Current Information:

20, Slaidburn Street, Chelsea

Born-Battersea

Ration Farm (La Plus Douve) Annexe, Belgium

On 28th February, 1915, the 1st East Surrey battalion of 14 Brigade, 5th Division moved into the front line trenches at Messines to the south of Ypres where they remained until relieved on 3rd March. George Westbrook was killed on their first day here when the battalion diary recorded that it was a quiet day of heavy snow and that their casualties were two men killed and another wounded. 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.