Current Information:

Age-21

Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St Eloi, France

60th Division, made up entirely of 2nd line territorial battalions from London, went to France in June, 1916 where they remained until they were sent to Salonika at the end of the year. During the six months spent on the Western Front they were employed in holding the front line around Arras and were one of the few divisions in France to avoid the Battle of the Somme.

In July, 1916,  while the Battle of the Somme was raging a few miles to their south,  60th Division moved into a sector of the front line near Arras which ran that from Roclincourt on the right to beyond Neuville St. Vaast on the left and was overlooked practically from end to end by the Vimy Ridge. There were four British lines, the forward one termed the Observation line and consisting of strongly fortified individual posts. Communication trenches ran from Anzin, Maroeuil and St Eloi for over two miles and followed a tiresome winding route.

On 25th July, 1916 the 2/20th London battalion of 180 Brigade moved into the front line where, on the following morning the enemy exploded a mine and the accompanying shell fire caused some damage to the parapet. That evening the Royal Engineers exploded their own mine, between Grange and Burkin craters, and at 10.30am on 27th July a party from 2/20th London went out to seize the rear lip of the newly formed crater. However a German attack drove them off with the exception of some men who held a central post. Intermittent fighting continued for the rest of the day without much progress being made but on 28th July another attempt at consolidation, this time successful, was made and despite active sniping, all three posts were established. Thomas Gardner was killed during this fighting.