Current Information:

Scrubbs Lane

Enlisted-Willesden

Pont-du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, France

After enduring nearly four months of heavy fighting in the Battle of the Somme, 56th Division were withdrawn from there at the end of October, 1916  and took over the sector of the front line at Neuve Chapelle-Fauquissart, further north. On 26th November, 1916, 7th Middlesex of 167 Brigade left their billets in Riez Bailleul and moved into the  front line near Neuve Chapelle. A feature of this particular stretch of the line was the Duck’s Bill Sap which was a fortified mine crater just in front of the trenches. Garrisoned by twelve men it was a hated place and a perfect death trap. Every year hundreds of men were killed or wounded there. On 30th November, 1916 it was a particularly unhealthy place to be. That afternoon the enemy bombarded it with trench mortars, killing and wounding most of the men from “A” Company there. German infantry now attacked the crater and it was abandoned. But the Company Commander, Major Emery, was not prepared to lose any territory and he and a private moved forward and re-occupied one of the posts there and fought off the Germans on his own as best as he could whilst the private went back with orders for “A” Company to move forward again and retake the Duck’s Bill. This they did and the crater remained in British hands. 7th Middlesex’s casualties during this incident were six killed and six wounded. Among those killed was Fred Fry.