Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals	Cambrai Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Medal Citation (if app)	SWFHS Area Memorials
21 Jul 1915	~	Stockton
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of Cambrai	Sep 1914 at Blackdown	~
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Lateau Wood, Gouzeaucourt	~

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

The Battle of Cambrai began with an attack that took the German army by complete surprise on November 20, the British tanks ripped through German defenses in depth and took some 7,500 prisoners at low cost in casualties. Bad weather intervened, however, so that the cavalry could not exploit the breakthrough, and adequate infantry reinforcements were not made available in time to exploit the initial success. By November 29 the offensive had been halted after an advance of about 6 miles (10 km).

On November 30 the German Second Army, under Gen. Georg von der Marwitz, launched a counterstroke with 20 divisions against the flanks of the salient created by the British advance. In the north the attack was parried, but in the south it broke through, and a disaster for the British was averted only by the superb counterattack, first by the Guards Division and later by a tank brigade.The 20th (Light) Division were still holding almost all of the road between Masnières and Bonavis when the Germans launched their attack. They were in a difficult position not having been able to advance during the British offensive as far as the St Quentin Canal. From their current trenches they couldn’t see the canal crossings but were in turn overlooked by the Germans sitting on the high ground above Crèvecoeur. The 10th Kings Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) on the right and near Lateau Wood had a horrific morning. Storm Troopers covered by the mist swarmed in and around them from all directions constantly taking the route of least resistance. Just twenty men from the Battalion survived the day. The story repeated itself with the 11th KRRC to the left and the 10th Rifle Brigade who were behind them. The Division was forced back leaving the way open for the Germans to enter les Rues Vertes behind the 29th Division who were on the northern side of the canal and now alone. Lewis was killed during this attack.