SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

Private G CATRON.

242017 5th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders.

who died on the 16th May 1917.


Crump Trench British Cemetery, Fampoux.
[Shown by kind permission of ww1cemeteries.com].

Private Catron's name appears on the Skelton Memorial and the plaque in Skelton Church.
Address and family not traced.

the 1/5th (The Sutherland and Caithness) Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders were formed in August 1914 in Golspie.
They were attached to the 152nd Brigade of the 51st (Highland) Division.
The Division fought in the Arras offensive, commencing in snow on 9 April 1917.
The British Third Army attacked at Arras in compliance with a directive from the new French Commander in Chief, General Robert Nivelle.
It was to be a curtain raiser for a larger French attack to the south, along the Chemin des Dames.
The Division was part of the opening attack (The First Battle of the Scarpe (first phase of the Arras Offensive) ), which was very successful and made (for the time) an astonishing advance of several miles.
They attacked east of Roclincourt, with the Canadian Corps – carrying out a fine feat of arms in capturing Vimy Ridge – on their left.
The Division had heavy fighting, but nonetheless met its objectives.
The Second Battle of the Scarpe (second phase of the Arras Offensive) -
After a brief rest, the Division re-entered the line on 15 April, and eight days later took part in another attack, this time near Roeux, where the enemy had strongly fortified the village and nearby chemical works.
The fight went on for two days, and despite heavy loss, these places were captured.
Private Catron presumably fought in all this action but lost his life at the time of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, (15th to 22nd May) in which tanks were used for the first time.
Fampoux, where he buried, is a village in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, 6 kilometres east of Arras.
Fampoux village was taken by the 4th Division (passing through the 9th (Scottish) Division) on 9 April 1917.
It remained close behind the Allied front line, but part of it was lost on 28 March 1918 during the German advance
The village was finally cleared by the 51st (Highland) Division on 26 August 1918. Crump Trench British Cemetery was made by fighting units between April and August 1917.
After the Armistice, 85 of the graves were found to have been destroyed.
Crump Trench British Cemetery contains 215 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War.
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