Current Information:

Age-30

33, York Road, King's Cross

122, Purves Road, Kensal Rise

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.

The First Battle of the Scarpe (9-14 April)

On 9th April, 1917, the opening day of the battle, 21st Division attacked on a 2,700 yard front on the right of the British line. Zero hour here was at 4.15pm and at this time 64 Brigade advanced with 1st East Yorkshire, 15th Durham Light Infantry and 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry in line. As there were only a few gaps in the wire here, they moved in section columns up to the German wire, 1000 yards off. The German artillery barrage was prompt but weak and with the help of Stokes mortars and a machine-gun section which had been brought up to the sunken St. Martin-Fontaine road, the enemy front trench was taken except on left where 9th Yorkshire Light Infantry were unable to penetrate the second belt of wire. The rear companies of 1st East Yorkshire and 15th Durham Light Infantry then moved up but were unable to penetrate the wire in front of the second trench and had to fall back on the first. 15th Durham Light Infantry tried unsuccessfully to bomb their way up this trench but the Germans resisted strongly and even attempted their own  bombing counter attacks. However they were unable to wrest back control of their lost positions. The battalion remained in these forward position until relieved on the following evening. Among the casualties sustained by 15th Durham Light Infantry over these two days was  Edward Crawford.