Current Information:

Enlisted-Croydon

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 Second Battle of the Scarpe (23-24 April, 1917)

The British offensive at Arras was resumed on 23rd April, 1917, when they attacked eastwards along an nine mile front from Croisilles to Gavrelle on both sides of the  River Scarpe in what some came to consider was the hardest fighting of the war so far.  

At 4.45am on 23rd April, the 7th Border and 8th South Staffordshire battalions of 51 Brigade, 17th Division attacked from in front of Monchy-le-Preux. Advancing from Lone Copse they were repulsed with heavy losses and although the assault was renewed with the help of the reserve battalions, 10th Sherwood Foresters and 7th Lincolnshire, all that was gained was a precarious footing in Bayonet Trench, 300 yards from the starting line. At 6pm 17th Division attacked again but the 10th West Yorkshire and 6th Dorset battalions of 50 Brigade were hit by enfilade fire from north of the Scarpe and from frontal fire and no progress was made. One of the many casualties sustained by 7th Border was Edward Matthews.