Current Information:

Born-Bermondsey

Enlisted-London

Vailly British Cemetery, France

The Battle of the Aisne 13th 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 13th 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.

3rd Division experienced some very heavy fighting on 14th September when they tried to capture the high ground to the north of the River Aisne, near Vailly.  The 40th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, part of the divisional artillery, were unable to cross the river via the single plank bridge at Vailly so moved down stream to Pont D’Arcy where they were more successful. They were shelled as they made their way to the new bridge and suffered some casualties. Charles Carter was killed at some stage during the day.