Current Information:

Age-21

15, St Ann's Road, Barking

Rue-du-Bacquerot (13London) Graveyard, Laventie, France

Arriving in France in November 1914, the 13th London (Kensingtons) battalion joined 25 Brigade of 8th Division. During the first winter of the war, 8th Division held a sector of the front line, some 8000 yard in length, just south of Laventie. By this stage of the war, the great movements of men and arms that had characterised the first three months of fighting and which had resulted in the great battles of the Marne and the Aisne  and at Ypres, were over and trench warfare was the order of the day. But the trenches in this sector were little more than water-filled ditches as 13th London found out when they moved into them for the first time. On the evening of 18th November half the battalion relieved 2nd Berkshire in 600 yards of trenches south-east of Fauquissart. It was wet and cold and very muddy and to add to their woes German machine guns and artillery were active. For the rest of the winter this was to be their fate. Half the battalion in the front line for three days and then relief by the other half for their three day stint. Casualties mounted up and included Walter Hollick who was killed on 21st December.