Description
BWM & Victory, Death Plaque, Private Arthur James Smith, Somerset Light Infantry, transferred to 2nd/4th London Regiment, Royal Fusiliers
Killed in action on 25/04/1918, aged 18, commemorated on a Panel of the Pozieres Memorial.
On the 23rd April A Company, 2nd/2nd Londons wounded and took prisoner a German, who gave the details of an attack which was to begin next morning at 3 o’clock near Hangard Wood.
At 6 AM the infantry attacks began and the 3rd Londons south of Hangard Wood held their line all day in spite of the flanks giving away.
The 2nd 4th Londons did not fare so well, the first attacks were driven off successfully but when the attack was resumed with tanks in the afternoon the left flank was turned and the battalion fell back.
A little later another adjustment of the line became necessary; and the 2/4th took up position in the Canchy Switch Line east of the village continuing in a line of shell holes near the Canchy-Hangard Road. They had given way, though not to such a depth as the troops further north at Villers Bretonneux; and battalion HQ did not move from the quarry east of Canchy. But their losses were extremely heavy including 4 Officers and 203 Other Ranks missing. The 3rd Londons were still in line when the counter-attack at 10pm on the 24th partly restored the positions of their left flank, and on the following day they saw a further German attack broken up be British Artillery.
