Description
1914-15 trio, 9th battalion Essex regiment, Killed in Action 18th October 1915, Loos.
1914-15 Star, 13055 Pte G.H. Haines, Essex. R.; British War and Victory Medals, 13055 Pte G. H. Haines. Essex. R.
George Henry Haines was from Walthamstow, Essex.
Enlisted in September 1914 and had been a railwayman in the Great Eastern Railway, working as clerk in the goods department in Southend.
His MIC confirms he landed in France on the 30th May 1915
He was Killed in Action on the 18th October 1915 whilst serving in the 9th battalion Essex regiment. and is commemorated at the Loos memorial
Condition – GV
The 9th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment, formed at Warley as part of Kitchener’s First New Army, arrived in France at Boulogne on 30th May 1915 attached to the 35th Infantry Brigade of the 12th (Eastern) Division.
Shortly after landing, the battalion moved to the Ploegsteert Wood sector (“Plugstreet”) in Flanders for instruction in front-line duties. Throughout June, July, and August 1915, the 9th Essex engaged in the grinding routine of trench warfare. They alternated multi-day shifts in the firing line with periods in reserve, enduring continuous exposure to enemy sniping, trench-mortar fire, and artillery bombardments. Between rotations, the men carried out heavy fatigue labor, repairing damaged parapets, draining mud-clogged trenches, and stringing defensive barbed wire under cover of darkness. By late August, steady attrition from hostile fire had reduced the unit’s strength, yet they developed into a disciplined, battle-hardened formation.
In late September 1915, the 12th Division was shifted south to the Artois front to reinforce XI Corps during the Battle of Loos. The 9th Essex moved into forward assembly positions near Vermelles and Noyelles-lès-Vermelles, taking control of hostile sectors including the Chalk Pit, Gun Trench, and the perimeter of the Quarries—a heavily fortified German complex near Hulluch.
During the major British assault on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13th October, the battalion was subjected to crushing artillery bombardments while holding holding positions. Over the following days, despite heavy casualties from machine-gun fire and shellfire, the 9th Essex stubbornly held their ground. They conducted localized bombing raids, consolidated captured firetrenches, and repelled repeated German counter-attacks across the chalky landscape, establishing a firm defensive line prior to the conclusion of the battle.
Actions on 18th October 1915
On 18th October 1915, during the closing phase of the Battle of Loos, D Company and battalion bombers of the 9th Essex launched a localized assault to capture an important section of German trench near the Quarries. After successfully taking the objective, the men established defensive barricades. Late that afternoon, enemy troops launched a determined counter-attack with three bombing squads. Alerted by C Company, the battalion immediately stood to and opened rapid rifle, machine-gun, and artillery fire. The 9th Essex successfully destroyed the advancing squads at close range, repelled the counter-assault, and firmly secured the trench.
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