Current Information:

Born-Deptford

Aubers Ridge

On 9th May 1915 the British attacked north at Arras as part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive. Their objective was the capture of Aubers Ridge but it turned into an unmitigated disaster. The German defences had been much improved since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March and the British artillery was in a parlous condition and failed to destroy the German defences during the short and insufficient 40 minute bombardment that preceded the attack. Extra artillery had been requested but further to the north, the Second Battle of Ypres was being fought on a ferocious scale and none was forthcoming. The few initial gains could not be held and by the evening of 9 May, all the British forces were back where they started, except of course the dead who littered the battlefield. There were 11,000 casualties for the British Army.

At 5.40am on 9th May, 24 and 25 Brigades of 8th Division attacked astride the Sailly-Fromelles road.  23 Brigade were in reserve with orders to follow up the attack and at 7am the 2nd Scottish Rifles battalion of 23 Brigade began moving up to the old front line trenches in support of the 2nd Rifle Brigade and the 2nd Lincolnshire battalion.  They came under heavy machine gun and artillery fire as they advanced and although some men managed to reach the first German trench all attempts to further reinforce the attack failed. Most of the battalion could get no further than the original front line trenches where they remained all day, ending up with over 200 casualties. One of these was George Thomas who was killed.