Current Information:

E Dulwich

Born-Lambeth

Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-d'Armentieres

The 16th London (Westminster Rifles) battalion arrived in France in November 1914 and joined 18 Brigade, 6th Division. On 24th November, 1914 they went into the trenches for the first time at La Houssoie, near Armentieres and on 26th November they suffered their first fatality. A thaw had set in on 25th November accompanied by heavy rain and the trenches, that had stood up well during the cold weather, began to crumble. Some of the shelters dug into the side of the trenches collapsed without warning and in one of them Robert Brooks was killed. His brother, who was sleeping next to him had his leg badly crushed.