Bert joined the 2/1 Sussex Yeomanry in the spring of 1915 expecting to be sent to the front, but his battalion were kept in England guarding to Kent coast. In the spring of 1916 the battalion's horses were replaced with bicycles and they thought that their chance of fighting had gone. Then in August 1916 volunteers from the battalion were called for to replace those who had died on the Somme. Bert, along with 400 others volunteered.

Bert was posted to 10th Battalion Queen's Royal West Surreys and arrived at the front on 3rd October 1916 at the end of the battle of the Somme. He fought in the Battle of Messines and was wounded at Passchendaele. Recovering he was sent to 11th Battalion Royal West Surreys and with them spent the winter of 1917/18 in Italy. In March 1918, many of the battalions in Italy, including Bert's, were called back to the Somme. The German Michael Offensive began on 21st March. Bert was one of the casualties. He was killed on 23rd March 1918.

Gone but not Forgotten

Anne Johnson