Monchy le Preux. 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 2 June 1917.
During the last 2 weeks of May 1917 the 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry had been at camp at Villers Sir Simon. They had spent the time training as well as sports and recreation – including battalion boxing competition. On 31 May they were ordered back to the front. They returned to Arras by motor buses on 1 June 1917 and that night went into the trenches along the ‘Brown line’ – this was one of the objectives of the opening day of the Arras Offensive and was the third line of the German defences. The battalion relieved the 1 Bn Inniskilling Fusiliers and spent the next week on working parties improving and adding to the defences. During the 2 June the battalion was heavily shelled – casualties were 6 ORs KIA and 17 wounded. The six men were all killed by one 8” shell which hit a group of men in the trenches; they were:
Private 13779 T. HEARTH (CWGC), Lance Corporal 23535 Alfred James MATHEWS (CWGC), Lance Corporal 13571 James SYMONDS ,(CWGC). Private 26994 F. KEARSLEY (CWGC), Private 19240 J. PIPER (CWGC) and MotG –
They are all buried next to each other at Tilloy British Cemetery.
British troops embussing in Arras to go back for a rest, May 1917. The buses being used are London ‘B’ type buses, some 1,300 of which were requisitioned by the army in October 1914 as troop-carriers on the Western Front.(IWM Q 5238)
References and Sources WAR DIARY 7 Bn KSLI and History KSLI
B&O 1917. Arras. Monchy. 7 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. June1917.
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