Current Information:

Age-27

59, Brenton Street, Limehouse

Born-Whitechapel

Aubers Ridge British Cemetery, France

The 2nd Scottish Rifles battalion of  23 Brigade, 8th Division arrived in France with the rest of the division on 5th November, 1914 and first moved into the trenches on 14th November, south-west of Messines. During the last 10 days of the month they were either in trenches at Chatigny or in billets in Estaires. Henry Cobley was killed on 27th November, 1914, a day on which 2nd Scottish Rifles relieved the 2nd Devonshire battalion in these trenches but the battalion diary provides no further information concerning his death. The attrition rate among British soldiers on the Western Front was on average 300 each day and 60% of these were as a result of shellfire. When not involved in an actual battle it was either shell fire or a sniper’s bullet that caused most deaths and injuries.