First Name: | John George | Last Name: | WARD | |
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Date of Death: | 03/11/1914 | Lived/Born In: | Battersea | |
Rank: | Sergeant | Unit: | Royal Field Artillery 35 Brigade 58 Battery | |
Memorial Site: | Menin Gate, Ypres | |||
Current Information:Age-24 Crown Cottage, Leitrim Grove, Battersea
First Battle of Ypres Between 21st October and 22nd November, 1914 a desperate fight took place around the Belgium city of Ypres, the first of three major battles that were to be fought there during the course of the war. British troops entered Ypres in October. The 1st and 2nd Divisions plus the 3rd Cavalry Division had made their way up from the Aisne as part of the “Race to the Sea”, whilst the 7th Division came west to Ypres after Antwerp had fallen. The Germans knew that Ypres was the gateway to the Channel ports and that these were vital to Britain’s war effort so they poured reinforcements into the area. The fighting fell into three distinct battles; the Battle of Langemarck, 21-24 October, the Battle of Gheluvelt, 29-31 October and the Battle of Nonne Bosschen, 11 November. Ypres did not fall to the Germans but its defence during these two months resulted in the destruction of much of the old regular British Army. 35 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery landed at Zeebrugge in Belgium in early October, 1914 as part of 7th Division with the intention of assisting the Belgian army in the defence of Antwerp. But the city fell to the Germans before they could reach it so they assisted in the evacuation of the Belgian army to the west before moving westwards themselves to join the British Expeditionary Force at Ypres. |
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