Current Information:

Born-Plumstead

The 24th London battalion arrived in France in March, 1915 to become part of 142 Brigade of the newly formed 47th Division. But first they were attached to 1st Division to undergo trench warfare training at Richebourg-St Vaast with the 1st South Wales Borderers and 2nd Welsh battalions. It was here on 22nd April that Thomas Gray was killed, one of the battalion’s first casualties. The  battalion diary provides no information concerning his death but the attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.