Current Information:

Age-35

37, Sisters Avenue, Battersea

The Second Action of Givenchy, 15-16 June 1915

This was an attack by 7th Division, 51st Division and the Canadian Division to gain the high ground north of the La Bassée canal. The original plan called for an attack south of the canal as well but a shortage of artillery ammunition put paid to that.

There was a slow bombardment of the enemy trenches for 48 hours but the artillery shortage meant that there was little covering fire for the actual attack and this was to have grave consequences. The enemy defences here were very strong and had been practically untouched by the British bombardment so when the assaulting troops rose from their trenches to attack they were met by a withering fire that decimated their ranks. Nevertheless some made it across to the German lines where a bombing fight took place. This was an unequal contest with the Germans having a better supply of more efficient grenades and inevitably the British were forced back to their own lines, leaving their dead behind. Undeterred by this setback exactly the same thing was tried again the next day with the same results.

On 15th June the attack by 21 Brigade of 7th Division was made by 2nd Yorkshire and 2nd Wiltshire battalions and on the next day, 16th June, 1915, it was the turn of the other battalions of 21 Brigade. 2nd Bedfordshire and 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers led the attack with 4th Cameron Highlanders in support. As with the previous day the attack soon came to grief. The barrage fired by the British was even weaker and very little progress was made before they too were forced back to their own lines. More than half of the attacking companies of the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers became casualties before they even got through their own wire and in one section, five out of thirteen men were hit while still in their own trench.