Current Information:

Age-26

Born-Bow

Enlisted-Stratford

Vailly British Cemetery, France

After the opening battles of the war at Mons on 23rd August, 1914 and Le Cateau on 26th August, the British Army (BEF), in conjunction with the French Army, began a retreat that took them all the way back to the River Marne, 200 miles to the south. With the Germans in hot pursuit they were forced to fight a series of rear guard actions as they fell back in extremely hot weather. The Great Retreat, as it became known, came to an end on 5th September, 1914 when the allied forces attacked along the River Marne and drove the Germans back to the River Aisne.

On 10^th September, 1st Division advanced from Le Thiolet to Courchamps with 2 Brigade leading.  The cavalry reported that there were some Germans in position beyond Priez, two miles north of Courchamps on the north side of the Alland, a small stream in a wide valley.  The 2nd Royal Sussex and 1st Northamptonshire battalions moved through Priez and deployed but on descending into the Alland valley they met heavy artillery and rifle fire.  To add to their woes they were then hit hard by their own artillery and shortly after this they moved back to Priez. One of those who did not survive was Albert Cohen.