Current Information:

Age-24

60, Cromwell Road, Upper Holloway

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle   10-13 March, 1915

During the winter of 1914-1915, reinforcements had arrived on the Western Front both from Britain and India and the British were now able to mount their first offensive of the war. Using the Indian Army Corps and IV Corps, they tried to break through the German lines at Neuve Chapelle in France

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.

On 12th March the enemy counter attacked. At 4.30am a bombardment fell along the whole front of Indian and IV Corps and at 5am the German infantry advanced as day began to break.  The attack against 24 Brigade of 8th Division was directed against the Road Triangle and the northern part of Neuve Chapelle and was brought to a halt by the rapid fire of the 2nd East Lancashire, 1st Worcestershire and 2nd Northamptonshire battalions. Following this, elements of all three of these battalions occupied the German trench along the Mauquissart road but were then hit by their own artillery fire which was still registering on this line and were forced to evacuate the position. One of the casualties during this day of heavy fighting was Edwin Slarke of 2nd East Lancashire.