Current Information:

Age-22

6, Northern Road, Plaistow

Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery, France

17th London (Stepney Rifles) arrived in France in March 1915 as part of 141 Brigade, 47th Division and in June of that year they were in the Loos sector in northern France. On 22nd June, 1915, 17th London were in Brigade reserve at Les Brebis a small hamlet north west of Grenay and Maroc . At 12.05am the Germans shelled Les Brebis with a long range gun and two of the shells fell in the school where D Company were billeting and caused havoc.  4 men were killed, including Rifleman Coffey and 30 were wounded. We have been led to believe, by a number of sources, that shell shock was not recognised in the First World War, or was seen as cowardice but in this case the Battalion Diary states that a further 22 men were shell shocked by this traumatic event and were treated in the field ambulance then sent  on to hospital in Nouex-les-Mines. Perhaps the officers of 17th London had a more humanitarian attitude to the problem than others.