Current Information:

Born-St Pancras

Royal Irish Rifles Graveyard, Laventie, France

On 1st March, 1915, the 2nd Royal West Surrey (Queens) battalion of 22 Brigade, 7th Division, moved into the front line two miles south-east of Fleurbaix where they remained until relieved on 5th March. Thomas Cozens was killed here on 5th March but the battalion diary entry for that day reveals nothing about his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.