Current Information:

Age-34

65, St. Margaret's Road, Barking

Born-Poplar

Battle of St Julien, 24 April – 4 May 1915

Spurred on by the success of their gas attack on 22nd April, the Germans struck again two days later on the northern sector of the Ypres salient at St. Julien.  Once more chlorine gas was used and despite a resolute defence the British and Canadians were pushed back and St Julien was lost. For nearly two weeks the fighting continued on this front. The Germans persisted with their attacks, the British fought desperate rearguard actions and launched many counter attacks but gradually they were pushed further and further back. Eventually, during the night of 3rd & 4th May the British forces were withdrawn from their forward positions and took up a new defensive line closer to Ypres.

After being in the thick of the fighting during the initial gas attack, the 3rd Middlesex battalion of 85 Brigade,  28th Division moved back to Potijze in reserve on 26th April. Two days later they returned to the front line at Verlorenhoek and dug-in under fire. They remained in these trenches for the next five days subjected to constant bombing, mortars and short range artillery fire. There was also hostile mining going on and as the Germans occupied part of a trench between the front line and the support line held by 3rd Middlesex, they were at times being fired on from behind. It was a period of constant vigilance, no rest and a shortage of water. On the night of 3rd May a large part of the salient was evacuated and 3rd Middlesex withdrew to billets in Poperinghe. One of the battalion’s casualties while here was George Faiers who was killed on 1st May.