Current Information:

Age-22

44, Werrington Street, Euston

Roclincourt Military Cemetery, France

Arras-28th March, 1918

On 28th March, 1918, a week after the Germans had begun their devastating Spring offensive on the Somme where the British were still in full retreat, they attacked again. Operation Mars was launched astride the River Scarpe at Arras by their Seventeenth Army with the full weight of the powerful German artillery behind it. The tactics were basically the same as on 21st March; an overwhelming artillery barrage followed by infantry attacks by storm troopers penetrating as far as possible the British defences causing maximum confusion. But this time things were different. There was no early morning fog to hide the German advance and the British, having learnt from the events of a week earlier and knowing that the attack was coming, concentrated their troops in the Battle Zone rather than the Forward Zone where the copious use of barbed wire and stubborn resistance prevented the enemy from penetrating further. Despite all this there were many casualties among the defenders faced with such a powerful assault, but the Germans also lost heavily and Operation Mars was soon called off.

The 56th (London) Division, in the line around Gavrelle just to the north of Arras, were one of the divisions that met the full force of the German attack. Along with 4th Division on their right they were confronted by seven enemy divisions some of whom were able to penetrate the shallow valley that lay between the two British divisions. 168 and 169 Brigades were in the front line held by 56th Division and although the strength of the bombardment and the following infantry attacks drove them back out of the Forward Zone, the enemy was unable to break through the defences in the Battle Zone and the attack got no further. 167 Brigade were in reserve and the 1st London battalion suffered some casualties from the artillery bombardment which began at 3.30am and which targeted the rear positions as well as the Forward Zone. One of these casualties was Arthur Howland.