On the high ground east of the French city of Arras,

the Poind du jour marks one of the highest points on this landscape of 1917.

Here attacks by British, Scottish and South African troops

marked one of the greatest advances in the history of trench warfare up to that date.

But as always, it was sacrificial ground on the killing fields of Arras.

This week we find ourselves back on the rolling chalk downland around the northern French city of Arras.

This is where the Battle of Arras was fought in April and May of 1917,

perhaps one of the lesser-known British and Commonwealth battles of the Great War.

But considering this was one of the deadliest British battles of that conflict,

with on average over 4,000 British and Commonwealth casualties every single day,

a casualty rate higher than the Somme and Third Eap,

it should be a much better known battle and recognised parts of the old front line,

especially so since it had been part of the British sector since 1916.

The British army after the Battle of Luz saw a change of command,

and gradually during that year of 1915,

the growing size of the British Expeditionary Force

meant that they could extend their line further south

from Flanders across northern France

and getting nearer and nearer to the city of Arras.

And with a change of command from Sir John French being the original commander of the BEF,

it was sacked after the Battle of Luz, and Sir Douglas Hague then took over

and remained as commander-in-chief for the rest of the war.

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