Current Information:

Age-19

51, Earlsmead Road, Kensal Rise

Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, France

On 27th September, 1916, the 21st Middlesex battalion of 121 Brigade, 40th Division moved into the front line in the No. 2 subsector at Loos With the Battle of the Somme in full swing some twenty miles further south, the Germans did their best to prevent more British troops being sent there by engaging them as fiercely as they could along other parts of the line. They were relieved from these trenches on 5th October. The enemy always seemed to know when an inter-battalion relief was taking place in the front line opposite them and then did as much as they could to disrupt it. This meant targeting the approach communication trenches with their artillery and keeping up a high level of machine-gun and rifle fire. Reliefs therefore were times of extra danger and many a soldier was killed or wounded during them. This was likely to have been the fate of Herbert Walton.