Current Information:

Age-27

84, Bloomfield Road, Plumstead

On 21st March, 1918, when the Germans opened their Spring Offensive on the Somme, 14th Division were in the line a few miles south of St. Quentin. They were in the thick of the action over the next few days as the British were pushed back in the face of the tremendous German onslaught. Some relief came their way at the end of the month when they were withdrawn for a much needed rest and to reorganise but on 3rd April they were back in the line, this time from the Amiens-Villers Bretonneux road, just west of Warfusée Abancourt, to the River Somme. 41 Brigade were on the right with 8th Rifle Brigade and 7th Rifle Brigade in front.

At 5.20am the next day, 4th April, with the relief barely completed, a German artillery bombardment opened up on their positions and just over an hour later their infantry attacked through the rain and the mist. The enemy soon penetrated the HQ of 8th Rifle Brigade in a  quarry at the junction of the Warfusée-Fouilloy and Hamel-Marcelcave roads and here a stand was made for 1 ½ hours while a line was established 200 yards further back. 7th Rifle Brigade’s line remained intact until 9.30am at which time an encroachment on their right resulted in  a withdrawal of 500 yards. The German artillery continued unabated causing more heavy casualties so a further withdrawal was made. Both battalions were now split into small parties and in the chaos of battle the rest of the days events were confused and not well documented. By the evening those who had survived collected at Aubigny and the next day the two battalions were amalgamated and spent the next two days strengthening the line until they were relieved by the Australians on 7th April. There had been many casualties during the course of the day, one of whom was Lewis Gilder of 8th Rifle Brigade who was killed in action.