Current Information:

Age-23

SDGW-LAMDON

26 Gayford Road, Shepherd's Bush

The First action of Hooge

During the night of 18^th July, 4^th Middlesex, 8 Brigade, 3^rd Division moved into the front line at Hooge, in the Ypres salient. The following evening, 19^th July, a solitary 9.2 big gun  boomed out the signal and 175 Tunnelling Company of the Royal Engineers exploded a large mine under a German redoubt between the western end of Hooge and the Bellewaarde Lake. There was a terrific roar, the ground trembled and earth, debris and bodies were shot high up into the air. Ten men of 4^th Middlesex were killed by falling debris and two dumps of stores completely buried.  Immediately two companies of 4^th Middlesex and one company of 1^st Gordon Highlanders attacked in three columns to size and consolidate the very large crater which was 20 feet deep and 120 feet wide, with a 15 feet lip around the edge. Naturally the Germans did not take this lying down and although shocked and dazed by the experience they resisted fiercely. The fighting went on all night, casualties rose and at one stage the attackers were running short of bombs. It was touch and go but at 6.15am a fresh supply of bombs saved the day and the left column was able to advance 30 yards and form a block. The centre column took the far side of the crater and then proceeded up the German trenches for some 75 yard but as the trenches had mostly been filled up with debris from the explosion this proved difficult and again the casualties mounted.  Three German counter attacks were seen off but snipers and one large trench mortar continued to cause casualties on the 20^th July and although the crater itself was in British hands the other trenches initially seized were mostly regained by the Germans.

The following evening 4^th Middlesex were relieved, their casualties for this operation exceeding 300.