This Day in History: 1915-05-10
At 04.00 hrs, as part of a three-corps assault on the German line , the 2nd Battalion moved into positions to the south of Neuve Chapelle. Following an intense artillery barrage that lasted some 40 minutes the assaulting companies went “over the top”. The Regimental History reported: “The moment our men appeared in the open a most appalling fire from rifles and machine guns met them, men fell in heaps and all the British officers who were the first to cross the parapet became casualties”. This situation was repeated across the front. The Battalion remained in position until around midday when they were relieved by the Black Watch and withdrawn to billets. The Battalion’s casualties were: four British officers killed; two Gurkha officers killed and two wounded; 25 Gurkha Other Ranks killed, 62 wounded and six missing.