Current Information:

Age-20

SDGW-WOOLMAN

Born-Whitechapel

Guards' Cemetery, Combles, Somme

Starting on 8th August, 1918, the Allies launched a series of offensives, collectively known as the Hundred Days Offensive, that resulted in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war by November. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked across the old Somme battlefield and on the Arras front causing the demoralised German Army to fall back on a daily basis while the French did the same thing further south.

By the beginning of September much of the territory that had been lost earlier in the year,  when the Germans had made spectacular gains in March and April, had been won back but the Allies relentless pressure did not falter. At 5.30am on 1st September, 140 Brigade of 47th Division attacked at Rancourt, a few miles south of Bapaume on the road to Péronne. The 21st London and 15th London battalions led the attack with 17th London in support. The operation was a complete success and the men of 140 Brigade got as far as the enemy system west of St Pierre Vaast wood. The casualties sustained by 17th London, which mainly arose from machine-guns firing on their left flank from Priez Farm, included Emanuel Wollman.