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Born-Marylebone

In the Spring and early summer of 1918, the Germans launched four major offensives against the Allied line in France and Belgium which came close to ending the war in their favour. This was made possible by the end of the fighting on the eastern front after the Russian revolution, which allowed the German Army to bring its troops from there to France, where it was hoped a decisive effort would win the war in their favour before the Americans arrived in force. The Germans very nearly succeeded with their attacks. Their new tactics of a intense artillery barrage followed by groups of specially trained storm troopers forging swiftly ahead, by-passing any strongpoints, caused chaos among the defenders and remarkable gains in territory were initially seen. The old system of trench warfare soon became a thing of the past.  But in each case the Germans over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further. By late summer, the Germans were exhausted, the Allies had regrouped and were then able to begin their own series of offensives which led to the collapse of the German Army and victory before the end of the year.

After the failure of their first offensive, Operation Michael, the Germans tried again but this time further north. On 9th April they launched Operation Georgette on the seventeen miles of front running between the La Bassée canal and Houplines, just to the north of Armentières. Their powerful artillery had been moved north and was in place to unleash  its full fury on the British positions with seventeen fresh divisions then attacking against five British divisions, four of whom had been sent here to recover after receiving a mauling during Operation Michael. In the centre of the allied line was the weak and largely demoralised 2nd Portuguese division in the Laventie sector whose relief was well overdue. At 4.15am on 9th April the German artillery barrage opened up and at 8.45am their infantry, again assisted by thick mist, attacked. They sent four divisions against the Portuguese and the front line here simply crumbled as the defenders fell back in disarray leaving a large gap for the enemy to exploit.

To the north of this gap was 40th Division and as the Germans streamed through the breach left by the Portuguese, the 18th Welsh and 13th East Surrey battalions, holding the front line of 119 Brigade, found themselves attacked from their right flank as well as from the front and very soon they were surrounded and practically annihilated. 21st Middlesex were ordered up from brigade reserve but faced with the intensity of the German artillery barrage, half of them got no further than Fleurbaix while the rest of the battalion fell back with the survivors of 18th Welsh to Sailly. It was a day of heavy and confused fighting for 21st Middlesex during which over sixty men lost their lives and many more were, wounded, missing or captured. One of those killed was Sidney Jordan.