Current Information:

Born-Marylebone

The Battle of Albert was a continuation of the Battle of Amiens that had been fought earlier in the month and which had been the start of the Hundred Days Offensive that culminated in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war. On the first day, 21st August, the British Third Army attacked along a front that stretched over ten miles northwards from the town of Albert as far as Moyenneville and made significant advances everywhere.

37th Division had been involved in the battle on the opening day when 111 Brigade had captured the ground to the north of the village of Ablainzevelle, without too much difficulty. Two days later they attacked again when, 13th Rifle Brigade and 13th King’s Royal Rifle Corps attacked the villages of Achiet-le-Grand and Bihucourt. The Germans held a strong defensive position here, which included a railway embankment, and were under orders to hold this line at all costs. The first objective for 111 Brigade was a trench 200 yards beyond Achiet-le-Grand which meant that they had to cross the railway line and capture the village on their way. The second objective was the eastern edge of Bihucourt. Zero hour was 11am when, behind a powerful artillery barrage, the two battalions stormed forward over a slight ridge and then down a 1,500 yard slope. Within half an hour the first objective was taken after a fierce struggle on the railway embankment. Here the enemy had massed their machine-guns but the speed of the two battalions and the surprise of the attack proved successful. By 1pm a line had been consolidated 1000 yards east of the railway at which stage, 10th Royal Fusiliers moved up from support and the attack on the second objective got under way. An hour later Bihucourt had also been captured and the men of 111 Brigade dug in to the east of the village. The action had been a complete success with hundreds of prisoners and many guns captured but during the heavy fighting there had been casualties for 111 Brigade, one of whom was Francis Ramsden who was killed in action.