Operation Blucher-Yorck
Lens. Avion. 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 10-14 July 1918.
During July 1918 the 6 Bn KSLI were in the line at Avion near to Lens. At this time, and in this sector, the Kaiser Offensive operations had subsided. The next phase, Operation Gneisenau, would be against French troops to the south. With the ending of the Offensive life in the trenches had returned to ‘normality’.
During the first 2 weeks of July the 6 Bn KSLI had been in the line at Avion with battalion HQ in Anxious Trench. They were spending their time on working parties repairing and improving the trenches and firebays – a party was also employed burying telephone cables. There was the occasional period of shelling from both the British and Germans but nothing fell in the battalions sector. From the 11 July things became more active. From 9.30pm to 11.40pm, came a barrage of gas shells but the only casualties for the day were 3 OR who were wounded when they hit an old unexploded bomb whilst digging. On 13 July there was a discharge of gas by the British followed by an artillery bombardment on 14 July. On that day too, at 2.30am, the enemy shelled Adept Trench for about 20 minutes, casualties were ORs 2 KIA and 3 wounded. The battalion was relieved on 15 July and went into Alberta Camp.
Boaz Griffiths was one of the men wounded on either the 12th or 14th July.
GOOGLE MAPS Satellite view centres on Avion,
References and Sources WAR DIARY 6 Bn KSLI. Regimental History KSLI
B&O 1918. KO. Blucher-Yorck. Avion. Lens. 6 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. 10-14 July 1918.
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