Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Sailly-Sur-La-Lys-Canadian Cemetery | II. E. 104. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.121 | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1st Battalion London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) |
1/1st (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) August 1914 : at Handel Street in Bloomsbury. Part of 1st London Brigade, 1st London Division. Moved on mobilisation to guarding the London-Newhaven railway. 4 September 1914 : sailed with Brigade from Southampton to Malta, arriving Valetta 14 September. 11 February 1915 : left Malta, arrived at Avonmouth on 21 February. 11 March 1915 : landed at Le Havre and joined the 25th Brigade in 8th Division. 8 February 1916 : transferred to 167th Brigade in 56th (London) Division. 6 February 1918 : absorbed the disbanded 2/1st Bn and renamed 1st Bn. |
| Action : The Battle of Aubers |
Fought on 9th and 10th May 1915 and intended to support the French attacks near Arras, this battle was notable for the remarkable bravery of infantry having to cope with inadequate planning, poor artillery support and not least a very competent enemy that had learnt the lessons of Neuve Chapelle just two months before. It also highlighted the problems of quantity and quality in artillery shell supply - a symptom of the general unpreparedness of Britain to fight a major European war, and not really rectified until well into 1917. Possibly one of the least known but most heartbreaking battles of the war, fought in an attempted pincer attack around the village of Neuve Chapelle with the intention of securing the 'high' ground that dominated the approaches to Lille.
Detail :
Captain GM Dundas MOUAT was a Barrister and a Member of the Inner Temple.
He fell at the Battle of Aubers Ridge on 9th May 1915.
This battle was a dreadful failure illuminated with moments of extraordinary bravery by the men who tried their best in impossible conditions. A pincer attack to the north and south of the village of Neuve Chapelle, already fought over in March 1915, was called off after two days at a cost of nearly 12,000 casualties. A significant reason for the failure was the probelm of shell quantity and quality - a symptom of the problems of having to gear up production to meet the requirements of the army.
12 Freemasons fell in this battle, mostly men of battalions of the London Regiment. His brother officer and Brother Mason, Lieutenant Joel Harrison SEAVERNS of the 1/1 Battalion fell with him in this battle.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Royal Prince of Wales No. 1555 E.C. | Eastern Archipelago |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
4th September 1901 | 2nd October 1901 | 6th November 1901 |
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley