Current Information:

Age-25

Enlisted-Stepney

After their heavy losses on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, 8th Division were swiftly withdrawn from that arena in order to recover and reorganise and by the end of July, 1916, they were holding the line in the old Loos battlefield of 1915. During the night of 25th-26th August, 1916, 2nd Rifle Brigade of 25 Brigade,  launched a raid against the German lines in the Hulluch sector. On the previous day the enemy wire had been cut by the artillery which allowed the three companies that took part in the raid easy access to the German front line trenches. But from then on, things did not go to plan. The enemy were now operating  a ‘defence in depth’  system which meant that their front line was only very lightly held and as soon as the raiders entered it the German artillery barrage hit them hard. They sustained over 130 casualties before returning to their own lines without making any contact with the enemy. Among those who were killed was Henry Raynham.