On the 9th May 1915 the British First Army, under the Command of Sir Douglas Haig, took part in a joint offensive with the French known as the 2nd Battle of Artois. The focus of the British attack was Aubers Ridge, which is an area around 3km long of slightly raised ground in mostly flat terrain.

The German trenches were subject to a 40 minute artillery bombardment prior to the attack, which did little to weaken the strong defences they had built there. The attack commenced in the early morning, and as the regiments moved across no man’s land they were cut down by machine gun fire in their thousands.

The attack stalled, and was called off by 10th May. The British had suffered approximately 11,000 killed or wounded. German losses are estimated to have been less than 1,000.

This article is an excellent read if you want to know more about the Battle of Aubers Ridge.

The 24 men shown above were among those that died, and all lived in Hastings, St Leonards and Guestling.

Further details and links to their pages on this website are below:

Private Ernest Beney | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private Charles Ernest Bissenden | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Frederick Owen Brazier | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private George Leonard Cox | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Rifleman Albert George Ellis | Rifle Brigade | St Leonards
Private John Albert Frank Eustes | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private Charles Edward Gander | Royal Sussex Regiment | Ore
Private Henry Stephen Glazier | Royal Sussex Regiment | Ore
Private William Thomas Griffiths | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private Thomas Joseph Jenner | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Wilfred Lawson Judge | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Sergeant Arthur Lavender | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Arthur William Lennard | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private Arthur Lloyd | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Sergeant Arthur George Moore | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private Henry James Morfee | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Edward James Paddon | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Arthur Cain Shanks | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Alfred Mark Smale | Royal Sussex Regiment | Ore
Private Thomas Stone | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Lance Corporal John Wisdom P Sutton | Royal Sussex Regiment | St Leonards
Private John Veness | Royal Sussex Regiment | Hastings
Private Thomas George Wells | Royal Sussex Regiment | Guestling
Private George Alfred Winborn | Royal Sussex Regiment | Ore