Current Information:

Age-19

155, Crealock Street, Wandsworth

In May, 1918, 74th Division arrived in France from Palestine and joined the Fifth Army on the Lys. By August, the planned German offensive here and further north had been postponed after their setback during the Second Battle of the Marne and rather than moving to the attack, they were actually withdrawing from some of their salients and exposed forward positions. The British, including 74th Division, moved forward into these vacated positions and there was some heavy fighting which, although rather overshadowed by events further south on the Somme, brought further pressure to bear on the German high command.

A concerted Allied advance began here on 6th August in which the 10th East Kent (Buffs) battalion of 230 Brigade were involved. From their position near St Floris, seven miles south of Hazebrouck, they tried to push forward but could make little headway. Things improved over the next few days and by 9th August they had reached and crossed the River Lys. During the night of 12/13th August there was an organised attempt to move forward but German machine-guns plus the shell cratered land they had to cross in the dark prevented success and resulted in nearly thirty casualties among the battalion. One of these was Edwin Gibbard.