Current Information:

Age-31

6, Bexhill Road, East Sheen

Attached from Royal Army Service Corps

Boves East Communal Cemetery, France

After having been on the defensive since March 1918, by August of that year the Allies were ready to move to the attack and on 8th August, The Battle of Amiens began, a battle that marked the beginning of what came to be known as the Hundred Day Offensive that culminated in the collapse of the German army and the end of the war. British, Australian and Canadian troops attacked on a wide front that stretched about eighteen miles from Morlancourt, north of the River Somme to the Amiens-Roye road while the French launched their own offensive to the south in the Battle of Montdidier. At 4.20am  on 8th August, aided by early morning mist and backed by 900 guns, 600 tanks and 2000 aircraft the assault was unleashed on the unsuspecting Germans many of whom surrendered straight away. Their resistance stiffened as the day progressed but despite this the Allied forces advanced about 7 miles by nightfall, in some cases further, but far less spectacular gains were made over the next three days until the battle ended on 11th August. Losses had been enormous on both sides. British, Australian and Canadian casualties amounted to 19,000 but the Germans lost 26,000, including 12,000 taken prisoner, an awful blow that prompted Ludendorff, the German supremo, to call it the ‘Black Day’ of the German Army.

32nd Division was attached to the Canadian Corps which, on 8th August, attacked on the right of the British front with the dividing line between them and  French troops on their right, being the long, straight Amiens to Roye road. To begin with 32nd Division was in reserve but on 10th August they were brought into the action when at 8am they passed through the line already reached and attacked the line of the railway that ran from Roye, through Hattencourt to Hallu. On the front allotted to 96 Brigade, the 15th Lancashire Fusiliers and the 16th Lancashire Fusiliers battalions led the way, followed by the 2nd Manchester battalion. At first the advance over open ground was relatively easy but when they reached the old trench area they encountered heavy machine-gun fire. Nevertheless they continued on and by 9.30am they had captured Wood 101 South, with two machine-guns in it, less than a mile east of le Quesnoy. An hour later they had reached the cross roads on the Roye road to Andechy and Parvillers where they came under very heavy fire from Square Wood, Middle Wood and Parvillers. A determined rush captured Square Wood but some heavy shelling and a German counter attack drove them back to the cross roads where they consolidated a position and remained until relieved. One of the casualties suffered by 15th Lancashire Fusiliers during this fighting was William Watson who was killed in action on 11th August.