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Enlisted-Handel Street, Bloomsbury

The Battle of Arras was a series of offensives by the British Army between 9th April 1917 and 16th May 1917. It had been planned in conjunction with the French who would attack in Artois and between them the Allies would force the Germans out of the large salient they had held since the line of trenches was first established. But the Germans had spoiled this plan by falling back to the new and very strong Hindenburg Line in January 1917 and the salient no longer existed.  For the want of an alternative plan the attack went ahead anyway. It all started well for the British who made substantial gains on the first two days but then the offensive ground to a halt and by the end their losses amounted to over 150,000.

The Battles of Bullecourt, a village a few miles south-east of Arras, were a flanking attack designed to assist the main thrust at Arras and to capture parts of the Hindenburg Line. It was largely an Australian show, but British divisions were involved as well, including 58th Division, made up of second line London territorial units, that had arrived in France in February 1917. During the night of 12th-13th May, 1917, 2/3rd London  of 173 Brigade moved up to the front line trenches at Bullecourt to relieve a battalion of Australian 14 Brigade. The relief was not completed until 7.30am and was accompanied by heavy shell fire which continued throughout the day and resulted in nearly forty casualties for 2/3rd London. One of these was Frank Knight.