Prescot Roll of Honour

Service Details

After nearly four years of war, the German Army was far from defeated and, on 21 March, launched a massive assault of the British lines driving them back nearly 40 miles, over several days. The 9th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment had been in almost constant action since that day and was exhausted. It was withdrawn completely from the battle area and moved to a quiet sector where the troops could get a complete rest and the many new replacements could be properly trained. The rest was not to last long as, in a further surprise, the Germans picked exactly this quiet sector to implement the next stage of their attack.

Over the night of 28/29 May, the Battalion was rushed by bus towards the front line. During the 30th, it marched towards a reserve position where it was held in readiness to cover a withdrawal of other units. The expected attack came about 1pm and the troops retired, now leaving the Cheshires in the front line, on high ground north west of the village of Sarcy, some 25 kilometres south west of Reims. During the evening, they were also able to retire to a position to the south of the village.

The Regimental History records "Attack was certain, but it was most difficult to select, organise and dig a defensive position owing to the standing corn. About midday, German artillery and machine guns opened on the Battalion. They had excellent observation of our positions from the high ground immediately south of Sarcy and west of the Sarcy-Chambrecy road.......Their fire grew in intensity until mid-afternoon, when the left of our front in the valley was a perfect inferno of high explosive and machine gun fire, against which our hastily improvised cover was useless. Most of the officers were killed or wounded."

At 3.15pm, the position became untenable and Colonel Cunningham withdrew the remnants of his Battalion so they could be re-organised. Once this was done, he led them forward again to capture the German positions on the high ground west of the road.

There had been so many casualties, including 42 dead, that the Battalion had insufficient strength to hold the section of the front line allotted to it. It was forced to retreat to nearby positions on the Mont be Bligny

Henry Pye was one of those killed. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Soissons Memorial.

Henry Pye's Medal Index Card

Henry Pye's inscription on the Soissons Memorial