Current Information:

Age-22

76, Bronze Street, Deptford

The Battle of the Aisne 13th September -28 September, 1914

After the Germans were defeated on the Marne they fell back to the River Aisne, closely pursued by both the British and the French. The new German line was a very formidable defensive position. To attack it meant having to cross the Aisne and then climb up a 500 foot high ridge on top of which was the Chemin des Dames, a road that gave the Germans an easy way to move troops along the top of the hills. On 13th September the Aisne was crossed by both British and French troops but after that progress became slower, until there was no progress at all. Both sides dug in and the fighting settled down into trench warfare. The fighting on the Aisne continued for two weeks at the end of which both sides realised that frontal attacks on entrenched positions were both costly and non-productive, not that this deterred them from continuing with this tactic throughout the war.

The orders for 2nd Division on 14th September were for 6 Brigade then 4 Brigade to cross the Aisne and to push on through 5 Brigade who were already across.  But their progress was not plain sailing. At first the 2nd Worcestershire battalion, at the head of 5 Brigade, found themselves held up by enfilade fire from trenches on their right after which, along with the 1st King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 2nd Highland Light Infantry battalions, they managed to stop a German counter attack on their front. Later they were part of a force that advanced up the eastern slopes of the Beaulne spur and held on there. One of their casualties during this action was Walter Akast.