Current Information:

Born-Loughborough

Enlisted-Bedford

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 Second Battle of the Scarpe (23-24 April, 1917)

The British offensive at Arras was resumed on 23rd April, 1917, when they attacked eastwards along an nine mile front from Croisilles to Gavrelle on both sides of the  River Scarpe in what some came to consider was the hardest fighting of the war so far.

During the night of 20/21 April, 1917,  37th Division relieved 4th Division north of the Scarpe from the Hyderabad Redoubt to a point south-west of Gavrelle where they joined with the right of 63rd (Naval) Division. At 4.45am on 23rd April, 63Brigade attacked on the right of the divisional front, with the 4th Middlesex and 10th York & Lancaster battalions. The 8th Somerset Light Infantry and 8th Lincolnshire battalions followed in support along with the 6th Bedfordshire battalion from the reserve 112 Brigade. Smoke from the barrage obscured the first objective, Chile Trench, but it was soon captured and they pushed on to the line of the Rouex-Gavrelle road.  By 6.30am, 4th Middlesex were 200 yards east of the road but were then hit by very heavy enfilade fire from both flanks and had to take what shelter they could find. 10th York & Lancaster on their left had been heavily punished as well and had not reached Chile Trench. Just after noon the enemy counter attacked from Greenland Hill but were stopped by the brigade machine-guns and that afternoon, unable to press further forward, the battalions of 63 Brigade dug in and consolidated their new positions. 6th Bedfordshire ended the day dug-in along the Rouex-Gavrelle road. They had suffered many casualties during the day, including George Bishop.