Current Information:

Born-Leytonstone

Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France

For the last two days of February 1915, the 4th Royal Fusiliers battalion of 9 Brigade, 3rd Division were in support trenches at Rosendale Chateau on the outskirts of Ypres. On the evening of 1st March, 1915 they moved into the front line just to the south of Ypres where they stayed for 2 days and nights.  The battalion diary reports that it was a quiet tour and that on 2nd March there was some German shelling but only a few casualties. However other records show that there were 14 men killed on this day, A further 10 were killed on 3rd March on which day they were relieved and moved back to billets in Kruisstraat. In First World War terms perhaps this was what was meant by “only a few casualties”. 

William Coe died from wounds on 9th March, 1915, after having been sent to a base hospital on the coast and it is likely that he was wounded during this period in the front line.