Current Information:

Age-27

Born-Colchester

Enlisted-Warrington

Merville Communal Cemetery, France

Battle of Aubers Ridge- 9th May, 1915

On 9 May 1915 the British attacked north at Arras as part of the British contribution to the Second Battle of Artois, a Franco-British offensive. Their objective was the capture of Aubers Ridge but it turned into an unmitigated disaster. The German defences had been much improved since the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March and the British artillery, which was in a parlous condition, failed to destroy the German defences during the short and insufficient 40 minute bombardment that preceded the attack. Extra artillery had been requested but further to the north, the Second Battle of Ypres was being fought on a ferocious scale and none was forthcoming. The few initial gains could not be held and by the evening of 9 May, all the British forces were back where they started, except of course the dead who littered the battlefield. There were 11,000 casualties for the British Army.

23 Brigade of 8th Division were in reserve to the attack made by 24 and 25 Brigades of that division and at 7am the 2nd Devonshire battalion began moving up to the old front line trenches where confusion reigned after the initial failures. They came under heavy machine gun and artillery fire as they advanced and all attempts to further reinforce the attack failed. They reached the original front line trenches, which were now crowded with men falling back from the initial attack, but could go no further. Here they remained all day, ending up with over 200 casualties including Ernest Copsey who died from wounds on 12th May.