Current Information:

Age-22

Born-Lambeth

Lillers Communal Cemetery, France

The Battle of Festubert (15–25 May 1915)

This followed quickly on the heels of  the Battle of Aubers Ridge and was an offensive operation by the British Army in the Artois region of France in conjunction with a French attack further south.  Initial success soon ground to a halt and although there had been an advance of two miles in some places the end result was not the hoped for breakout but merely more muddy trenches which became the front line. British casualties over the ten days amounted to nearly 17,000, three times as many as inflicted on the Germans.

The Battle of Festubert was preceded by a three day bombardment of the enemy positions and  at 11.30pm on 16th May, 7th Division attacked using 20 and 22 Brigades and although they finally managed to secure most of their objectives they did so at a terrible cost in casualties. The next day it was the turn of 21 Brigade. At 2pm, 2nd Wiltshire and 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers attacked eastwards towards La Quinque Rue between the Orchard and the cross roads south of Ferme Cour d’Avoué.  On the right 2nd Wiltshire managed to occupy the northern section of the breastworks there but had to abandon this when they met concentrated flanking fire from previously unknown German positions.  2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers suffered heavily at the hands of 2nd Division’s artillery which fell short among their ranks and stopped them from going forward. At 7.30pm, 2nd Bedfordshire and 4th Cameron Highlanders, attacked in a south-east direction towards the southern section of the breastworks near Rue d’Ouvert.  which had just been reinforced by two companies of German troops.  Their attack took them across 400 yards of no-man’s-land where the 12 inch high grass concealed a number of broad dykes into which some men fell and drowned.  About 200 of 4th Cameron Highlanders managed to enter the breastwork but 2nd Bedfordshire met such heavy rifle and machine gun fire which, combined with the many obstacles in their path, prevented them from reaching the objective and eventually they fell back to their starting line to lick their wounds. That night they tried again but once more were unable to achieve anything except more casualties which by now numbered nearly 500 killed, wounded or missing. One of these was Arthur Cox who died of wounds on 19th May.