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Enlisted-London

Fins New British Cemetery, Sorel-le-Grand, France

The final chapter in Operation Michael, the German offensive that began on 21st March, 1918 came on 5th April by which time the British line had been sent reeling back many miles across the Somme countryside, abandoning all those places that had been won at such a cost in the summer of 1916. They now held a line in front of Amiens, protecting that city and its vital railway network. But by this time the British  been reinforced and their line had steadied whereas the Germans were not only worn out but had overextended their crucial supply lines. Nevertheless they were still a powerful force.

47th Division had been in the front line on 21st March and after only a short rest were back in it on 5th April, with 140 and 142 Brigades holding a line at Aveluy Wood. The 23rd London and 24th London battalions were in the line held by 142 Brigade but both were well below strength, 23rd London having only 350 officers and men available. The German attack here on 5th April, which employed three divisions, started with an artillery bombardment at 6.30am which was followed by an infantry assault at 8am. The  pressure and weight of fire on the front held by 142 Brigade was such as to force back the left of 23rd London and by 10.30am, D Company was completely surrounded and overwhelmed. An hour later the continuous fire from the left, forced the rest of the battalion to abandon the wood and fall back to a twelve foot high bank on its western edge. In the afternoon, a counter attack by the reserve battalion, 22nd London, was driven back by heavy machine-gun fire. On the following day, 23rd London remained in these positions near the edge of the wood but the enemy were unable to make any further inroads into their line and that night they were relieved and the survivors, numbering around 70, moved back to Warloy. Among the many casualties suffered by the battalion was Norman Rowsell who died from wounds on 7th April.