Here is a continuation from the summer edition of Littleport Life focusing on men from Littleport who died in the Great War.
By now the war had descended into stalemate with trench lines developing on both sides and stretching from the Belgian coast near Ostend to the Swiss border at Belfort. The trenches were far from complete and both sides continued to make attacks in an effort to break the stalemate.
The first British offensive on the Western Front was the battle of Neuve-Chapelle from 10-13 March. The best-known British offensive was the invasion of Turkey at Gallipoli by combined British Empire and French forces both Military and Naval. On the Western Front, on 22 April, the German Fourth Army used poison gas (chlorine) against French Forces in an effort to break through the line at Ypres. Canadian forces filled the gap and the Germans were unable to achieve their aims.
September 1915 saw the last major offensive of 1915 with the Battle of Loos. British casualties amounted to 43,000 during the course of the battle.
During 1915 the following Littleport men died:
- 22 Feb 1915 Pte W Porter, 2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment, died in trenches at Vierstraat and is commemorated on Panel 21 of the Menin Gate, Ieper, Belgium
- 27 April 1915 Pte WGM Theobald, 14th Battalion Australian Imperial Force, killed in action at Gallipoli and buried at Quinn’s Post cemetery Gallipoli, Turkey.
- 28 April 1915 Pte H Pledger, 1st Battalion Kings Own Scottish Borderers, killed in action during first battle of Krithia, Gallipoli. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial to the Missing, Gallipoli.
- 8 May 1915 Pte H Bacon, 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment, Pte J Key, 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment, and Pte W Youngs, 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment. All 3 were killed in action during the battle of Frezenberg Ridge. They were part of over 400 casualties on that day and they are commemorated on Panel 21 of the Menin Gate, Ieper, Belgium.
- 8 May 1915 b{Pte JW Scotting}, 1st Battalion PPCLI. Also killed in action at the battle of Frezenberg Ridge. Commemorated on Panel 10 of the Menin Gate, Ieper, Belgium.
- 27 Aug 1915 Pte N Knightall killed by artillery fire in trenches near Ieper. He is buried in Grave 15, Row D, Plot1, of Larch Wood (Railway Cutting) Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium.
- 6 Sept 1915 Gunner JW Taylor, ‘O’Battery, RHA died of wounds received on 1 Sept. He is buried in Merville Communal Cemetery, France.
In the next edition of Littleport Life I will start on the list of men who died in 1916.