Whereas the months of July throughout the war saw the 15th Battalion taking part in the endless routine of trench tours in and out of the front lines in both Belgium and France, the months of August were far more intense and as a result, saw far more casualties. The first two years were dominated by trench tours in the Ypres salient. August 1915 was spent in the north Ploegsteert sector predominantly near Hill 63 with locations that would become familiar to the battalion – Grand Munque Farm, Haunted House, The Piggeries where Bruno joined the unit, Gold Fish Farm, and The Devil’s Elbow – and the early part of August 1916 was spent near Hill 60 at ‘The Bluff’. However, the last two years saw the battalion engaged in two very large battles – Hill 70 in August 1917 and Amiens in early August 1918 and the advance to the Drocourt Queant Line at the end of that month.
During the August 1-5, 1916 front line trench tour at The Bluff, the lines were subjected to stiff shelling which caused four to five casualties per day. On August 5th the enemy blew a mine on the edge of Crater Post and the battalion retaliated with bombing parties raiding enemy listening and bombing posts that night.
136629 Private Anthony Frank Eldridge was a 19 year old farmer originally from Hasting, Sussex, England when he attested into the 74th Battalion in November 1915 at Bradford, ON. Like 447257 Private MacDonald, he was sent as a reinforcement to the 15th Battalion, No. 3 Company in June 1916 following Mount Sorrel and he served in the same trench tours right up to the August 1-5, 1916 tour at The Bluff.
No. 3 Company was occupying Pollock, Bean, New International and Forest trenches when Private Eldridge was KIA from shrapnel wounds to head and body. He is buried in Railway Dugouts Burial Ground.
NOK: Mr. Eldridge (F) 4 Stainsby St., Leonards, Sussex, England
