Current Information:

Age-18

Born-Brighton

Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-au-Bois, France

Throughout the autumn of 1918 the Germans were being steadily pushed back all along the line, from Flanders to the Somme. As a result of the Battle of Cambrai, fought during the first week of October, 1918, they were evicted from the Hindenburg Line and fell back to the River Selle where they hurriedly prepared a new defensive line. The British Army followed  behind them and by the 17th October they were in a position to attack. They did so at 5.20 that morning along a ten mile front running south of the town of Le Cateau. Three days later there was a similar attack north of Le Cateau. Once more the German Army retreated and by the end of the Battle of the Selle on 25th October, they were back to a line between Valenciennes and the Sambre and Oise Canal.

On 23rd October there was a combined offensive by the British Fourth, Third and First Armies towards the Sambre Canal, Le Quesnoy and Valenciennes. 18th Division attacked on the left flank of Fourth Army with the Forêt de Mormal, which had been crossed by the British Army during the Great Retreat of August 1914,  as their objective. 53 and 54 Brigades led the attack across ground that fell gently for one thousand yards to the Richemont Stream, which the Germans had covered by trench mortars and machine-guns in Evillers Wood and le Corbeau farms, and then rose more steeply to a plateau, The enemy were in strong positions here but after some hard fighting, the second objective of the day had been reached at which stage 55 Brigade passed through to go on and take the final objectives. The 8th East Surrey battalion captured le Fayt Farm while on their left the 7th East Kent (Buffs) battalion took Epinette Farm. Both battalions then went on to capture the village of Bousies, which was finally cleared of the enemy by 8.30 that evening. Throughout their advance they had been subjected to artillery and machine-gun fire, both of which had taken their toll. Among those killed was Ernest Tilston of 8th East Surrey.