Armentières. 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. June. 1915
On the 30 May 1915 27 Division, including 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, was transferred to III Corps and moved to the Armentières sector. All were glad to be leaving Ypres. They left Ypres at 4.30am on 31 May and, after 2 overnight stops at Dranoutre and Steenwerk, arrived at Armentières at about 4.00pm on 2 June. Armentières town had not been damaged to nearly the same extent as Ypres, billets were comfortable and the town offered many amenities and a resemblance of civilian life. Also, at the front, the new sector was much quieter, dryer and more comfortable. They would remain around Armentières until mid September spending their time in billets, on tours in the trenches and on working parties. There was also time for regimental and divisional sports and competitions – the battalion won the first and second prize for best turned out cooker and limber and best pack ponies and there were also football matches, rifle shooting and wrestling on horseback. Tours in the trenches were relatively quiet with no heavy fighting and only the occasional shell. Casualties were light.
The battalion had gone into the trenches for a 3 day tour immediately after their arrival. They returned to billets during the evening of 5 June for a 2 day rest and on the 8 June went back into the line to relieve the 4 Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps. As the column was making its way forward during the evening a shell hit the road. One man was killed, Private 8710 George Lawrence and 2 others were wounded, George died a short time later of his wounds. The other man killed was Private 9422 W Clark (CWGC) from Hereford. The 2 are buried a grave apart at Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension.
References and Sources WAR DIARY 2 Bn KSLI page 26
B&O 1915 Armentieres. 2 Bn KSLI. June 1915.
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