of 6th Buffs who died from wounds the next day, 10th August.