Current Information:

Enlisted-London

Born-Walthamstow

Vendresse 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.

At 5am on 14th September, 1914, 6 Brigade of 2nd Division, accompanied by 34 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, began crossing the pontoon bridge over the River Aisne at Pont Arcy. Once across they pushed on towards Braye up the long valley between the Oise and Aisne canal. At 10.30am the guns of 34 Brigade began firing from the southern slopes of the Moussy Spur, in support of this advance but by late morning their attack had been halted and there was no further movement. Frederick Marsh was one of the casualties on this day.