Current Information:

Age-19

32, Gordon Road, Wanstead

Serre Road Cemetery2, Somme

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, 141 Brigade of 47th Division attacked, a few miles south of Bapaume, their objectives being Pierre St Vaast Wood and Moislains Wood.  The objectives were reached and many prisoners were captured but there was a cost to this success in terms of casualties. 142 Brigade were in reserve and D Company of the 23rd London battalion were used to ‘mop up’ Priez Farm after the attack had passed through it. For the rest of the brigade there was always the constant danger of shell fire which increased significantly when an operation was taking place. At some stage during the day Cyril Page was killed.