Thank you for posting this, Melvyn. Today – the 22nd – is the 95th anniversary of the 11th Battalion Essex Regiment being ordered to counter-attack into the teeth of the German offensive. They never reached their jumping-off point for enemy fire, and some 10% of the battalion made its way back and out of the line four days later*.

My grandfather was one of the others – wounded and captured, not to return to the UK until December 31st.

We will remember them.

Adrian

* details from memory, so may be slightly wrong, but the idea is right.