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The Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Between 10th and 13th March, 1915, the Indian Army Corps and IV Corps attacked the village of Neuve Chapelle in the Artois region of France. During the winter of 1914-1915, reinforcements had arrived from Britain and this was seen as an opportunity to use them to break through the German lines.

It started well. At 7.30am on 10th March, a 30 minute hurricane bombardment destroyed the German wire and front line trenches and at 8.05am the infantry went in. Neuve Chapelle was captured and over a mile of the German line taken. But that was the end of the success.  The British chain of command was weak and their communications poor, which was hardly surprising given that many of the troops had no previous experience of battle. The Germans re-organised and reinforced during the night and no further gains were made. British casualties mounted to 12,000 by the time the offensive petered out on 13th March.

At 8.05am on 10th March, the Garwhal Brigade led the attack by the Meerut Division of the Indian Corps and reached a line running along the Layes Brook. However there remained a 200 yard gap between the 2nd Leicestershire and the 39th Garhwal Rifles battalions which the enemy tried to exploit. By 10am the supporting battalions including the 4th Seaforth Highlanders of the Dehra Dun Brigade, had moved up to the original British front line to the La Bassée-Estaires road. Brigade HQ was established in houses on the southern edge of the village and the men deployed along the Port Arthur to Neuve Chapelle  road.

The following day, 11th March, two companies of 4th Seaforth Highlanders, moved forward to the front line to join the Gurkhas and wile they were there they came under German artillery and sniper fire. After dark  Dehra Dun Brigade withdrew to a position behind the Garwhal Brigade to escape this fire and ended the day behind the La Bassee-Estaires road. The 4th Seaforth Highlanders were mainly recruited from men living in London who had been unable to join the London Scottish battalion and one of their casualties during this battle was William Humberstone who was killed on 11th March.