Current Information:

Age-19

16, Devonshire Road, Walthamstow

Bailleul Communal Cemetery, France

On 14th March 1915, the 4th Rifle Brigade battalion of 80 Brigade, 27th Division were resting at Reninghelst, when suddenly they were stood to arms and rushed to Dickebusch with the rest of the brigade. At 5pm the Germans had opened a violent bombardment after blowing a mine under the Mound, a heap of spoil from an old brickworks  in the St. Eloi sector. They then launched an infantry attack and drove back 4th Rifle Brigade and 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry and captured the village of St. Eloi. At 2am the next morning, 15th March, 4th Rifle Brigade and 2nd Shropshire Light Infantry, assisted by 1st Royal Irish, 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers and 1st Leinster, launched a counter attack and retook St.Eloi but were unable to recapture the mound. This action cost 4th Rifle Brigade nearly 100 casualties which could have been more except that the Germans did not fire on men removing the wounded from the streets of St Eloi. Joseph Fearn died from wounds on 17th March.