Current Information:

Age-38

241a, Strone Road, Manor Park

Chauny Communal Cemetery, France

When the German offensive started on 21st March 175th Brigade,  58th Division were on the extreme right of the Fifth Army, south of the River Oise and although subjected to some heavy artillery fire, they were not attacked. Despite this, the brigade, which included the  2/10th London battalion began a steady retreat as the enemy kept up their pressure and pushed the British front back across the old Somme battlefield, almost to the gates of Amiens. By 1st April they were at Buttes de Rouy, where, two days later, their camp was heavily bombarded in the afternoon during which two men were killed. The retreat continued and that evening they fell back to Le Mesnil where they were billeted in caves and on 4th April they moved to Laversine. On 5th April they entrained at Longpont and were taken back to Longeau, just to the east of Amiens.

According to records Ernest Dowsett was killed on 5th April, but in the confusion of the time, it is more likely that he was killed earlier, perhaps during the bombardment on 3rd April, and that his death was not recorded until later.