Courageous Brethren - Craig Nelson #352

Craig Nelson’s Family:

Craig Nelson was the son of the late Surgeon-Major Edwin Field Nelson husband of Irene Nelson of 16 The Close, Norwich. 

Education & Career:

Craig Nelson was educated at Armagh Royal School and in Germany.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of Loos (25 September to 13 October 1915) was the major battle on the Western Front in 1915, surpassing in every respect all that had gone before in terms of numbers of men and material committed to battle.

The preliminary bombardment was the most violent to date and the battle was characterised by the commitment of Regular and Territorial battalions on a large scale, in which the Territorials performed just as well as the Regulars.

As the battles on the Western Front in 1915 increased in size and violence, so the casualties increased in proportion: Neuve Chapelle 12,000, Aubers Ridge/Festubert 29,000, Loos 60,000. 1916 was to take the casualty cost to another level.

Loos was intended as a minor role in support of French efforts around Arras but circumstances reduced the French effort. It marked the first use of poison gas by the British. Once the initial assault had failed the battle continued in a series of actions mostly focused on the northern sector around the tactically important Hohenzollern Redoubt.

Captain Craig Nelson – was a professional soldier from long before the war. Craig Nelson was the grandson of the minister of the Downpatrick Church, the Reverend Samuel Craig Nelson, and had joined the Royal Irish Rifles and served in the Boer War (South African campaign) with the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles, and afterwards transferred to the Indian Army. On the outbreak of the war he went to Egypt, where he was appointed Staff Officer and was about to be re-appointed Staff Officer in Flanders when, as an officer of the 3rd Brahman Regiment and attached to the 69th Punjabis, he was killed on the western front on 25th September 1915.

Detail:

Official History Military Operations France and Belgium 1915 Vol II Sepoys in the Trenches - Corrigan
Captain Craig Nelson, 69th Punjabis.
The Battle of Loos marked the first use of poison gas by the British Army. The battle was fought over the industrial coal mining villages north of Lens and started on 25th September 1915.

In order to unbalance the Germans and to prevent them from rapidly moving reserves from quiet sectors a series of feint attacks were staged. One of these was north of Neuve Chapelle at Pietre and it was there that Craig Nelson lost his life.

The attack was delivered by the Indian Corps which included the Bareilly Brigade of which the 69th Punjabis were part. The attack started with an indifferent smoke and gas screen which in fact caused the assaulting brigades more problems than it did to the German defenders. The Garhwal Brigade, of which the 1/3 Londons were part, advanced to find that the wire was not cut and it sustained large casualties as men desperately sought a way through.

Eventually the Garhwal Brigade attack stalled in front of the German trenches and made no significant progress. On their flank the Bareilly Brigade accompanied by the 2/8 Gurkha Rifles made progress but found themselves isolated and susceptible to German counter attack which soon developed. The mud and the congested British communication trenches prevented support reaching the Bareilly Brigade and under severe pressure from German troops armed with much superior grenades, it was forced to return to its original front line.

The feint was effectively over and probably had little impact on events to the south at Loos. The cost of the Pietre action was 107 officers, 1,172 British other ranks and 1,788 Indian other ranks. Craig Nelson was killed in the attack. One source tells us, “The 69th Punjabis started the day with 11 British officers and ended it with three”. Of the others five were killed and three wounded.

See also: Our Heroes in Dublin.

Captain Nelson is survived by his wife Mrs Irene Nelson (Nee Sawyer), daughter of Colonel Sawyer, Indian Army, and his two sons.

Citations & Commemorations:

Not applicable

Masonic:

This Roll of Honour post has been created by the West Kent Military lodge for information, with special thanks to Cher-Leigh Eyles-Thomas for her time researching the content. If you would like to now more about the Lodge contact us here