India sent over 140,000 men to the Western Front representing a wide range of religious, linguistic and ethnic cultures. The officers were largely British who, rather incongruously, are given Indian nationality in the CWGC database. In 1964 a bronze panel was added to this memorial with the names of 210 servicemen who died in captivity. If you walk round to the western wall by turning right at the entrance, you will find the Crichton Memorial dedicated to Lieutenant Cyril Crichton of 3/Londons who was killed at Neuve Chapelle, one of very few private memorials erected by the families of those killed in action. At about 5pm on 10 March 1915 Crichton and his men attacked the German breastwork at Port Arthur (150yd northeast of the Port Arthur crossroads), Crichton calling out ‘Follow me’. Shot in the leg, he fell after a few paces but rose to yell ‘charge’ before he was hit again, fatally this time. Buried close by, in 1916 his family became concerned that his grave wasn’t being cared for, but in 1918 his father asked that it be left in place as he intended buying the patch of land on which it stood. When he visited in 1919 there was no grave, but he was shown a spot, somewhere on the site of the present Indian Memorial, where the grave was said to have been. A memorial was erected and looked after by Mme Charlan of l’Auberge de la Bombe on the far side of the roundabout. Crichton’s body finally came to light on 27 February 1925 behind a house about 150m along the road to Neuve Chapelle; his identity disc, his personal effects and silk handkerchief confirmed his identity. Damaged along with the Indian Memorial during fighting here in May 1940 and later by a vehicle, the memorial was moved to its present position when the road was widened in 1965. Crichton is now buried in Le Touret Military Cemetery. Before you leave you should be able to catch sight of the cones at the site of the Loos Double Crassier if you look to the south.

Drive up to the roundabout at the centre of the junction, which was originally known as Port Arthur crossroads, and take the first exit onto the D171 – signposted Neuve Chapelle and Armentières. After 600m you will arrive in the centre of the village with the church on the left. Immediately after passing the church turn left onto the Rue du Moulin, taking note of the CWGC signposts for Neuve Chapelle British Cemetery and Neuve Chapelle Farm Cemetery on the right. Take the next left which will bring you to the car park behind the church. Walk round to visit the church and Mairie which we describe in Route 2. From the car park return to the Rue du Moulin and turn left and after 100m you will see a CWGC signpost for Neuve Chapelle British Cemetery. Turn right and park. The cemetery is approached along the narrow grass path and described in Route 2. After visiting the cemetery, retrace your steps and turn right at the Rue du Moulin. Drive slowly as 150m after the right-hand bend you will see the narrow grass pathway on the right that leads to Neuve Chapelle Farm Cemetery.

The cemetery is sited almost exactly on the old British front line of 10 March and was begun during the battle by 1/13 Battalion London Regiment, better known as the ‘Kensingtons’. Tragically, over half the casualties here remain unidentified and of those who have been identified, twenty-one are soldiers who served with the Kensingtons. At 9am on 10 March the Kensingtons were part of the second wave of 25 Brigade. On 12 March the battalion suffered heavy casualties from a sustained German artillery bombardment and many of the casualties in the cemetery – and no doubt a number of the unidentified – are casualties from that barrage. As the battle drew to a conclusion, two days later, 53-year-old Captain Arthur Prismall (S.2), commanding B Company, was killed. He is remembered on the memorial at Banks Cricket and Athletic Club in Catford and on the battalion war memorial in Kensington Central Library. Before you leave the cemetery find time to visit Private George Herbert (I.3), one of a sprinkling of Royal Berkshire Regiment soldiers who was killed during the 25 Brigade advance on 10 March.

Retrace your steps to the road and before you turn right, look across to the fields on the left of the road towards the line of the D974. It was in this area that the first Victoria Cross of the battle was won by Rifleman Gobar Sing Negi, a bayonet man fighting with the bombers of No. 2 Company of 2/39 Garhwal Rifles during their advance towards the eastern end of the village. Assuming command of his party, he worked round the traverses of a captured German trench time and again, rounding up prisoners as he went. Sadly, the award to the 21-year-old rifleman was posthumous.

Continue to the T-junction and turn right onto the D170 – Rue de Carnin. Continue along the road which soon opens out on the left. The road runs parallel to the British assembly positions on 10 March 1915. Follow the road through the sharp right-hand bend and where the road bends left again stop where convenient. If you walk up to the main road you will see the Moated Grange Farm across to the left. We describe the fighting that took place here in Route 2.

Now continue to the junction with the D171 and turn left to pass the Moated Grange on the right. Continue to the next crossroads and turn right along the D168 – Rue des Lurons. After 200m you will pass over what was the British front line on 10 March 1915 and in another 150m, on the right of the road, was the site of the German strongpoint known as the Quadrilateral which was taken by 2/Scots Guards on 12 March. The road now travels through two sharp bends, after which you come to a T-junction. This is High Trees Corner. The minor road to your right joins the southeastern end of the Sunken Road. Our route takes us straight ahead on the Rue de Piètre and on reaching the large farm buildings on the right you will find a large concrete German bunker on the left, just after the next bend. The bunker was one of a number built after the March 1915 battle and this one, built on the line of the Layes Brook and having interlocking fire zones with others constructed along this line, dominated the flat open ground towards Neuve Chapelle. Looking along the line of the Layes to the northeast you will see the buildings of the old Moulin du Piètre surrounded by mature trees.