Current Information:

Born-London

Vailly British Cemetery, France

The Battle of the Aisne 13th September -28 September, 1914

After the Germans were defeated on the Marne they fell back to the River Aisne, closely pursued by both the British and the French. The new German line was a very formidable defensive position. To attack it meant having to cross the Aisne and then climb up a 500 foot high ridge on top of which was the Chemin des Dames, a road that gave the Germans an easy way to move troops along the top of the hills. On 13^th September the Aisne was crossed by both British and French troops but after that progress became slower, until there was no progress at all. Both sides dug in and the fighting settled down into trench warfare. The fighting on the Aisne continued for two weeks at the end of which both sides realised that frontal attacks on entrenched positions were both costly and non-productive, not that this deterred them from continuing with this tactic throughout the war.

After crossing the River Aisne on 14th September the 1st Devonshire battalion arrived on the front and temporarily joined 8 Brigade of 3rd Division. Overnight they were in reserve on the western side of the Vailly-Jouy road but on the next day they moved forward into the front line where they remained until relieved on 26th August. 1st Devonshire suffered a number of casualties including Archibald Peck who was killed on 20th September.