Current Information:

2, Sainsbury Road, Upper Norwood

Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, France

On 30th December, 1916 the 9th East Surrey battalion of 72 Brigade, 24th Division moved into the front line at Hulluch, just to the north of Loos and Lens in France. At 7.30am on 1st January, 1917, the enemy began shelling their positions, something they continued to do all morning and for some of the afternoon as well. They also plastered the trenches with their large trench mortars, minenwerfers or ‘minnies’ as the British called them and these did further damage. Six men, one of whom was Ernest Billings, were killed and another six wounded.