Current Information:

Age-24

5, Gloster House, Gurney Street, Walworth

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 their involvement in the Battle of Gheluvelt, the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers battalion of 21 Brigade, 7th Division, moved to a nearby wood, until 4th November when they moved into trenches, facing south, a quarter of a mile south-south-east of the enemy in Gheluvelt. Here they were heavily and persistently shelled until relieved during the night of 5/6th November. Thomas Stock died from wounds on 6th November.