Military History

Eric is listed as being killed in action on 8th May 1918. The 10th battalion war diary entries for the 7th & 8th May are transcribed below:

Front Lines - Vlamertinghe - 7 May 1918: In the evening B & D Coys worked on a line of slits from H.14.c.9.0 to H.20.c.0.8 under orders of 81st Field Coy R.E. from 9pm to 12 midnight.

Front Lines - Vlamertinghe - 8 May 1918: The day was quiet. Throughout the night a 4.5" How Battery 50 yards west of the Farm House occupied by Battn HQ was intermittently shelled with H.E and Gas. At. 3.15am a heavy are shoot commenced on battery positions in H.20.C & A and H.14.c developed into a heavy gas bombardment, 8" gas shells were chiefly employed.

One of the first shells landed in a barn occupied by Bn HQ and D Coy which caused a large number of casualties, in which Lt Lander and 2/Lt Lt Richards were included (the only officers there were in D Coy). Only 2 men were killed all the other casualties were wounded and gassed. The heavy shelling ceased at 4.30am but was resumed at intervals during the day. At 9.00am the Bttn HQ moved to a short line of trench 100 yards east of farm where they were just outside the area shot at.

B Coy which was on slits east of MILLEKAPELLEKEN Farm H.19.G..9.0 also suffered casualties and had to move their Coy HQ to 120 yards east of Farm House. Total casualties to noon on the 8th:- Killed 2 OR (including Eric). Wounded Lt Lander, Lt Oakley; 2/Lt Richards and 48 OR.