Current Information:

Born-Spitalfields

Croisilles British Cemetery, France

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.

On 23rd August the fighting was extended further north to the area just to the south of Arras in an attack between the Rivers Sensée and Scarpe as. On that day 56th Division entered the battle and 168 Brigade successfully attacked the villages of Boyelles and Boiry Becquerelle. That night, 167 Brigade took over the new front line and at 7am on the following morning, 24th August, the 8th Middlesex, 7th Middlesex and 1st London battalions attacked Summit Trench which was about one mile away and covered the village of Croisilles. The advance met with limited opposition, mainly from isolated machine-gun posts which were soon dealt with and by 10am Summit Trench had been taken. 167 Brigade were not so fortunate when they resumed the attack at 7.30 that evening with their objective being Croisilles itself and the trench system there which was part of the Hindenburg line. Between Summit Trench and the village there was a low ridge and any attempt to cross it met with fierce fire. The artillery barrage protecting the advance was not as strong as it had been that morning and a stout defence by the enemy meant that attack broke down. Some troops managed to advance some 500 yards, but they could get no further and eventually were forced to fall back to Summit Trench to lick their wounds and count their dead, of which there were many. One of these was Moss Solomons of 8th Middlesex.