Current Information:

Age-23

Born-Willesden

Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-d'Armentieres, France

In September, 1914, the 1/7th Middlesex battalion went to Gibraltar, the first Territorial Army unit to go abroad. In February, 1915, they returned home and in March they went to France where they joined 23 Brigade of 8th Division. On 25th March they moved into the trenches for the first time, apart from an instructional two day period a few days before, when they relieved Canadian troops in the La Boutillerie sector near Fleurbaix. Arthur Markwich was killed here on 28th March. 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.