The 6th Prince Albert’s Somerset Light Infantry were part of 43rd Brigade, 14th Light Division and were in the forefront of the German attack around St Quentin in their great Spring Offensive in March 1918, Operarion Michael, which proved to be so destructive of Old Nottinghamians and the British Army in general. The three battalions in the front line of the Somerset Light Infantry wee overrun during the Battle for St Quentin and the remnants of the 6th battalion fought with the Scottish rifles at Jussy in the Actions of the Somme Crossings between 24th-25th March, where the Germans were able to force a crossing over the canal. It was probably during this action that J F Jowers was killed and, like many who died during this massive German Offensive their bodies were never recovered and they were commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.
Fifth Army (Gough): III Corps (Butler): 14th (Light) Division (Couper)
The Division held the line between a point just north of Moÿ de l'Aisne to the west of Itancourt (which is about 5km, or 3 miles, southeast of St-Quentin). There were no major defensible features of ground until the Crozat Canal some way behind the Division's "Battle Zone".
The Division was faced by German Eighteenth Army's 103rd, 37th, 34th and part of 1st Bavarian Divisions - an overwhelming attack indeed. Major-General Victor Couper had deployed all three of his brigades into the Forward and Battle Zones, although the very front of the line held by the Division was occupied only by three battalions: the 6th Somerset Light Infantry and 8th and 9th King's Royal Rifle Corps. (It was against the latter two units that the main German weight of attack was thrown). The Division had only recently arrived from Ypres.
• 9am: enemy infantry is reported to have entered the front line (which in this sector was more or less continuous) and soon afterward completed its capture. They begin to advance into the "Battle Zone".
• A post near Urvillers, held by the 9th KRRC holds out until 3.30pm; some held by 8th KRRC in the village finally fall about 4pm.
By day's end the Division had been ordered to withdraw to hold the line of the Crozat Canal at Liez, Mennesis and Jussy. The villages of Urvillers, Cérizy, Benay, Essigny-le-Grand, Lizerolles, Montescourt amd Clastres have all fallen into enemy hands.
In a small, if interesting irrelevance, the Imperial War Museum in London preserves a Service Jacket (maternity pattern) of Albert Ball, VC, DSO, MC, the famous RFC fighter ace and son of Nottingham which was made by J F Jowers, Tailor, 49, Clumber Street, Nottingham – J F Jower’s father.
