Current Information:

Enlisted-Wood Green

Carnoy Military Cemetery, France

On 20th April, 1916, 12th Middlesex of 54 Brigade, 18th Division, moved into the front line at Maricourt on the Somme. A raid on the German lines was planned for the early hours of 27th April, but things did not go according to plan. Shortly before midnight on 26th April, with the raiding party in place, an alarm was raised that the enemy had crossed no-man’s land and were in the British trenches. This proved to be a false alarm but an SOS was sent to the artillery and a bombardment of these trenches started. The mistake was soon realised and the bombardment ceased but the raid had been considerably disrupted and a number of casualties had been sustained. The artillery began their bombardment in support of the raid at 1.30am but after a false start, it was not until after 2am that the raiding party moved out and when they got to the German wire, which was still intact, the bombardment was over. They came under fierce fire and all they were able to do was throw some grenades into the enemy trenches before retiring with their wounded and leaving two men dead behind. In total 7 men were wounded and 4 were killed, one of whom was Edward Ayling.