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The Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Between 10th and 13th March, 1915, the Indian Army Corps and IV Corps attacked the village of Neuve Chapelle in the Artois region of France. During the winter of 1914-1915, reinforcements had arrived from Britain and this was seen as an opportunity to use them to break through the German lines.

It started well. At 7.30am on 10th March, a 30 minute hurricane bombardment destroyed the German wire and front line trenches and at 8.05am the infantry went in. Neuve Chapelle was captured and over a mile of the German line taken. But that was the end of the success.  The British chain of command was weak and their communications poor, which was hardly surprising given that many of the troops had no previous experience of battle. The Germans re-organised and reinforced during the night and no further gains were made. British casualties mounted to 12,000 by the time the offensive petered out on 13th March.

21 Brigade of 7th Division joined in the attack on 10th March but 20 Brigade were in reserve and did not join the action until the following day. On the morning of 10th March, the 1st Grenadier Guards of 20 Brigade left their billets in Estaires and moved forward to occupy support trenches to the rear of the those held by 21 Brigade.

Dawn on 11th March was dull and misty which caused problems for the artillery bombardment of the German line before the infantry of 7th Division attacked, German strongholds along the Mauquissart road were targeted but not the continuous line of trenches there that had been dug overnight and remained undetected. At 7 am 21 Brigade advanced but everywhere were driven back by heavy machine gun and rifle fire.  At the same time, 20 Brigade, moving forward between the Moated Grange and the Orchard in columns of platoons came immediately under shell fire and lost heavily when an intense German bombardment from Aubers and Le Pietre on the entire British front was maintained for three hours.  Some of the two leading battalions of 20 Brigade, 1st Grenadier Guards and 2nd Gordon Highlanders managed, by short rushes, to reach 21 Brigade’s line but most took cover in various ditches and disused trenches between the Orchard and the Mauquissart road. Further problems arose when 1st Grenadier Guards, mistaking the broad ditch in front of them for the Layes Brook, reported back to this effect.  Consequently the artillery was lifted and it was not until midday that this error was rectified.

They were in action again on 12th March when elements of 1st Grenadier Guards, 2nd Wiltshire and the brigade bombers bravely advanced along the disused communication trench in no-man’s land, forcing the Germans back to their main trench and capturing 40 yards of it.  This rapid attack took the enemy by surprise and many, to both left and right surrendered. 7th Division’s new front was now 150 yards short of and parallel to the Mauquissart-Chapigny road but 2nd Scots Guards on the right were exposed and enfiladed.  1st Grenadier Guards, moved to support them, but got lost in the maze of trenches east of the Orchard and failed to get forward.

Although the battle of Neuve Chapelle was over by 13th March, a local effort to improve their line was made at 9.30am by 7th Division.  It failed with heavy loss particularly to 6th Gordon Highlanders and 1st Grenadier Guards.  Records, including those of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission show that Walter Stone was killed on 10th March when the battalion was not directly involved in the fighting. It is much more likely that he was killed between 11th and 14th March.