Current Information:

Age-24

5, Ferndale Terrace, Wealdstone

Dainville Communal Cemetery, France

The Battle of Arras was a series of offensives by the British Army between 9th April 1917 and 16th May 1917. It had been planned in conjunction with the French who would attack in Artois and between them the Allies would force the Germans out of the large salient they had held since the line of trenches was first established. But the Germans had spoiled this plan by falling back to the new and very strong Hindenburg Line in January 1917 and the salient no longer existed.  For the want of an alternative plan the attack went ahead anyway. It all started well for the British who made substantial gains on the first two days but then the offensive ground to a halt and by the end their losses amounted to over 150,000. 

The field ambulances provided by the Royal Army Medical Corps were mobile medical units whose function was to provide stretcher bearers to collect the wounded and to give emergency aid before sending them back to Casualty Clearing Stations and then Base Hospitals. Working close to the front line they were often victims themselves of enemy fire, especially the stretcher bearers.

2/1st London Field Ambulance was part of 56th Division from February 1916 until the end of the war. This division saw action in the Battle of Arras, during which Philip Daly was killed on 9th April, 1917.