Current Information:

Age-25

8, Reckitt Road, Chiswick

47, Westwick Gardens, West Kensington

The Battle of Arras was a series of offensives by the British Army between 9th April 1917 and 16th May 1917. It had been planned in conjunction with the French who would attack in Artois and between them the Allies would force the Germans out of the large salient they had held since the line of trenches was first established. But the Germans had spoiled this plan by falling back to the new and very strong Hindenburg Line in January 1917 and the salient no longer existed.  For the want of an alternative plan the attack went ahead anyway. It all started well for the British who made substantial gains on the first two days but then the offensive ground to a halt and by the end their losses amounted to over 150,000.

At the start of the battle on 9th April, 37th Division was in VI Corps reserve. The plan was that after the three leading divisions had taken the 3rd objective, 37th Division would pass through and take the final objective, a line 1000 yards east of Monchy-le-Preux. In accordance with this plan, the 10th Royal Fusiliers battalion of 111 Brigade left their bivouacs near Louez at 4.30 in the morning and marched to Arras. Here they suffered their first casualties when the railway bridge was shelled but they continued their forward progress to the original British front line. Their advance continued and by the evening they had reached the position from where they would start the attack on Monchy-le-Preux. It was at this point that they met opposition. They managed to cross the Blue Line but were then brought to a halt by machine-gun fire just east of the Feuchy to Feuchy Chapel road and the advance came to a halt. 10th Royal Fusiliers dug in and prepared for their attack in the morning. Among the casualties suffered by the battalion on 9th April was William Tant who was killed in action.