Current Information:

Age-19

10, Bellevue Road, Barnes

St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France

Starting on 8th August, 1918, the Allies launched a series of offensives, collectively known as the Hundred Days Offensive, that resulted in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war by November. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked across the old Somme battlefield and on the Arras front causing the demoralised German Army to fall back on a daily basis while the French did the same thing further south.

By the beginning of September much of the territory that had been lost earlier in the year,  when the Germans had made spectacular gains in March and April, had been won back but the Allies relentless pressure did not falter. At 5.30am on 1st September, 140 Brigade of 47th Division attacked at Rancourt, a few miles south of Bapaume on the road to Péronne. The 21st London and 15th London battalions led the attack with 17th London in support. At 2.45am, 15th London moved up to its assembly positions, encountering a certain amount of shelling as they did so but by 7.30am all objectives had been achieved and large numbers of prisoners and machine-guns captured. While consolidating their new positions the leading companies were subjected to some heavy shelling from an enemy field gun battery, firing over open sights from one thousand yards away. Touch was made with the East Surreys on the left but on their right 21st London had not advanced as far as their final objective and a gap developed through which some Germans tried to infiltrate but were prevented from doing so by Lewis gun fire.

Early next morning, 2nd September  the offensive was renewed with an advance on the village of Moislains in conjunction with 74th Division who were detailed to capture the village while the three battalions of 140 Brigade were to pass to the south and form a defensive flank . However, things did not work out according to plan. The troops of 74th Division were unable to take Moislains which the Germans defended in force, there was heavy shell fire directed on the advance of 140 Brigadeand machine-gun fire was opened up on them as they crossed the ridge above Moislains, all of which resulted in many casualties and it was only with difficulty that they reached one of their objectives, a trench to the west of Moislains. That night 140 Brigade were relieved and 15th London withdrew to support positions. Among the many casualties suffered by the battalion was Alfred Harriss who died from wounds on 3rd September but it is not known when he was wounded.