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Born-Chelsea

The Battle of the Aisne 13 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.

The 1st Royal Berkshire battalion of 6 Brigade, 2nd Division were relieved from the front line  at La Metz Ferme on 22nd September, 1914, and moved back for a rest in billets at Oeuilly. They returned to the La Metz Ferme trenches on 26th September where they remained until relieved by French troops on 13th October. According to some records, Richard Miller was killed on 2nd October but the battalion diary recorded it as 3rd October.