Current Information:

Age-22

11, Hales Street, Deptford

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Between 10th and 13th March, 1915, the Indian Army Corps and IV Corps attacked the village of Neuve Chapelle in the Artois region of France. During the winter of 1914-1915, reinforcements had arrived from Britain and this was seen as an opportunity to use them to break through the German lines.

It started well. At 7.30am on 10th March, a 30 minute hurricane bombardment destroyed the German wire and front line trenches and at 8.05am the infantry went in. Neuve Chapelle was captured and over a mile of the German line taken. But that was the end of the success.  The British chain of command was weak and their communications poor, which was hardly surprising given that many of the troops had no previous experience of battle. The Germans re-organised and reinforced during the night and no further gains were made. British casualties mounted to 12,000 by the time the offensive petered out on 13th March.

Leading the attack of 25 Brigade, 8th Division on 10th March were the 2nd Lincolnshire and 2nd Royal Berkshire battalions, attacking on a 400 yard front. At 8.05am the British barrage lifted and they moved across No Man’s Land with little loss and took the German front trench and by 8.20am they had reached the German support line. Here they were confronted by a water obstacle and as they went to ground in front of it they were hit by the fire of their own guns and fell back 50 yards. They were then hit by heavy machine-gun and rifle fire from their left rear during which time most of their casualties were sustained and which necessitated a further withdrawal. Later in the day two companies were sent forward in support of the 1st Royal Irish Rifles who had passed through earlier in the day. 

2nd Lincolnshire remained in these trenches overnight, consolidating their position and removing the wounded. In the early hours of 11th March, A and B Companies moved up in close support of 1st Royal Irish Rifles and then at 5am, the battalion occupied some trenches to the left rear as 23 Brigade took over from 25 Brigade. All morning they came under heavy German shell fire and at noon, in order to escape this, they moved up into Neuve Chapelle itself in close support of 1st Royal Irish Rifles, and found shelter among the ruins of the village but were not involved in the fighting that day. Throughout the night of 11/12th March they stayed in the ruins of Neuve Chapelle but early in the morning of the 12th March, 2nd Lincolnshire moved back to the German trench they had first captured. On the same day the Germans launched a counter attack but were unable to regain much territory. The battalion suffered over 300 casualties during the course of the battle, including William Smith who was killed on 12th March.