Current Information:

Age-30

30, Linsey Street, Bermondsey

Born-Tottenham

Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, France

The Battle of Armentières  12th October-2nd November 1914

The official History pinpoints the battle of Armentières to a series of battles that took place between the river Douve and a line between Estaires and Foumers. It was part of the Race to the Sea and it determined the line of the Western Front in that sector. It was fought by III Corps which consisted of 4th and 6th Divisions as well as 19 Brigade.

On 20th October the Germans attacked British troops on the Lille Ridge when all three Brigades of 6th Division were attacked along the line Radinghem-Ennetières-Prèmesques-Epinette.  Between 7 and 8 am their trenches were heavily shelled followed by German infantry attack which came on in bounds covered by machine guns. 18 Brigade took the brunt of this attack in the salient in front on Ennetières but there were also some hard fighting for the other units of 6th Division, including the 1st Royal Fusiliers battalion of 17 Brigade when the enemy made a rush between their position and that of their neighbours, 3rd Rifle Brigade. They managed to hold their ground but were then subjected to shelling and sniping for the rest of the day which resulted in many casualties. They were relieved from these positions on 23rd October and moved back to trenches at Rue Petillon where they remained through to November. One of their casualties was Ernest Eaves who died from wounds on 6th November.and who may have been one of the twenty casualties suffered by the battalion on 5th November when there was some heavy shelling of their trenches.