Current Information:

Age-32

54, Barclay Street, Euston Square

Attached from 6th Cornwall Light Infantry

The German offensive of 21st March, 1918

With an end to the fighting on the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution, Germany was able to bring its troops from there to France and launch a series of offensives in the Spring of 1918, designed to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Four times between March and July they attacked in strength and on each occasion they broke through the British and French lines and made spectacular gains but in each case they over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further.The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, was made on 21st March by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state

At 4.40am the German artillery opened up with the most ferocious and concentrated bombardment of the war, the likes of which the British had never experienced before. The Forward Zone, consisting mainly of individual posts was blown away. Very few of the men there made it back. Many were killed and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle Zone was also battered as were the British guns, firing from positions just to the rear. Brigade and Divisional HQs were targeted as well and then, from out of the thick mist came the German storm troopers. Moving fast, they skirted round the few remaining strongholds and penetrated deep into the British lines, including those of the Battle Zone, causing the utmost confusion. There were many cases of heroic stands being made but the relentless pressure forced the British back everywhere and there then began a general retreat that went on for two weeks and which ceded to the Germans a huge amount of territory, including all of that that had been won at such great cost during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

The Labour Corps was formed in February, 1917 and brought under its command the existing labour and pioneer battalions. They operated in many different areas; some units remaining in the United Kingdom, others employed at the various channel ports where all supplies were landed and some worked close to the front line. Their ranks were made up from labourers and skilled and semi-skilled workers and although they were trained to fight as infantrymen, their role was one of trench construction, road making and building. However this did not mean that they were not in danger. Their work often brought them within range of the German artillery and when their division was under extreme pressure, they could be used as fighting battalions as a result of which there were a number of casualties among their ranks. They were not obliged to keep unit diaries so it is often very difficult to trace their movements and activities.

On 21st March,1918 there were many Companies from the Labour Corps that were caught up in first the tremendous artillery bombardment and then the rapid infantry advance and they suffered many casualties, including Oscar Taylor of the 12th Company operating near Arras.