Military History

Louis is listed as being killed in action on 9th September 1916. The following description of the events for the period 7th to 10th Sepetember is taken from the book "Royal Hampshire Regiment 1914-1918 by C.T. Atkinson" - click here to purchase it.

September 7th brought orders [for the 11th Battalion] to take over the defences of Guillemont from the Irish Rifles, but the ‘defences’ were hard to discover, the trenches being almost obliterated, while shell-holes and a few dug-outs provided only a scanty shelter, so that the battalion, which had two days of severe shelling here, was really lucky to escape with under 40 casualties.

A fresh attack on Ginchy was fixed for September 9th, and as battalions were weak, recruits from Ireland being few, A and B Companies with four extra Lewis guns under Captain Stack were attached to the 47th Brigade, the rest of the 11th going back to Bernafay Wood. A and B had during the night to dig themselves in 300 yards behind the front line, held by the 6th Royal Irish, who were to lead the attack. It was timed for 4.45 p.m., and during a long day of waiting the two companies had to endure a good deal of shelling.

Casualties fortunately were not numerous, but Captain Stack was sniped when crossing the open to report to the O.C. of the 6th Connaught Rangers, under whose orders A and B had been placed.

A heavy machine-gun fire met the Royal Irish directly their first wave went forward; it seemed that the German first line had escaped our bombardment, for many machine-guns remained in action in it; the Hampshire, following the leaders, were also mown down in numbers; Captain Bland and three subalterns were hit at once, and to avoid annihilation the men could only seek what shelter they could in shell-holes. Lt. Shaw, however, helped by Lt. Durrant, brought small parties of the second wave forward by short rushes and reached a trench just short of the German line, in which he found many Royal Irish were sheltering.

Here they remained till about 7 p.m., pinned down by shell-fire, and then, as the light failed, a fresh rush carried the surviving attackers into the enemy’s front line. This they held for some time till a strong counter-attack forced them back to the trench where Lt. Shaw’s party had sheltered and here they checked the enemy. But if itself unsuccessful, the 47th Brigade’s attack had distracted the enemy’s attention from the 48th on its left, who had meanwhile mastered and held Ginchy, repulsing several counter-attacks.

After dark the Guards relieved the 47th Brigade and the survivors of A and B rejoined HQ in Bernafay Wood, C and D meanwhile making a fruitless journey to Ginchy to construct strong points, the sites selected proving not to be in our possession.

Next day (September 10th) the battalion went back to Morlancourt and thence to Corbie. Here it remained till the 18th, then going by bus to Airaines, to entrain on September 21st for Flanders and the Second Army, which was using its division to relieve some of the Canadians, now under orders for the Somme, in the line NW. of Wytschaete.

Atkinson, C. T.. ROYAL HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT. 1914-1918 (p. 305). Naval and Military Press. Kindle Edition.