Sergeant Lewis Dawson

Sergeant Lewis Dawson ( possibly ) 6th ( Service ) Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers. He was killed in action in France on 25th September 1915 on the first day of the Battle of Loos and is buried in Zouave Valley Cemetery, Souchez, France. He fell in the disastrous attack on that part of the Hoenzollern Redoubt known as ” Strong Point ”  part of the ” Little Willie ” trench. The German wire was uncut, there was a hidden ditch full of barbed wire and there was a plenitude of enemy machine guns. 358 Officers and men were killed or missing and a further 272 were wounded or gassed, a total of 630 from 750 attackers. The first photo shows an actual assault with the troops disappearing into the smoke and gas. This was the first time the British Army had used gas during the War. The second shows the village of Loos after its capture and the final image shows shells bursting on the Redoubt.