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Age-18

20, Dyssel Street, Dalston

The Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Between 10th and 13th March, 1915, the Indian Army Corps and IV Corps attacked the village of Neuve Chapelle in the Artois region of France. During the winter of 1914-1915, reinforcements had arrived from Britain and this was seen as an opportunity to use them to break through the German lines.

It started well. At 7.30am on 10th March, a 30 minute hurricane bombardment destroyed the German wire and front line trenches and at 8.05am the infantry went in. Neuve Chapelle was captured and over a mile of the German line taken. But that was the end of the success.  The British chain of command was weak and their communications poor, which was hardly surprising given that many of the troops had no previous experience of battle. The Germans re-organised and reinforced during the night and no further gains were made. British casualties mounted to 12,000 by the time the offensive petered out on 13th March.

On 10th March, 8th Division attacked with 23 and 25 Brigades. 24 Brigade was in reserve with orders to to carry on the attack once the first objectives had been taken and the 1st Worcestershire battalion were at Red Barn on the main Estaires-La Bassée road with a small trench mortar unit further forward in the front line, covering the advance of 25 Brigade. During the morning 1st Worcestershire moved forward to take up positions behind the breastworks at Rue Tilloye from where 25 Brigade had launched their attack and at 2pm two companies were sent forward to reinforce and occupy Point 6, a strongly fortified enemy post behind the enemy lines that had been captured by 23 Brigade. Once in position one of the companies was sent forward a further 60 yards to cover this post but the Germans brought up machine-guns and this covering party was forced to retire with heavy losses. At 4.30pm, 23 Brigade took over Point 6 and 1st Worcestershire returned to Rue Tilloye, At 5.30pm the battalion moved forward to fill a 200 yard gap between 1st Sherwood Foresters and 2nd Northamptonshire.

The attack was resumed on the next day but little progress was made and more names were added to the ever growing casualty list and then at 5.30am on 12th March the Germans delivered their counter-attack part of which was directed against the Road Triangle and the northern part of Neuve Chapelle.  This was held by 2nd Northamptonshire on the left, 200 yards from and facing the Nameless Cottages, 1st Worcestershire in the centre their right on the Sunken Road and 1st Sherwood Foresters on the right between the Sunken Road and the La Russie-Layes Bridge Road. 1st Worcestershire stopped the attack with rapid fire and then their flank company attacked from the north and a bayonet charge drove the enemy back to and out of the Nameless Cottages near the Pietre –Mauquissart road junction leaving  600 of their dead  behind. Some of 24 Brigade had occupied the German trench along the Mauquissart road after the German attack but had then suffered from their own artillery fire forcing them to evacuate under rifle and machine-gun fire crossfire which killed the CO of 1st Worcestershire.  The trench was not retaken. Plans to attack that night were cancelled and 1st Worcestershire were relieved and moved back to Rue Tilloye and then on 13th March they returned to their billets at Red Barn. Many of the battalion’s casualties during this battle, including George Baker, are recorded as being on 13th March when they were back in billets and when they had time to take stock. Their actual date of death would have been between 10th and 12th March.