Current Information:

Born-Isle of Wight

Enlisted-London

At the start of the war the 2nd East Lancashire battalion were in South Africa but they soon returned to England where they joined 24 Brigade of 8th Division. The division landed in France on 5th November, 1914 and on 18th November 2nd East Lancashire moved into the trenches at Pont-du-Hem, a small hamlet between Estaires and Neuve-Chapelle. On 1st December, 1914, they moved forward into trenches at Pont Logy near Neuve-Chapelle where they remained until relieved at 5pm on 4th December. Before their relief arrived the rifle fire between the opposing trenches had increased during the afternoon and the enemy had brought a machine-gun into play which had knocked down part of the parapet and destroyed some loopholes. At some stage during the day Edmund Ball had been killed.