Current Information:

Age-21

Enlisted-Mill Hill

Vermelles British Cemetery, France

On 12th February, 1916, 11th Middlesex of 36 Brigade, 12th Division left their billets in Sailly-Labourse behind the Loos battlefield and moved into the front line between the Quarries and Gordon Alley. At 10 o’clock the following morning, 13th February, the enemy opened up on these positions with their artillery, doing a considerable amount of damage and inflicting a number of casualties on the battalion. By mid-afternoon things had quietened down but worse was to follow. At 5.30pm , the Germans began an intense bombardment on the front line, support and communication trenches with shells of all sizes but mostly High Explosive. 40 minutes later they exploded 2 mines, one under Kink Trench and the other under Alexander Trench both of which were levelled. This was followed by an infantry attack when 50 or so of the enemy, in groups of about 10 each, came across from Bills Bluff and tried to get into the British line. A handful managed to do so but they were soon dealt with and by 6.30pm things had returned to normal, if there was such a thing as normality. It Had been a trying day for 11th Middlesex who suffered nearly 70 casualties. 15 men were either killed or missing at the end of it, one of them being Leonard Gowers.