Current Information:

Age-38

Born-Marylebone

Enlisted-London

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 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.

At 3am on 14th  September, 2 Brigade of 1st Division and two batteries of artillery moved off to capture the top of the Chemin des Dames ridge from Cerny to Courtecon. 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps led, followed by the 2nd Royal Sussex battalion.   At 6.30am,  2nd Sussex moved up and deployed on the left of 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps with each battalion holding about 800 yards of front. After a heavy interchange of fire a large number of the enemy stood up and surrendered. Some of 2nd Sussex stood up to meet them but other Germans, further back, opened fire on both friend and foe. Others of 2nd Sussex managed to outflank the Germans in their position astride the road from Troyons north-west to the sugar factory and other units moved up from Brigade reserve to support the attack on the Sugar Factory. 1st Loyal North Lancashire, 2nd Sussex and 2nd King’s Royal Rifle Corps advanced, occupied the buildings and entrenched on the ridge beyond.  They could go no further but German counter attacks were equally fruitless. Fighting surged to and fro all day with many casualties on both sides. One of these was Henry Baldwin of 2nd Sussex.