Current Information:

Age-19

23, Chesson Road, West Kensington

At the beginning of 1915, 3rd Division were holding a section of the line south of Ypres and on 16th January, 1915,  the  4th Royal Fusiliers battalion of 9 Brigade, moved into the front line where they remained until relieved on 20th January. The battalion diary records this period as being “quiet” but with the trenches in a very bad condition after much heavy rain and on 19th January, the day on which Joseph Fletcher was killed, the battalion diary recorded nothing other than it being a foggy day. 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.