Albert Choules, my uncle, was born 4th June 1897, at 50 Thorpe Rd, Egham Hythe, Surrey to John Thomas & Emma Sarah Choules, the third of five sons he also had six sisters. He attended the local Egham Hythe School and then worked as a "universal grinder" at the local Lagonda Motor Works. He enlisted on 11th December 1915 in the 2nd Btn The Life Guards but was posted to the Household Battalion on its formation 1st September 1916. They moved to France on 9th November 1916. He took part in the Arras Offensive of May 1917. In what became the Third battle of the Scarpe on 3rd May 1917 two companies of his battalion were tasked, with the 1st Royal Warwicks on their left and the 1st Somersets  on their right with following support from 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers left and 1st Seaforths on their right to take the village of Roeux east of Arras. The battle started at 0345 hrs. Their obtective was to take and pass the cemetery and surrounding area. In the event the whole attack failed. By 0930 the remains of the companies were back in their trenches and suffered 231 casualties that day. Albert, in No 2 company, was killed instantly, by machine gun fire, shortly after leaving his trench whilst three of his four officers were also killed and one wounded. He was buried at the foot of Greenlands Hill with others from his company but his body was never identified for reburial. He is now commemorated on the Arras Memorial. From research at the National Archives I found a map showing the trench lasyout on the day of the attack. On 3rd May 2018, with my family, I returned to to the field where he was killed and stood on the trench line from where he left on 3rd May 1917 to pay our respects.  His brother Sgt James William Choules 13th London Regiment also died and the family words on his war grave are 'Gone but not forgotten' and we hope to maintain that family mantra in the future. James Choules-nephew-November 2018

James Choules