Current Information:

Age-35

32, Tavistock Crescent, Westbourne Park

The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915)

This followed quickly on the heels of the Battle of Aubers Ridge and was an offensive operation by the British Army in the Artois region of France in conjunction with a French attack further south.  Initial success soon ground to a halt and although there had been an advance of two miles in some places the end result was not the hoped for breakout but merely more muddy trenches which became the front line. British casualties over the ten days amounted to nearly 17,000, three times as many as inflicted on the Germans.

The Battle of Festubert was preceded by a three day bombardment of the enemy positions and at 11.30pm on 15th May 2nd Division and the Meerut Division from the Indian Army attacked with mixed results. This was unfortunate because their failure to get forward on the left meant that they were not in a position to support the attack at 3.10am on 16th May by 20 Brigade of 7th Division. Their assault was led by 2nd Border and 2nd Scots Guards but unfortunately they began their attack five minutes before the British bombardment ended and some of 2nd Borders, became victims of their own guns. However the German front lines were taken but 2nd Border were then prevented from any further movement by a deep dyke and enfilade fire from the ‘Quadrilateral’, a strongpoint in the ground between them and the Scots Guards which was still in enemy hands. Attempts to bomb along the trench were hampered by a shortage of grenades. That night the battalion was relieved and moved back to billets in Rue l’Epinette. They had sustained nearly 500 casualties including Charles Turner who was killed.