Current Information:

Enlisted-Kingston

Throughout the winter of 1915-1916, a particularly cold and wet one, 7th East Surrey of 37 Brigade, 12th Division  had been in the line in northern France, mainly in the Loos sector where there was still much aggressive action by both sides following the Battle of Loos in September and October of 1915. One particularly hotly contested spot was the infamous Hohenzollern Redoubt, just to the east of the village of Vermelles and on 10th March, 1916, 7th East Surrey moved into the front line trenches here. The Battalion Diary recorded only that the enemy launched a bombing raid on a post in “C” Crater in the evening but that this was repelled. It makes no mention of any casualties but three men from the battalion were killed on this day, one of them being Alfred Barnsdale.