Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	British War & Victory Medals	Ploegsteert Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
After May 1916	~	Tanworth-in-Arden
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of Hazebrouck (Battle of the Lys)	May 1916 at Solihull	~
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Pacault Wood, NW of Bethune	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

On the 15th April 1918 the battalion where in the front lines at Hinges and were ordered to take part in an attack on Pacault Wood, in order to try and prevent the German's using the wood for gathering up for an attack under cover of the trees. The attack ultimately failed due to heavy casualties caused by a combination of the allies our own artillery barrage falling short and then creeping over their own lines, an enemy counter barrage and enemy machine gun fire from the far end of wood. The war diary speaks on many acts of bravery by the officers and men but they suffered casualties of 7 officers and 225 other ranks being killed, missing or wounded, including Richard.

Also killed in this action was Arthur James Rathbone of Southam