Current Information:

Age-39

4, Skinner's Almshouses, Palmer's Green

Sailly-sur-la-Lys Canadian Cemetery, France

Battle of Aubers Ridge- 9th May, 1915

On 9 May 1915 the British attacked north at Arras as part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive. Their objective was the capture of Aubers Ridge but it turned into an unmitigated disaster. The German defences had been much improved since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March and the British artillery, which was in a parlous condition, failed to destroy the German defences during the short and insufficient 40 minute bombardment that preceded the attack. Extra artillery had been requested but further to the north, the Second Battle of Ypres was being fought on a ferocious scale and none was forthcoming. The few initial gains could not be held and by the evening of 9 May, all the British forces were back where they started, except of course the dead who littered the battlefield. There were 11,000 casualties for the British Army.

On 9th May, 8th Division attacked towards Fromelles, 6000 yards to the north of Aubers Ridge. Their attack went in astride the Fromelles road with 24 Brigade to the south of it and 25 Brigade to the north. As they went over the top, two companies of the 2nd Middlesex battalion from 23 Brigade moved up from reserve to man the front line, first of all covering the attack with rifle fire and later covering the withdrawal after the attack had failed. They remained in these trenches, often under heavy shell fre untilrel;ieved on 13th May and sustained a number of casualties in the process. One of these was John Hampson who was killed on 10th May.