Current Information:

Age-33

Laventie Military Cemetery, La Gorgue

On 19th July, 1916, in an attempt to draw some of the German forces away from the battlefield of the Somme, 61st Division and the Australian 5th Division launched a subsidiary attack at Fromelles from the Fauquissart-Trivelet road to Delangre Farm. The British and Australian artillery bombardment began at 11am and was immediately answered by the German guns resulting in casualties among those waiting to go over the top. The bombardment continued throughout the afternoon until 5.30pm when the infantry began their assault. 184 Brigade attacked with the 2/4th Royal Berkshire and 2/1st Oxford and Buckingham Light Infantry battalions whose assault companies had been lying out  in no-man’s-land all day and had suffered from the enemy artillery fire. It was a hopeless venture. As soon as they emerged into the open they were hit by machine-gun fire. A few managed to reach the German wire but they found this uncut and were soon forced back to their own lines. Among the many casualties during this failed operation was Harold Church of 2/1st Oxford and Buckingham Light Infantry who was killed in action.