George Halbert

Killed in Action 09/04/1917 at the 1st Battle of the Scarpe (opening day of the Battle of Arras)

George and the 8th (Service) Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 09/07/1915 and were part of the 44th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division before George joined the 1/6th (Morayshire) Seaforths who were part of the 152nd Brigade, 51st (Highland) Division when he was killed during the attack on the German lines near Roclincourt during the 1st Battle of the Scarpe 9th - 14th April 1917 (part of the Battles of Arras 9th April - 16th June 1917). He was one of 142 Other Ranks killed from the Battalion on the opening day. The Arras offensive (Battle of Arras), 9th April - 16th June 1917 : Once again the British are called upon to launch an attack in support to a larger French offensive: the battles of the Chemin des Dames and the hills of Champagne. The opening Battle of Vimy and the First Battle of the Scarpe are very encouraging, but once again the offensive - often known as the Battle of Arras - bogs down into an attritional slog. Final attempts to outflank the German lines at Bullecourt prove terribly costly. SEE PHOTOS x 29 FOR THE BATTALION WAR DIARY APRIL 1917. War Diary 09/04/1917 - "The Battalion attacked three lines of enemies trenches EAST of ROCLINCOURT at 5.30am and succeeded in capturing its objective known as the BLACK LINE". War Diary 10/04/1917 - "Companies stayed in dugouts in first three captured trenches and supplied parties for carrying to BROWN LINE. All available men were employed salving, collecting dead and digging graves on the former No Man's Land". The Battalion War Diary also states Casualties for the 09/04/1917 were - 4 Officers Killed, 4 Wounded. 142 Other Ranks Killed, 176 Wounded and 2 Missing. About 115 Prisoners captured. For an account of the Battle see War Diary 20 - 29. The Battalion War Casualties for April 1917 were : 16 Officers and 508 Other Ranks. This was the highest amount in the 51st (Highland) Division for that month. The Division War Casualties for April 1917 were : Officers - 66 Killed, 140 Wounded, 8 Missing. Other Ranks - 828 Killed, 2972 Wounded, 482 Missing. Total - 214 Officers, 4382 Other Ranks. The Highland Cemetery was made (under the name of Roclincourt Forward Cemetery No.1) when the battlefields were cleared after the 9th April 1917, and Plot I, Rows A. and C and Plot II, Rows A and D are almost exclusively occupied by the graves of the 51st (Highland) Division. See Directory for George's younger brother Private Thomas Halbert's page. George was previously with the 8th (Service) Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (S/3671). He is also remembered on the St. John's Church Roll of Honour (see photos). See photos for George's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Headstone Report, George's Pension Records x 2, the Highland Cemetery, another photo of George's Grave x 2, the Seaforth Highlanders Cap Badge, a photo of a daylight patrol of the 1/6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders working forward towards Hausa and Delbar Woods. North-east of Roeux, 29 August 1918. Troops crossing an old trench in the No Man's Land, Falkirk War Memorial and George's name on the Memorial. The original Memorial was unveiled in 1926. The men who fell were NOT named on the Memorial until November 2019 when the Friends of Falkirk War Memorial extended and refurbished the Memorial. The story of this can be seen https://falkirkwarmemorial.org/ .Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 30 FOR THE 51st (HIGHLAND) DIVISION BOOK 11th February - 17th APRIL 1917 and the 51st (Highland) Division Order of Battle x 12 (the Division he was with when he died).