Current Information:

Age-20

Born-Paddington

Bienvillers Military Cemetery, France

On 4th May, 1916,  6th Bedfordshire of 112 Brigade, 37th Division were in the front line at Bienvillers,  just to the south of Arras, when at 2.35am the enemy opened up an intense bombardment of their trenches. The men readied themselves for a follow up infantry attack. Scaling ladders were seen being placed in position but the attack never materialised, maybe because of the concentrated fire of the British artillery on the German front line trenches and no-man’s land or maybe they never intended to send in the infantry. By daybreak things were back to normal but there had been a price to pay. 6th Bedfordshire had sustained 70 casualties, including Cyril Vernon.