Armentieres area, billets on front edge of town, WW1

My return to France in February 1917 as Officer commanding 505th Field Co. RE, found me once again in the Armentieres area with billets on the front edge of the town. In June, however, after the Bosche had registered on both the officers and men's billets, I moved outside the town to the ruined Factory at Erquinghem, beside the River Lys. During the next three days, the enemy bombarded the town and totally destroyed it. A number of civilians who had obstinately refused to leave the town now blocked the roads and caused considerable loss to our troops as well as themselves. Annotated on back of picture - The burning and gassing of Armentieres, June 1917. I fortunately moved out of the town during the afternoon before my last wagons being splintered by the first shells - the bombardment lasted twelve hours. La Vessee - a sheltered spot behind the trenches where I left my horse each day. By Lieutenant Major John Empson Tindall, MC (b.1885). He joined the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Captain in the 1st Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers (later the 490th Field Company, Royal Engineers), 8th Division, BEF and then became Major commanding the 505th (Wessex) Field Company, 57th Division, BEF

505th Armentieres Bombarded Commanding Empson Gassing Tindall

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