Current Information:

Born-Lambeth

Enlisted-Barnet

The Battle of the Aisne  13-28 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 13th 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.

From 25th September until mid-October, 1914, 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps of 2 Brigade, 1st Division were in the front line near Troyon where, the battalion diary recorded, they were constantly shelled as they tried to improve their position. They were relieved on 15th October by French troops and began their journey north to Flanders, arriving at Cassel on 20th October. John Clarke died from wounds on 18th October presumably as a result of the fighting on the Aisne despite the fact that he is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres.