Military History

Edgar is listed as being killed in action on 25th March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive. The 1st/5th Battalion war diary entry for 25th March is transcribed below and reveals that Edgar was killed in action leading a counter attack against enemy forces.

Sapignies Ridge - 25 Mar 1918: About 6am the 4^th Lincolns on the left were attacked and the Battn assisted in driving off the attack. About 8am All Coys reports that the enemy were massing in front of Mory. Later a smoke screen of were shells and bombs mixed with gas was put up in front of the Battn to screen his advance. Our artillery opened fire. The attack came round the right flank of the Battn.

About 11 am Lt Col Holberton himself went round the lines and found that B Coys left flank was in danger. A subsection of the 1/8th Lancs Fusiliers was taken up and shown the direction of a proposed counter attack. Meanwhile a message arrived from at Bn HQ from OC ‘B’ Coy that the enemy was round his flank.

Capt. & Adjt E.E. Jenkins MC gathered together all available men at HQ and stragglers from other Regiments and led forward this party over the open on the right of the Sapignies road running through H.3.C. Capt. Jenkins was killed and his party broken up. Lt. H.R. Waugh who was his got back half an hour later after a counter attack by 1/8th Lancs Fus.

After this about 1pm news came that Binucourt to the right rear was in the hands of the enemy. Lt Col. Holberton then decided, after getting into communication with Bde, to withdraw to the Gomiecourt Ridge. G.6.8.5.S. to G.12.8.5. A Coy had apparently very heavy casualties and only about 20 men succeeded in getting back.

Here a line was dug. C Coy. which did not get the message to withdraw owing to all means of communication failing, held on until 3 pm, when both flanks were found to be in the air and being heavily fired on from the village of Behagnies in the immediate rear. The Coy succeeded in withdrawing with only slight casualties and rejoined the rest of the Battn, taking up a position on the left of the Battn with the remains of other Divisions again on the left and about a Company of Middlesex Regt about 100 yds to the left front. After this everything was quiet until midnight when it was found that the troops of other Divisions on the left had withdrawn without warning the Battalion leaving a gap of about 800 yards.

Approx Casualties 9 Officers and 236 Other Ranks