Beschreibung:

A Great War 'Aubers Ridge' Casualty Group of Four to Private G. Wheeler of the 4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, 1914-15 Star (2531 Pte. G. Wheeler Sea:Highrs), British War and Victory Medals (2531 Pte. G. Wheeler. Seaforth.), Great War Bronze Memorial Plaque (Gerald Wheeler) Private Gerald Mardon Wheeler, Son of Alfred Henry and Elizabeth Wheeler of 24 Stanley Road, Oxford, fell on the 9th of May 1915, aged 18 years, he has no known grave, but is Remembered with Honour at the Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais. Westlake's 'Battalions on the Western Front 1915'.- Moved up into Rue du Bois trenches between the 5th and 8th. Took part in attack on Aubers Ridge on 9th. WD records leading company going over the top wearing gas masks at 5.30 am. A letter from one member of the battalion that was published in 'The Morning Post' noted how 'C' Coy got up, scrambled, with the aid of many hands, from the trenches and flung themselves over the parapet. Immediately an absolute hail of bullets met them - '...down, backwards and forwards'. Moving slowly forward foot by foot the attackers trod - 'through grass in many places even then soaking with blood'. Battalion relieved and withdrew to billest near Riez Bailleul. Total casualties - 216 including Lt's CG Tennant, AT Railton and 2nd Lt S Bastin killed. Moved to Vielle Chapelle on 11th... The Memorial in Le Touret Military Cemetery, Richebourg-l'Avoue, is one of those erected by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to record the names of the officers and men who fell in the Great War and whose graves are not known. It serves the area enclosed on the North by the river Lys and a line drawn from Estaires to Fournes, and on the South by the old Southern boundary of the First Army about Grenay. It covers the period from the arrival of the II Corps in Flanders in 1914, to the eve of the Battle of Loos. It does not include the names of officers and men of Canadian or Indian regiments (they are found on the Memorials at Vimy and Neuve-Chapelle) and those lost at the Battle of Aubers Ridge, 9 May 1915, who were involved in the Northern Pincer (the 7th, 8th and 49th Divisions - they are commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial).names of those commemorated are listed on panels set into the walls of the court and the gallery, arranged by Regiment, Rank and alphabetically by surname within the rank. Over 13,000 names are listed on the memorial of men who fell in this area before 25 September 1915 and who have no known grave.