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Born-Spitalfields

Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium

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.

After the Battle of Gheluvelt, what was left of the 1st Royal West Surrey (Queens) battalion of 3 Brigade, 1st Division, which had suffered many losses in the heavy fighting, fell back to support trenches east of Hooge, until 5th November when they moved to trenches south of Zillebeke where, on 6th November they joined the rest of the brigade in an attack on Zwarteleen. Meeting heavy machine-gun fire, the attackers fell back to their starting line. Joseph Latlieff died from wounds on 6th November but the exact date on which he was wounded is not known.