Current Information:

Age-21

Chocques Military Cemetery, France

The Battle of Festubert (16–25 May 1915)

This followed quickly on the heels of the Battle of Aubers Ridge and was an offensive operation by the British Army in the Artois region of France in conjunction with a French attack further south.  Initial success soon ground to a halt and although there had been an advance of two miles in some places the end result was not the hoped for breakout but merely more muddy trenches which became the new front line. British casualties over the ten days amounted to nearly 17,000, three times as many as inflicted on the Germans.

47th Division did not become fully involved in the battle until 24th May and up until that time they were used to man support and reserve trenches and to provide working and carrying parties for various tasks and as the battle progressed they sustained a number of casualties from the increase in shelling by both sides. On 10th May the 15th London battalion of 140 Brigade, 47th Division moved into trenches at C Section Festubert with two companies in the front line and the other two in support trenches at Welsh Chapel.

On 24th May a working party, carrying trench mortar bombs to an advanced trench were heavily shelled resulting in at least three men being killed and on the following day this shell fire continued unabated as 15th London helped an attack on Givenchy by providing covering fire and sending some of their bombers forward to offer assistance to the 8th London battalion in an attack on their left. Over the next five days until they were relieved on 31st May, 15th London remained in these forward positions, strengthening their trenches as best they could while subject to artillery and sniper fire which caused the casualty figures to rise on a daily basis. One of these casualties was Robert Chalmers who died from wounds on 26th May.