Current Information:

Age-18

42, Beaufoy Road, Plaistow

Chauny Communal Cemetery, France

The Battle of the Aisne 13^th 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 13^th 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.

On the morning of 14th September, 1914, as part of the general advance of 1st Division, the 1st Cameron Highlanders battalion of 1(Guards) Brigade launched an attack from the cover of a wood at the head of the Chivy valley.  They were hit by rifle fire before leaving the cover of the trees, and once in the open they were immediately knocked back by a storm of artillery shells and enfilading machine gun fire.  The right company was shattered but the others fought on and later in the day joined other units in a move up to the Chemin de Dames. One of their many casualties was Alexander McGregor.