George Kerr

The Battalion arrived in France on the 02/05/1915 and were part of the 152nd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division. George was Killed in Action on the opening day of the German Spring Offensive of 1918 at the Battle of St. Quentin, 21st - 23rd March 1918. SEE PHOTOS x 12 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY MARCH 1918 and PHOTOS x 9 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY BOOK 21st MARCH 1918. From the book - "On the morning of the 21st March our three Battalions, the 5th and 6th Seaforths and 6th Gordons, were in the line practically astride the Bapaume-Cambrai main road which runs "straight as a die" from one town to the other. Our own Battalion’s front lay across this road which we knew the Boche would use more than any other in his expected advance. At 5 a.m. to the minute, after a quiet night, every gun on the German front opened with most terrific fire. Guns of all calibres opened out as hard as they could fire, the front lines being heavily barraged, whilst his heavies systematically shelled support and reserve lines and billeting areas far in the rear. Thousands of guns must have been massed for his great offensive. After five hours of this systematic and devastating shelling, his infantry advanced to the attack, masses upon masses of men pouring forward towards the British front line. It is reckoned that nine German Divisions attacked our Divisional front alone; while in guns he must have had ten to one. And yet so systematically had our Division dug itself in, working steadily since it took over this part of the line, so strong were we closed in with barbed wire, and so strong were our trenches and posts, that he utterly failed to break through our front, in spite of his masses of men and his weight of artillery. What disturbed our men a great deal was his gas shells, with which he deluged our front, support, and reserve trenches, but, through gas curtains over the doors of dug-outs and box respirators on the men, there were few casualties from this. With such heavy fire, all telephone cables in the forward area were soon blown to atoms, and the Battalion had to depend largely on runners for keeping in touch with other battalions and the Brigade. These did excellent work, going out time and again with their dispatches, and generally getting through to their destination in spite of the most terrific barrage we have ever experienced. By 9 a.m. our front trenches were practically wiped out, yet the enemy hesitated to attack frontally". This was part of the 1st Battles of the Somme, 21st March - 5th April 1918 : After transferring very large forces from the now-collapsed Eastern Front, the German Army commits to a series of large-scale offensives. The first, Operation Michael, strikes the British Fifth and Third Armies. A deep advance is made and inflicts large losses, although the second phase, Operation Mars, at Arras on the 28th March, is soon held. In the crisis, the Allies decide at Doullens to appoint French General Foch as co-ordinator, and soon enough, as Generalissimo. Before enough French and British reserves are finally assembled to hold the German advance before it captures the critical railway junctions at Amiens. The 51st (Highland) Division remained in the Cambrai until the 21st March 1918, when the enemy launched a huge and overwhelming attack on the fronts of Fifth and Third Armies, the Division being in the latter near Flesquieres. The defensive front around Flesquieres formed a salient and was strongly held by the British. The enemy decided not to attack it frontally, but instead drenched it with gas while attacking on either side. The pressure grew during the day, and from early evening the Division began a fighting withdrawal that took it over the next few days back several miles, through Beaumetz, towards Bapaume. In fighting a number of critical rearguard actions, Divisional losses built up to a total of over 4,900 men. George is listed as 1st BATTALION on the Coatbridge Memorial. He was formerly with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (S/19968). George is also remembered in the St. Augustine's Parish (book) Roll of Honour. See photos for George's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clipping, his CWGC Registration, his name on the Arras Memorial Panel List, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his name on the Arras Memorial, another photo of George, his Pension Records x 5, his former Regiment the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Cap Badge and the Seaforth Highlanders Cap Badge. Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 31 FOR THE 51st (HIGHLAND) DIVISION BOOK MARCH 1918, the 51st (Highland) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died), Faubourg d'Amiens Cemetery and Arras Memorial taken by myself in July 2023 (my partner Linda sitting top right), Poppy placed at George's name on the Arras Memorial by myself in July 2023 and Newspaper clippings x 4 (Coatbridge Express x 2, Coatbridge Leader x 1 and the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser x 1).