Current Information:

Born-Islington

Enlisted-Hounslow

Heninel-Croisilles Road 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.

At the beginning of April, 1917, 33rd Division, including the 20th Royal Fusiliers battalion  of 19 Brigade, were out of the line near Amiens undergoing training, but soon began their move eastwards to play their part in the Battle of Arras. By 11th May, 20th Royal Fusiliers had reached Boisleux-au-Mont and on 12th April they moved into the new front line near Héninel. On the following evening they withdrew and occupied the Hindenburg support line and on the next day moved into the Hindenburg front line. In the early hours of 16th April, 20th Royal Fusiliers attacked the enemy line in front of them but after they had advanced about 100 yards heavy machine-gun fire was opened up on them from in front and from the flanks after which very little progress was made as the leading waves inclined to the right to escape the worse of the fire. Eventually the attack was called off but not before the battalion had sustained many casualties with 70 of them killed. One of these was Fred Palmer.