farmerdave
master brummie
This week marks the centenary of the Battle of Loos in Northern France. It commenced on September 25th 1915 and ran on for 2-3 weeks although it was at its most intensive for the first 3 days. Generally now regarded as a disaster, there were between 50,000 and 60,000 British casualties (dead, wounded and missing) and an estimate of 20,000 British dead. It was the biggest battle, at that time, since the beginning of WW1. Gas (chlorine) was used for the first time by the British but it blew back into the British lines rendering many of the attacking troops ineffective. Jack Kipling, the son of Rudyard Kipling was killed in the battle. He was 18-years old. 17 Victoria Crosses were won in the battle. My grandfather, William Farmer, from Whitehouse Street, Aston, was in the battle, fighting with the King's Royal Rifles. He wrote a few lines in a diary about the battle: "September 24th, in trenches at Vermelles, showery; Sept. 25th, charged the German trenches at 6.30 am, got to barbed wire, lost heavily, retired, went again, lost again. German trenches taken about 4.0 pm, we advanced as far as Loos, dug ourselves in all night, raining. Sept. 26th, got relieved at 5.0 am, retired to our own trenches, raining."
My grandfather survived the Battle of Loos but was killed near Arras in April 1916. Dave.
My grandfather survived the Battle of Loos but was killed near Arras in April 1916. Dave.
