Raymond Archibald ('Archie') Allen, younger brother of Florence S J Allen, enlisted for the British Army on 29 September 1916. This studio portrait, by Arthur Weatherley & Co of Leicester, was no doubt taken shortly afterwards.

Pte Allen's service record shows that on 1 April 1918 he was posted to the BEF, France, to join the 22nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry (Pioneers).

He was killed in action on 29 May 1918 during the Third Battle of the Aisne, which was part of a group of surprise attacks that made up the last major German offensive of the War.

According to Hart (2006, p.268) the British suffered heavy losses during the initial bombardment (27 May) because the commander, reluctant to abandon ground which had been captured at great cost the previous year, ordered them to mass together in the front trenches. 'Huddled together, they made easy artillery targets.' The bombardment was followed by a poison gas drop and an infantry assault. The Allies were unable to stop the attack and by 30 May the Germans had smashed through eight Allied divisions on a line between Reims and Soissons.

Raymond Allen's name appears on the monument in the centre of Soissons commemorating 4,000 casualties of the battle with no marked grave.