Current Information:

Born-Limehouse

Essex Farm Cemetery, Belgium

In January, 1916, 20th Division, moved north to the Ypres salient and on 10th February, 59 Brigade took over the right of the divisional front, the Turco Farm sector, that ran from Krupp Farm to a point south-east of the Morteldje Estaminet. Here the trenches were in a  terrible condition. There was no continuous line, just a series of isolated sections that had escaped annihilation and riddled with shell craters. The parapet was but waist high and there were no communication trenches so during daylight hours the men had to stay where they were. This was the exact opposite of the German trenches which rested on a series of concrete blockhouses. The whole brigade worked nightly to improve the line using 4 tons of material each night. 10th Rifle Brigade moved into the front line here on 18th February and although the relief was a quiet one, both sides commenced artillery action at daybreak on 19th February and presumable it was this that caused the deaths of 2 men from the battalion, one of whom was Andrew Robertson.