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On 20th February, 1915, the 1st Royal West Kent battalion of 13 Brigade, 5th Division, moved into the front line at Zillebeke in the Ypres salient. During the morning of 22nd February the enemy began a furious artillery barrage accompanied by heavy rifle fire on the battalion’s trenches and during the afternoon the left hand trenches, held by ‘B’ Company came under trench mortar fire and some of them had to be evacuated. Surprisingly the Germans did not launch an infantry attack and with the assistance of support troops the line was stabilised and that evening 1st Royal West Kent were relieved. However, the heavy fighting during the day had resulted in the deaths of eighteen of the battalion with another nineteen wounded. One of those killed was John Graham.